Background
José de Santa Rita Durão was born in Mariana in the province of Minas Gerais in 1722.
José de Santa Rita Durão was born in Mariana in the province of Minas Gerais in 1722.
For 10 years Durão studied at the Jesuit College of Rio de Janeiro. He graduated in Philosophy and Theology at the University of Coimbra, in Portugal.
Durão became a member of the Augustinian order of friars. Having irritated the minister Pombal by his defence of the Jesuits, he retired from Portugal in 1759; and, after being imprisoned in Spain as a spy, found his way to Italy in 1763, where he became acquainted with Alfieri, Pindemonte, Casti and other literary men of the time.
On his return to Portugal he delivered the opening address at the university of Coimbra for the year 1777; but soon after retired to the cloisters of a Gratian convent. At the time of his death he taught in the little college belonging to that order in Lisbon.
His epic in ten cantos, entitled Caramúru, poema epico do descubrimento da Bahia, appeared in Lisbon in 1781, but proved at first a total failure. Its value has gradually been recognized. The historic institute of Rio de Janeiro offered a prize to the author of the best essay on the legend of Caramúru; and the successful competitor published a new edition of Durão’s poem. There is a French translation which appeared in Paris in 1829.
Member of the Augustinian order of friars