Person

Kimpa Vita

c. 1684–1706 · 17th century · Also known as Beatriz Kimpa Vita, Dona Beatriz

Kimpa Vita, baptised Beatriz, was a Kongolese prophet who founded the Antonian movement during the Kongo civil wars. In 1704 she claimed to be possessed by Saint Anthony, taught that Christ and the saints were Kongolese, and called for the kingdom to be reunited under a king at the ruined capital São Salvador. Her followers reoccupied the city, but she was captured and burnt as a heretic on the orders of Pedro IV in 1706.

Kimpa Vita
Image: Somebody040404 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Mentioned in 1 profile

Kongo EmpireDecline, Summary

Mentioned in 1 state history

Kingdom of Kongo dia Ntotila (Kibangu)

See also

Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Kimpa Vita. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/kimpa-vita
MLA
“Kimpa Vita.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/kimpa-vita. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Kimpa Vita.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/kimpa-vita.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Kimpa Vita’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/kimpa-vita (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻