In 1750, the Marquês de Pombal (Marquees of Pombal) became Prime Minister of D. José, founding the economy, the central management, the justice and even the army of poorer quality, for the reason that in Europe the Absolutism was in ascension, becoming to believe that the king’s power came from God, therefore the king owned country’s total and absolute power. But D. José wanted to imitate the king of France, Luis XIV, making big constructions such as the Águas Livres Aqueduct, Mafra’s Royal Palace, between others and organizing enormous parties with his royal Corte. Meanwhile in England, some nobles and merchants were getting wealthier with the gold that came from Brazil and also with the goods from the colonies (Angola, India, etc), that the king used it to pay his expenditures in cereals and imported fabrics.

The Marquees took several measures to value national production, freedom the country of England’s dependence, forbidding the sow of Porto’s wine in proper lands to produce cereals, subsidized the creation of glass factories, wares, established the first sugar refinery, reorganized the royal silk factory, giving a huge contribute for the pulling out of the Portuguese industry and remodelled the education creating new education methods.

In 1759 he received the title of Conde de Oeiras (Oeiras Cound), for his persistence in the earthquake of 1755 and in 1769 he received the title of Marquês de Pombal. All this merits earn him a lot of enemies, such as D. Francisco, D. João V’s brother. The king did not bind to the complaints, giving more power to the minister, thus created hatred among several people of the court.

The nobles decided to take precautions and planned to kill the king in order to dismiss the minister, the vengeance takes shape and are the Távoras, the Dukes of Aveiro and some Jesuits, whom try to kill D. José, but in vain. As soon as the king realises of what it’s going on gives permission to the minister to form a personal guard.

The Marquees enlisted the best ones welded, of our weak army, some excellent noblemen reliable who would be skilled swordsmen for its bodyguard, that would come to call itself “capotes brancos” (English translation: white cloaks), for its cloak to be white of one of the sides.  Thus was the first political policy of our country.  The Marquis, after having his bodyguard, ordered to torture and to kill all the ones that had attempted against the life of the king.

The White Cloaks had as local of meeting the streets of our neighbourhood.  Its enemies number one were the Black Cloaks, commanded for D. Francisco, brother of deceased D. João V, that had as headquarters a cellar situated coal bunker in Rua da Vinha.

Innumerable histories exist on the Cloaks, these “Bairro Alto” ex-libris.  The Cloaks had fame of to be great gallants and when they went for its loving meeting were provoked by the nobles of quarrelsome D. Francisco or only by its control, trying to make harm fame on the Marquee to the eyes of the king.

But as always, it is the bravery ness, the cleverness and the dexterity that it wins, when "rusga da formosa" came to straighten the “Bairro Alto”, Capotes Brancos turned the cloak for the black side and the confusion was installed, not knowing who was who.

The "Capotes Negros” (Black Cloaks) and the quarrelsome ones finished for beating in the policy thinking to be the "White Cloaks".  These went imprisoned and the "Capotes Brancos” were moved away to prevent problems to the Marquês.  These heroes had suffered many ambushes, many provocations and until the people detested them, only for the several you intrigue its respect, until nickname them of "white ants", for the rapidity with that they appeared and they disappeared.