Guerra Junqueiro (1850 - 1923)

Abilio Manuel Guerra Junqueiro (September 17, 1850 – July 7, 1923) was a Portuguese, bachelor in law at the University of Coimbra, a top civil servant, member of the Portuguese House of Representatives, journalist, author, and poet. His work helped inspire the creation of the Portuguese First Republic. Junqueiro wrote highly satiric poems criticizing conservatism, romanticism, and the Church leading up to the Portuguese Revolution of 1910. He was one of Europe's greatest poets. Born in Freixo de Espada à Cinta, Trás-os-Montes, Portugal to José António Junqueiro Júnior, a supply trader and farmer, and wife Ana Maria Guerra. His mother died when he was only three years old. He made secondary studies in Bragança and at sixteen, he enrolled at the University of Coimbra, to study theology. Two years later he left to study law, that he concluded in 1873. Then he became secretary of the governor of Angra do Heroísmo, Azores, and later of Viana do castelo. In 1878, he was elected to the House of Representatives. In 1885 he published at Porto A velhice do Padre Eterno, that generated strong criticism from Portuguese Catholic Church. After the British Ultimatum and the political crisis associated, he was involved in the political debate in 1891, writing some best-sellers that had huge impact in public opinion, contributing to the discredit of the Portuguese monarchy and the success of the republican Party in the 1910 Portuguese Revolution. He translated into Portuguese short stories by Hans Christian Andersen.