Gama (Dr António da)

António da Gama is doubtless a name unknown to most Madeirans, even though he flourished in the 16th century as an eminent jurist who enjoyed a great reputation in his day throughout the learned world of Europe.

His writings, and the fame he had won as a professor at a foreign university, earned him standing in our country as one of the foremost jurists of his age. He held the highest offices in the Casa da Suplicação (supreme court of appeal in Lisbon), the Chancery and the Desembargo do Paço (the king's supreme court of justice), chiefly in recognition of his vast knowledge of jurisprudence. His work De Juribus, quibus Lusitanum imperium in Africa, Índia ac Guinea. Decisiones supremi senati regni Lusitanae was published successively in Lisbon, Frankfurt, Cremona, Venice and Antwerp. It went through six editions in the last of these cities, the final one in 1735, a hundred and forty years after its author’s death.

The vogue that some of his writings enjoyed throughout Europe over so long a period can be attributed only to their intrinsic merit, especially since he was a foreigner, a native of a country that had not greatly distinguished itself by its intellectual culture.

António da Gama, or António da Gama Pereira, as he also signed some of his works, was born in this city in 1520. He was the son of Dr Lourenço Vaz da Gama Pereira, who held the office of commissioner for the estates of the deceased and absent (provedor dos defuntos e ausentes) in this archipelago, and of his wife, Dona Branca Homem de Gouveia.

From an early age he showed a marked inclination for letters. After studying the humanities, in which he revealed a great aptitude for Latin, he went in 1537 to the University of Coimbra (Universidade de Coimbra), where he studied civil (Roman) law and was the most distinguished pupil of the celebrated professor and jurist Gonçalo Vaz Pinto. Barbosa Machado says of him ‘that, envying none of his fellow students, he was envied by them all’.

In 1543 he took the degree of bachelor (bacharel, university graduate), and on 23 February 1546 he competed for one of the university’s chairs, to great applause from masters and students alike.

Wishing to broaden his learning, he went to the University of Bologna, perhaps the most renowned of its day. There he gave brilliant proof of his talent and knowledge and was admitted to the teaching staff of that famous institution, then regarded as one of the great centres of European learning.

John III, drawn by the fame of his name, invited him to return to Portugal and then appointed him professor of a chair at our university. He was later summoned to court, where he remained until his death, holding high offices in which his vast intelligence and the depth of his knowledge shone out remarkably. He was a high court judge (desembargador) of appeals of the Casa da Suplicação (supreme court of appeal in Lisbon), then became Chancellor, and afterwards rose to the Desembargo do Paço (the king’s supreme court of justice); he also held other important offices. He not only distinguished himself as a magistrate and always proved an outstanding jurist, but was also greatly revered for his eminent qualities of character, so that his name commanded the highest regard of all.

For more than 40 years he devoted himself entirely to the duties of his various offices, never abandoning the study of jurisprudence, of which he was a consummate master. His opinion was always highly respected and sought on the most difficult questions.

Besides the work mentioned above, he left other writings, all in Latin, which are listed in the Bibliotheca Lusitana (‘Portuguese library’); some of them went through several editions. He also left various unpublished works. He died in Lisbon on 30 March 1595 and was buried in the Convent of Santo Elói (St Eligius), where his tomb bears the following inscription: ‘Tomb of Doctor António da Gama Pereira, of the Council of the King Our Lord, his Judge of the Desembargo do Paço and Chancellor of the Casa da Suplicação, in which Courts he served 49 years. He lived 75. He died on 30 March 1595.’