France (Anatole)
Notes the 1909 call at Madeira of the French writer Anatole France en route to Argentina, and the fanciful account of it later published by his secretary Jean Jacques Brousson.
It has already been stated in this Elucidário (I-66) that the eminent French writer Anatole France called at Madeira on his way to the Argentine Republic in 1909, accompanied on the voyage by his private secretary, himself a man of letters, Jean Jacques Brousson. In 1927 Brousson published a book entitled Itenerario de Paris a Buenos Aires, in which he deals with their stay on this island. In it he gives free rein to the most fervent imagination, attributing to Anatole France ideas and opinions about what the writer saw and heard in Funchal that are far removed from the truth and must be the pure invention of his imaginative secretary. On this subject, it is worth reading the article in the Diário de Notícias of Funchal of 23 June 1929.
In this article
Time
Years mentioned · 03Place
Places mentioned · 02
Abroad
- Argentina
Destination of France's 1909 voyage.
South American country to which about 250 Madeirans emigrated in 1905. Francisco Mendes Gonçalves made his fortune there, the Visconde da Ribeira Brava managed the Casa Armstrong properties there around 1893, and Anatole France travelled there in 1909.
- Funchal
Where Anatole France stopped in 1909.
The capital of the archipelago and seat of the principal captaincy, where settlement began; it was made a vila c.1451–52. Its bay, the widest in the archipelago, lies between Ponta do Garajau and Ponta da Cruz and offers sheltered anchorage, though its harbour had never been studied oceanographically. The Elucidário discusses it as a health resort with climate data and records the January 1906 disturbances, the Danish prince's visit in May 1846 and recent volcanic cones in the area.
People
People mentioned · 02-
Eminent French writer who passed through Madeira in 1909 on his way to Argentina.
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Anatole France's private secretary, whose 1927 travel book gave an account of the Funchal visit that the Elucidário considers largely invented.