Tomás António Gonzaga | |
|---|---|
 A drawing of Gonzaga | |
| Born | (1744-08-11)11 August 1744 Miragaia,Porto, Portugal |
| Died | 1810 (aged 65–66) Island of Mozambique,Portuguese Colony of Mozambique |
| Pen name | Dirceu |
| Occupation | Poet,jurist,activist |
| Alma mater | University of Coimbra |
| Literary movement | Neoclassicism |
| Notable works | Marília de Dirceu,Cartas Chilenas |
| Spouse | Juliana de Sousa Mascarenhas |
| Children | Ana Mascarenhas Gonzaga, Alexandre Mascarenhas Gonzaga |
Tomás António Gonzaga (11 August 1744 – c. 1810) was a Portuguese poet. One of the most famousNeoclassic writers in colonial Brazil, he was also theouvidor and theombudsman of the city ofOuro Preto (formerly "Vila Rica"), as well as thedesembargador of the appeal court inBahia. He wrote under thepen nameDirceu.
He is patron of the 37th chair of theBrazilian Academy of Letters.
Gonzaga was born in thefreguesia (or parish) ofMiragaia, inPorto, 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 toRecife, and then toBahia, where João Bernardo served at the magistrature and wasdesembargador of the appeal court, and Gonzaga studied at a Jesuit school. Gonzaga was sent back to Portugal as a teenager, to theUniversity of Coimbra, to finish his studies and, at 24 years old, he finished his Law course.[1] He presented himself as a candidate for a chair at the University, with the thesisTratado de Direito Natural, heavily influenced byEnlightenment ideals.
Gonzaga became thejuiz de fora of the city ofBeja in 1778, until 1781. In the following year, he returned to Brazil, becoming theouvidor of the city of Vila Rica (nowadaysOuro Preto). He held this post until 1789, when he was accused of being involved with theMinas Conspiracy. Arrested, he was sent to a prison inIlha das Cobras,Rio de Janeiro. 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 inAngola, later commuted to a ten-year exile on theIsland of Mozambique.[1] By that time, he was engaged to a woman namedMaria 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 bookMarília 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 atropical disease he contracted; his date of death is unknown, although it is commonly accepted to be in 1810. His remains are currently interred at theMuseu da Inconfidência in Ouro Preto.
His reputation rests onMarília, 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.[1]
| Preceded by New creation |  Brazilian Academy of Letters -Patron of the 37th chair | Succeeded by José Júlio da Silva Ramos (founder) |
