António Cordeiro (c.1641;
Angra – 2 February 1722;
Lisbon
Lisbon ( ; ) is the capital and largest city of Portugal, with an estimated population of 567,131, as of 2023, within its administrative limits and 3,028,000 within the Lisbon Metropolitan Area, metropolis, as of 2025. Lisbon is mainlan ...
) was a
Portuguese Catholic
The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...
priest in the
Society of Jesus
The Society of Jesus (; abbreviation: S.J. or SJ), also known as the Jesuit Order or the Jesuits ( ; ), is a religious order of clerics regular of pontifical right for men in the Catholic Church headquartered in Rome. It was founded in 1540 ...
,
Azorean historian
A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human species; as well as the ...
, author of the classical chronicle ''Historia Insulana'', and first to publish a public opinion on the form of governance for the archipelago of the
Azores
The Azores ( , , ; , ), officially the Autonomous Region of the Azores (), is one of the two autonomous regions of Portugal (along with Madeira). It is an archipelago composed of nine volcanic islands in the Macaronesia region of the North Atl ...
.
Biography
António was the sixth and final child of António Cordeiro Moitoso and his
Graciosense wife Maria Espinosa.
His primary studies, and classes in the humanities, occurred in the city of
Angra, and he showed an exceptional intellect. Although he was their youngest child, his parents decided to send him to study at the
University of Coimbra
The University of Coimbra (UC; , ) is a Public university, public research university in Coimbra, Portugal. First established in Lisbon in 1290, it went through a number of relocations until moving permanently to Coimbra in 1537. The university ...
, where one of his brothers already studied.
In 1656, with less than 15 years of age, he departed for
Lisbon
Lisbon ( ; ) is the capital and largest city of Portugal, with an estimated population of 567,131, as of 2023, within its administrative limits and 3,028,000 within the Lisbon Metropolitan Area, metropolis, as of 2025. Lisbon is mainlan ...
on board a warship in a flotilla commanded by General António Teles de Menezes. On reaching the Portuguese coast, the armada was forced into combat against a
Spanish squadron, where he and his brother, Pedro Cordeiro de Espinosa
[Pedro Cordeiro de Espinosa, would become a canonical Doctor, professor, and later dean, at the University of Coimbra, and commissioner in the Captaincy of Bahia, in ]Brazil
Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by area, fifth-largest country by area and the List of countries and dependencies by population ...
were taken prisoners. Seventeen days later the enemy brig came under attack from an
English ship, and the Spanish captain was forced to retreat to
Cadiz for repairs. While in Cadiz, young António attempted to escape, but was caught. Aside from being physically punished, he was brought before the supreme commander of Spanish forces, the Duke of Medinaceli, who was impressed by his brilliant oratory, and granted him safe passage to
Portugal
Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic, is a country on the Iberian Peninsula in Southwestern Europe. Featuring Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point in continental Europe, Portugal borders Spain to its north and east, with which it share ...
.
But, his problems did not end when he returned to Portugal: on crossing the
Algarve
The Algarve (, , ) is the southernmost NUTS statistical regions of Portugal, NUTS II region of continental Portugal. It has an area of with 467,495 permanent inhabitants and incorporates 16 municipalities (concelho, ''concelhos'' or ''município ...
he was confronted with an outbreak of
plague, and upon arriving in
Setúbal
Setúbal ( , , ; ), officially the City of Setúbal (), is a city and a municipality in Portugal. The population of the entire municipality in 2014 was 118,166, occupying an area of . The city itself had 89,303 inhabitants in 2001. It lies withi ...
, he was detained and placed in
quarantine
A quarantine is a restriction on the movement of people, animals, and goods which is intended to prevent the spread of disease or pests. It is often used in connection to disease and illness, preventing the movement of those who may have bee ...
.
Education
He finally arrived in Coimbra, and began his studies, where he studied
philosophy
Philosophy ('love of wisdom' in Ancient Greek) is a systematic study of general and fundamental questions concerning topics like existence, reason, knowledge, Value (ethics and social sciences), value, mind, and language. It is a rational an ...
in the Colégio of the
Society of Jesus
The Society of Jesus (; abbreviation: S.J. or SJ), also known as the Jesuit Order or the Jesuits ( ; ), is a religious order of clerics regular of pontifical right for men in the Catholic Church headquartered in Rome. It was founded in 1540 ...
, where he was an exceptional student. He completed his course on 12 June 1657, and joined the Society, and shortly after, entered training to become a
Canon
Canon or Canons may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* Canon (fiction), the material accepted as officially written by an author or an ascribed author
* Literary canon, an accepted body of works considered as high culture
** Western canon, th ...
at the
University of Coimbra
The University of Coimbra (UC; , ) is a Public university, public research university in Coimbra, Portugal. First established in Lisbon in 1290, it went through a number of relocations until moving permanently to Coimbra in 1537. The university ...
. He completed his university studies in 1676, beginning immediately his career as Master of the
Society of Jesus
The Society of Jesus (; abbreviation: S.J. or SJ), also known as the Jesuit Order or the Jesuits ( ; ), is a religious order of clerics regular of pontifical right for men in the Catholic Church headquartered in Rome. It was founded in 1540 ...
, and professor at Coimbra.
Canon
Between 1676 and 1680 he taught
philosophy
Philosophy ('love of wisdom' in Ancient Greek) is a systematic study of general and fundamental questions concerning topics like existence, reason, knowledge, Value (ethics and social sciences), value, mind, and language. It is a rational an ...
, and until 1696 he taught scholastic and moral
theology
Theology is the study of religious belief from a Religion, religious perspective, with a focus on the nature of divinity. It is taught as an Discipline (academia), academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itse ...
. In 1696, he was transferred to
Braga
Braga (; ) is a cities of Portugal, city and a Municipalities of Portugal, municipality, capital of the northwestern Portugal, Portuguese Braga (district), district of Braga and of the historical and cultural Minho Province. Braga Municipality ...
, where he was professor at the ''Colégio da Companhia'' (''College of the
Society of Jesus
The Society of Jesus (; abbreviation: S.J. or SJ), also known as the Jesuit Order or the Jesuits ( ; ), is a religious order of clerics regular of pontifical right for men in the Catholic Church headquartered in Rome. It was founded in 1540 ...
''), another branch of the Society. From Braga he went to the ''Colégio'' in
Porto
Porto (), also known in English language, English as Oporto, is the List of cities in Portugal, second largest city in Portugal, after Lisbon. It is the capital of the Porto District and one of the Iberian Peninsula's major urban areas. Porto c ...
, where he remained for eight years, until he was assigned to the ''Colégio de Santo Antão'' (''College of Santo Antão''), in Lisbon, where he remained until his death.
In addition to his work as professor in the Society of Jesus, he was a renowned orator, who traveled between
diocese
In Ecclesiastical polity, church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop.
History
In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided Roman province, prov ...
s in
catechism
A catechism (; from , "to teach orally") is a summary or exposition of Catholic theology, doctrine and serves as a learning introduction to the Sacraments traditionally used in catechesis, or Christian religious teaching of children and adult co ...
missions and introducing reforms organized by the
Jesuits
The Society of Jesus (; abbreviation: S.J. or SJ), also known as the Jesuit Order or the Jesuits ( ; ), is a religious order (Catholic), religious order of clerics regular of pontifical right for men in the Catholic Church headquartered in Rom ...
; he was a regular on the "circuit" between Braga,
Viseu
Viseu () is a city and municipality in the Centro Region of Portugal and the capital of the Viseu District, district of the same name, with a population of 100,105 inhabitants in the entire municipality, and center of the Viseu Dão Lafões Interm ...
,
Pinhel,
Torres Novas
Torres Novas () is a Portugal, Portuguese Concelho, municipality in the district of Santarém (district), Santarém, in the Médio Tejo Subregion, Médio Tejo of the Oeste e Vale do Tejo region. The population of the municipality was approximately ...
and other places.
He also collaborated with the
University of Évora, and other colégios of the Society, winning fame for his great intellect. D. José de Barbosa, on the publication of Cordeiro's ''História Insulana'' affirmed:
:''"...he was a ray that proceeded that of the Sun...illuminating, with his doctrine, the Universities of Coimbra and Évora, the studies of Braga, Lisbon and Porto, and, not content to reveal the science with subtle novelty, began a life of an apostle on the fervent missions to Viseu, Pinhel, Torres Novas and many other settlements, who even today...look to documents of his piety."''
Historia Insulana
He dedicated himself to the history of the Azores, aided by the manuscripts of
Gaspar Frutuoso, which were held in the possession of the Society of Jesus. From consulting Frutuoso's works he began to write his ''Historia Insulana'', that described the history of the Azores. It was the first work to be edited, and published: it became a fundamental text on Azorean history, even as Frutuoso's ''Saudades da Terra'' was inaccessible and parts uncompleted until the end of the 20th Century. For those reasons, the ''Insulana'' constituted the most complete resource that indirectly accessed Frutuoso's work.
Father António Cordeiro died in the Colégio de Santo Antão, in Lisbon, on 2 February 1722.
Published works
Although he was known to be a prolific author, his most remembered works were the following:
* ''Moral Teológica'' (1696)
* ''Cursus Philosophicus Conimbricensis'' (1714)
* ''In Proecipium Partium D. Thomae Theologia Scholastica'' (1716)
* ''Historia Insulana das Ilhas a Portugal Sujeitas no Oceano Ocidental'' (1717)
References
;Notes
;Sources
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cordeiro, Antonio
1640s births
1722 deaths
17th-century Portuguese Jesuits
Azorean historians
People from Angra do Heroísmo
University of Coimbra alumni
18th-century Portuguese Jesuits