Tolentino da Costa (Dr Fernando)
Original title: Tolentino da Costa (Dr. Fernando)
Biography of Dr Fernando Tolentino da Costa (born 1873), a Madeiran physician who became president of the Funchal municipal council, where he had the old gaol on the Largo da Sé demolished. He also led the Junta Geral and promoted the publication of the Flora do Archipelago da Madeira in 1914.
Born in Porto Moniz (‘Moniz’s harbour’) on 10 February 1873, he attended the lyceum (state secondary school) and the Medical-Surgical School of Funchal (Escola Médico-Cirúrgica do Funchal), completing his medical course in 1897. He served as a physician in São Tomé and at Trafaria, and as doctor on the Portuguese steamers of J. M. Andressen, of Porto. He sat on the Administrative Committee (Comissão Administrativa) of the Funchal Municipal Council (Câmara Municipal do Funchal) during the government of Councillor (conselheiro, honorary title of the royal council) João Franco. Later, after the Republic, he became president of the same Council, and it was on his initiative that the gaol building on the Largo da Sé was demolished, a step that the press and the people of Funchal had been demanding for more than half a century. He has been president of the executive committee of the District General Council (Junta Geral do Distrito) and was a member of the former Agricultural Board (Junta Agrícola); it was owing to a proposal of his that this latter body had the Flora do Archipelago da Madeira published in 1914 (1921).
In this article
Time
Years mentioned · 03-
Fernando Tolentino da Costa was born in Porto Moniz.
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Fernando Tolentino da Costa completed his medical course at the Funchal Medical-Surgical School.
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Carlos Azevedo de Meneses's Flora do Archipelago da Madeira was published in Funchal by the Junta Agrícola, on the proposal of Fernando Tolentino da Costa.
Place
Places mentioned · 06
Abroad
- Funchal
Where he studied and later presided over the municipal council.
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.
- Largo da Sé
Funchal. Square where the old gaol he had demolished stood.
A square in Funchal where D. Guiomar's house stood, used by the council from 1802 and later as the jail. The Misericórdia's hospital was built there from 1686, a liberal monument's foundation stone was laid there in 1822, and constitutional documents were burned there.
- Porto Moniz
Birthplace of Tolentino da Costa.
North-western parish and municipality with a quay and a tolerable port that serves as a good landing when southerly winds close the south coast. It has one of the oldest Magdalene chapels in northern Madeira, whose feast falls on 22 July. It was the birthplace of Dr Manuel Gomes Jardim.
- Prison in Largo da Sé
Funchal. Gaol building demolished on his initiative.
Gaol building demolished on his initiative.
- São Tomé
São Tomé and Príncipe. Where he worked as a physician.
São Tomé is an island abroad whose diocese was made suffragan to the see of Funchal. Tristão Vaz was exiled there, Dr José Júlio Rodrigues visited it in 1885 to study quinine, Dr Júlio Augusto Henriques made a scientific voyage there, and Dr Fernando Tolentino da Costa worked there as a physician.
People
People mentioned · 03- Fernando Tolentino da Costab. 1873
Madeiran physician born in Porto Moniz who presided over the Funchal council after the Republic and the Junta Geral's executive committee.
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Oporto owner of Portuguese steamers on which Tolentino da Costa served as ship's doctor.
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Portuguese head of government during whose administration Tolentino da Costa sat on the Funchal council's administrative commission.