Santa Rita Durão

Santa Rita Durão
200px A 1981 Brazilian stamp celebrating the 200 years of Caramuru's publication; a fictionalized depiction of Durão can be seen at the left, and Diogo Álvares Correia at the right
Born	José de Santa Rita Durão 1722 Mariana, Brazil
Died	1784 (aged 61–62) Lisbon, Portugal
Occupation	Orator, poet, priest
Nationality	Portuguese
Alma mater	University of Coimbra
Genre	Epic poetry
Subject	Indianism
Literary movement	Neoclassicism
Notable works	Caramuru

José de Santa Rita Durão (1722–1784) was a Colonial Brazilian Neoclassic poet, orator and Augustinian friar. He is considered a forerunner of "Indianism" in Brazilian literature, with his epic poem Caramuru.

He is the correspondent patron of the 9th chair of the Brazilian Academy of Letters.

Life

José de Santa Rita Durão was born in Mariana, in what is now the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais, in 1722. For 10 years he studied at the Jesuit College of Rio de Janeiro and, one year later, he went to Europe, where he became an Augustinian priest. He graduated in Philosophy and Theology at the University of Coimbra, where he would occupy a Theology chair.

During the government of the Marquis of Pombal, he was persecuted and fled from Portugal. He went to Rome, where he worked as a librarian for 20 years, also travelling to Spain and France. After the Pombaline government fell, he returned to Portugal.

It was in Portugal where Durão wrote his masterpiece and only known work: the Luís de Camões-influenced epic poem Caramuru, published in 1781 and based on the life of the famous Portuguese sailor Diogo Álvares Correia (a.k.a. "Caramuru" — Old Tupí for "Son of the Thunder"). Legend says Durão was a very prolific writer, and wrote many poems during his lifetime. However, Caramuru received lackluster reviews by the intellectuals of the time, and Durão, heart-broken, destroyed all his poems and other literary works.

He died in Lisbon in 1784.

Cultural offices
Preceded by New creation	20px Brazilian Academy of Letters - Correspondent patron of the 9th chair	Succeeded by John Hay (founder)