Antonia Ferreira facts for kids
Antónia Adelaide Ferreira (born June 4, 1811, died March 26, 1896) was a famous Portuguese businesswoman. People in Portugal often called her "Ferreirinha." She was known for her great leadership in growing grapes for port wine. She also brought new and smart ways of making wine to Portugal.
Contents
Life
Her Early Life and Business
Antónia Ferreira started her journey in the wine world. She inherited many vineyards from her very rich family. Her father arranged for her to marry a cousin. However, her husband was not interested in the family business. He spent a lot of her money. They had two children together. One daughter was Maria de Assunção. She later became known as the Countess of Azambuja. They also had a son, António Bernardo Ferreira.
Antónia became a widow when she was 33 years old. After this, she took full control of her family's estates.
The Beloved "Ferreirinha"
Antónia received her special nickname, Ferreirinha. This is a loving way to say her name in Portuguese. She earned it because she cared deeply for the working families. These families farmed her lands and vineyards. She always supported them.
Her business efforts were helped by her administrator, José da Silva Torres. He later became her second husband.
Fighting for Portuguese Wine
Antónia Ferreira faced many challenges. She fought against the lack of support for local wine growing. At that time, much Portuguese wine was imported from Spain. She also fought against a terrible plant pest called phylloxera. This pest eventually destroyed many grapevines in Europe. It also damaged her own vineyards in Portugal.
To find solutions, Ferreirinha traveled to England. There, she learned the newest and best ways to fight the disease. She brought these methods back to Portugal. She also learned and brought back new ways to make wine.
Ferreirinha invested in many new vineyards. She especially chose areas with lots of sunlight. But she also kept the original vineyards she had inherited in northern Portugal. Most of her wine was sent to England. England was the first big buyer of port wine.
Her Lasting Impact
Antónia Ferreira passed away in 1896. She left behind a large fortune. She also owned nearly thirty vineyards. She is seen as one of the most important leaders in the history of the Douro valley. She greatly influenced the continued popularity and success of Portuguese wines. Her work helped the wine industry survive the phylloxera blight in the late 1800s.
In 2004, a Portuguese television series showed a story about her life.
See also
In Spanish: Antónia Ferreira para niños
