Maria Adelaide Fernandes Prata

Maria Adelaide Fernandes Prata wrote against time, the protests of others, and made a place for herself in Portuguese literary collections through her determination.

by Caroline Cundick

Biography

Maria Adelaide Fernandes Prata was born in Porto to Maria Tomásia de Queirós and Henrique José Fernandes, who lived on Picaria Street.

On January 23, 1847, she married António Prata, a goldsmith, and they lived on Duquesa de Bragança Street. On July 16, 1848, they had a son, Alberto, who was born very ill. Maria Adelaide cared for him until his death at 10 years old, on April 8, 1867.

Fernandes Prata collaborated with several newspapers and magazines, whre she published poetry and prose, defending female literary production and showing her attention to religion, as well as the role of women in Portuguese society. Her literary works were heavily criticized by other authors, such as Camilo Castelo Branco and Alberto Pimentel. Nevertheless, she at the support or other writers such as Sousa Viterbo and Pinheiro Chagas.

She translated Fingal in 1867 – the first complete translation of the poem in Portugal – which contributed significantly to the diffusion of Ossian texts in the country.

After the death of her husband, which was shortly after the death of their son, Maria Adelaide moved to Lisbon, where she died on March 22, 1881, forgotten by publishers and time. She is buried in the Cemitério dos Prazeres, in Lisbon.