João Franco Barreto

João Franco Barreto (1600 – c. 1674) was a 17th-century Portuguese writer, philologist, bibliographer, and priest. He is especially remembered for his role as embassy secretary in Paris after the Portuguese Restoration and for his contributions to literature, linguistics, and translation.[1][2] He was a translator of Virgil.[3]

Biography

Born in Lisbon, probably in the parish of Santa Engrácia, in 1600, João Franco Barreto became secretary to the embassy sent by King John IV of Portugal to Paris in 1641, seeking the support and recognition of Louis XIII of France for the newly restored Portuguese crown.[1] He later entered the priesthood, serving as a parish priest in Redondo and Barreiro.[1] He was known for his erudition, and, after marrying and being widowed, devoted himself fully to religious and scholarly pursuits.[1]

Works

Barreto was a prolific author and translator, contributing significantly to Portuguese literature and linguistics.

Notable works

  • Relaçam da viagem que a França fizeram Francisco de Mello, Monteiro-mor do Reyno, & o Doutor Antonio Coelho de Carvalho (Lisbon, 1642): a detailed account of his embassy to France.[1]
  • Eneida portugueza (Lisbon, 1644; reprinted 1763): a Portuguese translation of Virgil’s Aeneid with a glossary.[1]
  • Micrologia em a qual se explicam todos os nomes próprios dos "Lusiadas" (date unknown): a reference work on all proper names in Luís de Camões’s Os Lusíadas.[4]
  • Ortografia da lingua portuguesa (1671): a treatise on Portuguese orthography, reflecting extensive research on grammar and regional pronunciations in Portugal.[2][5]

He also translated works by Latin authors such as Virgil and Horace.[1]

Legacy

João Franco Barreto’s contributions to literature and linguistics, especially his work on orthography and translation, have been recognized as significant for Portuguese cultural and intellectual history.[2][1]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h Vargas Díaz-Toledo, Antonio (2021). "El Soldado Quexoso de João Franco Barreto". Bulletin Hispanique. Retrieved 2025-08-05.
  2. ^ a b c Duarte, Sónia (2012). "El castellano en la ortografía portuguesa: El caso de João Franco Barreto" (PDF). Boletín de la Sociedad de Estudios Históricos y Literarios (BSEHL). Retrieved 2025-08-05.
  3. ^ "João Franco Barreto". Ensaio biographico-critico sobre os melhores poetas portuguezes, de José Maria da Costa e Silva (in Portuguese). Vol. 5. Imprensa Silviana. 1853. p. 268.
  4. ^ "Camoes (Luís de) & João Franco Barreto. Obras de Luis ..." INLIBRIS. Retrieved 2025-08-05.
  5. ^ "Spanish language in Portuguese texts (16th to 19th centuries)". HipHipLangSci. 2015-12-09. Retrieved 2025-08-05.
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