Almeida Garrett facts for kids

Quick facts for kids His Lordship The Viscount of Almeida Garrett ComC CavTE
A lithograph of Garrett, by Pedro Augusto Guglielmi
Born	João Baptista da Silva Leitão de Almeida Garrett (1799-02-04)4 February 1799 Porto, Kingdom of Portugal
Died	9 December 1854(1854-12-09) (aged 55) Lisbon, Kingdom of Portugal
Occupation	Poet, playwright, novelist, politician, journalist
Nationality	Portuguese
Literary movement	Romanticism
Notable works	Viagens na Minha Terra, Camões, Frei Luís de Sousa
Signature
Minister and Secretary of State of Foreign Affairs
In office 4 March 1852 – 17 August 1852
Prime Minister	The Duke of Saldanha
Preceded by	António Jervis de Atouguia
Succeeded by	António Jervis de Atouguia
Chief Chronicler of the Kingdom of Portugal
In office 20 December 1838 – 16 July 1841
Prime Minister	The Viscount of Sá da Bandeira
Preceded by	João Bernardo da Rocha Loureiro
Succeeded by	The Viscount of Santarém (as Guardian of the Royal Archives)
Inspector-General of the National Theatres and Shows
In office 22 November 1836 – 16 July 1841
Prime Minister	The Viscount of Sá da Bandeira
Preceded by	Position established
Succeeded by	Joaquim Larcher

João Baptista da Silva Leitão de Almeida Garrett (born February 4, 1799 – died December 9, 1854) was a famous Portuguese poet, playwright, novelist, and politician. He is considered one of the most important figures in Portuguese Romanticism.

Garrett was a true revolutionary and humanist. He worked hard to improve theater in Portugal. He even suggested building the D. Maria II National Theatre and creating a special school for dramatic arts.

Almeida Garrett's Life Story

Garrett was born in Porto, Portugal. His family had to leave their home in 1809 because of the French invasion. They found safety in the Azores islands.

While in the Azores, his uncle, Dom Frei Alexandre da Sagrada Família, taught him. His nanny, Rosa de Lima, also told him many traditional stories. These stories later inspired some of his writings.

Becoming a Writer and Politician

In 1818, Garrett moved to Coimbra to study law at the University. He published a work called O Retrato de Vénus (The Portrait of Venus). Some people thought it was too controversial. Around this time, he started using the name "de Almeida Garrett."

Garrett supported the Liberal Revolution of 1820 in Portugal. This revolution aimed to bring more freedom and a new government system. He wrote patriotic songs that his friends shared in the streets.

After a political uprising in 1823, he had to go into exile in England. While there, he learned about Romanticism from writers like William Shakespeare and Walter Scott. This style of writing focused on emotions, nature, and individual experiences.

In 1825, Garrett moved to France. He wrote Camões (1825) and Dona Branca (1826). These poems are seen as the first Romantic works in Portuguese literature. He returned to Portugal in 1826 and started two newspapers.

Return to Portugal and Public Service

In 1828, he was forced to leave Portugal again. He went back to England and continued writing. He later returned to Portugal and helped establish a constitutional monarchy. This meant the country would be ruled by a king or queen, but with laws and a parliament.

Garrett became a powerful speaker for the Liberal movement. He also worked to create a new Portuguese theater. During this time, he wrote historical plays like Gil Vicente and D. Filipa de Vilhena.

In 1843, Garrett collected many traditional stories in Romanceiro e Cancioneiro Geral. He also wrote the historical novel O Arco de Santana. This book was inspired by Victor Hugo's The Hunchback of Notre Dame.

His writing style changed, becoming more complex. This can be seen in his famous book Viagens na Minha Terra (Travels in My Homeland, 1846). He also published poetry collections like Flores sem Fruto (Flowers without Fruit, 1844) and Folhas Caídas (Fallen Leaves, 1853).

Later Life and Legacy

In 1852, Queen Maria II of Portugal gave him the title of 1st Viscount of Almeida Garrett. He briefly served as Minister of Foreign Affairs that same year.

Garrett had a daughter named Maria Adelaide. Her life experiences inspired him to write his famous play Frei Luís de Sousa.

Almeida Garrett passed away from cancer in Lisbon on December 9, 1854. He was first buried in a cemetery, but later his remains were moved to the Jerónimos Monastery. He now rests near other great Portuguese figures like Alexandre Herculano and Luís de Camões.

Portugal honored him by issuing a set of four postage stamps in 1957.

List of Works

Here are some of Almeida Garrett's most important works:

• 1819 - Lucrécia (Lucretia)
• 1820 - Mérope (theater)
• 1821 - O Retrato de Vénus (poetry) (The Portrait of Venus)
• 1821 - Catão (theater) (Cato)
• 1825 - Camões (poetry)
• 1826 - Dona Branca (poetry) (Lady Branca)
• 1828 - Adozinda (poetry)
• 1829 - Lírica de João Mínimo (poetry) (João Mínimo's Lyric)
• 1829 - O tratado "Da Educação" (A Treatise on Education)
• 1830 - Portugal na Balança da Europa (Portugal on the scales of Europe)
• 1838 - Um Auto de Gil Vicente (theater) (Gil Vicente's Auto)
• 1842 - O Alfageme de Santarém (theater)
• 1843 - Romanceiro e Cancioneiro Geral, tomo 1
• 1843 - Frei Luís de Sousa (theater) ISBN: 0-85051-510-6 (Brother Luís de Sousa)
• 1844 - Miragaia
• 1845 - Flores sem fruto (poetry) (Fruitless Flowers)
• 1845 - O Arco de Sant'Ana I (fiction) (The Arch of Sant'Ana I)
• 1846 - Falar Verdade a Mentir (theater) (Speaking the Truth by Lying)
• 1846 - Viagens na Minha Terra (fiction) ISBN: 0-85051-511-4 (Travels in my Homeland)
• 1846 - D. Filipa de Vilhena (theater)
• 1848 - As profecias do Bandarra (Bandarra's Prophecies)
• 1848 - Um Noivado no Dafundo (A Wedding in Dafundo)
• 1848 - A sobrinha do Marquês (theater) (The Marquis's Niece)
• 1849 - Memórias Históricas de José Xavier Mouzinho da Silveira (Historical Memories of José Xavier Mouzinho da Silveira)
• 1850 - O Arco de Sant'Ana II (fiction) (The Arch of Sant'Ana II)
• 1851 - Romanceiro e Cancioneiro Geral, tomo 2 e 3
• 1853 - Folhas Caídas (poetry) (Fallen Leaves)
• 1853 - Fábulas e Folhas Caídas (poetry) (Fables and Fallen Leaves)
• 1854? - Helena (fiction)
• 18?? - Afonso de Albuquerque
• 1871 - Discursos Parliamentares e Memórias Biográficas (Parliamentary Speeches and Biographical Memories)

See also

In Spanish: Almeida Garrett para niños