Tomás António Gonzaga
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Tomás António Gonzaga (11 August 1744c. 1810) was a Portuguese poet. One of the most famous Neoclassic writers in colonial Brazil, he was also the '' ouvidor'' and the
ombudsman An ombudsman ( , also ) is a government employee who investigates and tries to resolve complaints, usually through recommendations (binding or not) or mediation. They are usually appointed by the government or by parliament (often with a sign ...
of the city of
Ouro Preto Ouro Preto (, ), formerly Vila Rica (, ), is a Municipalities of Brazil, municipality in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil. The city, a former Brazilian Gold Rush, colonial mining town located in the Serra do Espinhaço mountains, was designated a ...
(formerly "Vila Rica"), as well as the of the appeal court in
Bahia Bahia () is one of the 26 Federative units of Brazil, states of Brazil, located in the Northeast Region, Brazil, Northeast Region of the country. It is the fourth-largest Brazilian state by population (after São Paulo (state), São Paulo, Mina ...
. He wrote under the
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Dirceu. He is patron of the 37th chair of the Brazilian Academy of Letters.


Biography

Gonzaga was born in the ''
freguesia (), usually translated as "parish" or "civil parish", is the third-level administrative subdivision of Portugal, as defined by the 1976 Constitution. It is also the designation for local government jurisdictions in the former Portuguese over ...
'' (or parish) of Miragaia, in
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, to João Bernardo Gonzaga and Tomásia Isabel Clark, who was of British descent. Tomásia died when Gonzaga was 1 year old, and soon after his mother's death, he and his father moved to
Recife Recife ( , ) is the Federative units of Brazil, state capital of Pernambuco, Brazil, on the northeastern Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic coast of South America. It is the largest urban area within both the North Region, Brazil, North and the Northeast R ...
, and then to
Bahia Bahia () is one of the 26 Federative units of Brazil, states of Brazil, located in the Northeast Region, Brazil, Northeast Region of the country. It is the fourth-largest Brazilian state by population (after São Paulo (state), São Paulo, Mina ...
, where João Bernardo served at the magistrature and was of the appeal court, and Gonzaga studied at a Jesuit school. Gonzaga was sent back to Portugal as a teenager, to 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 ...
, to finish his studies and, at 24 years old, he finished his Law course. He presented himself as a candidate for a chair at the University, with the thesis ''Tratado de Direito Natural'', heavily influenced by Enlightenment ideals. Gonzaga became the of the city of Beja in 1778, until 1781. In the following year, he returned to Brazil, becoming the of the city of Vila Rica (nowadays
Ouro Preto Ouro Preto (, ), formerly Vila Rica (, ), is a Municipalities of Brazil, municipality in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil. The city, a former Brazilian Gold Rush, colonial mining town located in the Serra do Espinhaço mountains, was designated a ...
). He held this post until 1789, when he was accused of being involved with the Minas Conspiracy. Arrested, he was sent to a prison in Ilha das Cobras,
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. He spent three years in prison, and although he asserted his innocence, the authorities were influenced by his friendship with the conspirators. In 1792 he was sentenced to perpetual exile in
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, later commuted to a ten-year exile on the Island of Mozambique. By that time, he was engaged to a woman named Maria Doroteia Joaquina de Seixas Brandão, possibly the "Marília" of his verses. His hope of being freed from his prison in order to see his beloved again is a prominent theme of the second part of his poetry book '' Marília de Dirceu''. Arriving at Mozambique, he fell ill and was charitably received by a wealthy Portuguese gentleman. He then married his daughter, Juliana de Sousa Mascarenhas, having with her two children: Ana and Alexandre. Gonzaga lived the rest of his life in exile, having a wealthy and happy life and becoming a lawyer. He would die of a
tropical disease Tropical diseases are diseases that are prevalent in or unique to tropical and subtropical regions. The diseases are less prevalent in temperate climates, due in part to the occurrence of a cold season, which controls the insect population by forc ...
he contracted; his date of death is unknown, although it is commonly accepted to be in 1810. His remains are currently interred at the
Museu da Inconfidência Museu da Inconfidência or Museum of the Inconfidência is a history museum dedicated to those who died in a failed rebellion movement Inconfidência Mineira for Brazilian independence from Portugal. It was established in 1938. It is located in Ti ...
in Ouro Preto.


Works

* '' Marília de Dirceu'', poetry collection (1792) * '' Cartas Chilenas'', discontinued series of satirical poems (1863) His reputation rests on ''Marília'', which contains all his published verses and is organized into two parts, corresponding with the stages of his life, the second having been written in prison.


Representations in popular culture

* Gonzaga was portrayed in many Brazilian telenovels and films. He was portrayed by Gianfrancesco Guarnieri in the telenovel '' Dez Vidas'' (1969); by Luiz Linhares in the film '' Os Inconfidentes'' (1972) and by Eduardo Galvão in the film ''
Tiradentes Joaquim José da Silva Xavier (; 12 November 1746 – 21 April 1792), known as Tiradentes (), was a leading member of the Colonial Brazil, colonial Brazilian revolutionary movement known as the Inconfidência Mineira, whose aim was full i ...
'' (1999). * In the 1984 children's book ''A Ladeira da Saudade'', by Brazilian author Ganymédes José, Gonzaga's unrequited love by Maria Doroteia is explored on a more modern context.


References


External links

* *
Gonzaga's biography at the official site of the Brazilian Academy of Letters
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gonzaga, Tomas Antonio 1744 births 1810s deaths Colonial Brazil
Poets A poet is a person who studies and creates poetry. Poets may describe themselves as such or be described as such by others. A poet may simply be the creator (thought, thinker, songwriter, writer, or author) who creates (composes) poems (oral t ...
Brazilian male poets 18th-century Brazilian poets People from Ouro Preto Brazilian people of Portuguese descent Portuguese prisoners and detainees 19th-century Brazilian writers Portuguese exiles Patrons of the Brazilian Academy of Letters People from Porto University of Coimbra alumni 18th-century Portuguese poets 18th-century Portuguese male writers 19th-century Portuguese writers 19th-century male writers Brazilian Roman Catholics