Antónia Pusich

Antónia Gertrudes Pusich (1 October 1805 – 6 October 1883) was a Portuguese poet, dramatist, journalist, pianist and composer.

Biography

She was born on the Island of São Nicolau, which used to be part of Portuguese Cape Verde. Daughter of the archipelago's colonial governor António Pusich who was born in Dubrovnik, Croatia (then Ragusa which belonged to the Republic of Ragusa) and Ana Maria Isabel Nunes. She married João Cardoso de Almeida Amado Viana Coelho in 1820 and had six children: João António, Antónia, Alfredo, Maria, Ana and Ema. She later married Francisco Teixeira Henriques and had only one son,

Miguel Pusich Henriques Teixeira. She later married José Roberto de Melo Fernandes e Almeida in 1836 and had four sons, António Pusich de Melo, Antónia Pusich de Melo, Ana Isabel Filomena Pusich de Melo e Maria Amélia Pusich de Melo.

As a poet, she marked a novelistic influence in Portugal. and dared to use her real name, not a pseudonym which was custom at the time.

She was the first mother in Portugal that founded and headed a journal.

She took part in several periodicals including Paquete do Tejo (Package from Tejo). Revista universal lisbonense : jornal dos interesses physicos, moraes e litterarios por uma sociedade estudiosa, and Almanach (Modern Portuguese: Almanaco), having been director and owner of periodicals A assemblea literaria [Literary Assembly, Modern Portuguese: A assembleia literária], A Beneficiência and A Cruzada.

On 9 February 2010 a PSD request was approved for the Ethics, Society and Culture Commission to hold hearings on freedom of expression in Portugal, where several people will be heard, including Mário Crespo on 17 February 2010.