Fernão Mendes Pinto
Fernão Mendes Pinto was a notable Portuguese explorer and author, born around 1510 in Montemor-o-Velho, Portugal. His life remains largely obscure, but he is best known for his autobiographical work, *Peregrinação*, published posthumously in 1614. This narrative recounts his two-decade-long adventures across Africa and Asia, including significant travels in Ethiopia, India, China, and Japan. During his journeys, Pinto held various roles such as soldier, merchant, and missionary, and he even faced punishment in China for ransacking royal tombs. His experiences provide a unique perspective on the cultures and societies he encountered, often critically reflecting on European colonialism. Despite initial skepticism about the accuracy of his accounts, *Peregrinação* became a popular text in the 17th century, translated into multiple languages and serving as a valuable resource for understanding Eastern cultures at the time. Pinto returned to Portugal in 1558, married, and dedicated his later years to writing. His legacy endures through his vivid storytelling, which remains a significant contribution to travel literature.
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Subject Terms
Fernão Mendes Pinto
Explorer
- Born: c. 1510
- Birthplace: Montemor-o-Velho, Portugal
- Died: July 8, 1583
- Place of death: Almada, Portugal
Biography
Very little is known about the life of Portuguese author and explorer Fernão Mendes Pinto. His sole work, Peregrinação de Fernam Mendez Pinto em que da conta da muytos de muyto estranhas cousas que vio & ouuio no reyno da China, no da Tartaria, no do Sarnau . . . e tamben da conta de muytos casos particulares que acontecerão assi a elle como a outras pessoas (1614; The Voyages and Adventures of Fernand Mendez Pinto, of Portugal: During His Travels for the Space of One and Twenty Years in the Kingdoms of Ethiopia, China, Tartaria . . . Japan and a Great Part of the East-Indes, 1653), is the best reference for details about Pinto’s life because of its autobiographical tone.
While scholars may doubt the validity of some of the information drawn from Peregrinação, it is generally agreed that Pinto was born in Montemor-o-Velho, Portugal, around 1510 to a family of moderate means. Pinto was brought to Lisbon by an uncle in 1521, when he was about eleven or twelve. In Lisbon, Pinto was placed in the service of a rich family, but after staying for a year and a half, he ran away for reasons not known.
It was not until 1537 that Pinto left for the East and began the adventures that would be recorded in Peregrinação. Pinto spent the next twenty- one years exploring exotic locales throughout Africa and Asia, including Ethiopia, India, China, and Japan. Throughout his travels, Pinto held positions as a servant, soldier, doctor, missionary, ambassador, and pirate. One of Pinto’s adventures resulted in his conviction for ransacking royal tombs in China, and as punishment his thumbs were cut off and he was sentenced to one year of construction work on the Great Wall. He also worked as a merchant in China and Japan. After meeting the Jesuit priest, Xavier, Pinto joined the Society of Jesus and provided funds for the first Christian church in Japan. During his remaining years in the East, Pinto shed most of his wealth and spent his time in evangelical and ambassadorial activities in Japan.
Pinto returned to Portugal in 1558 and requested a pension from the regent D. Catarina as payment for the services he rendered the Portuguese crown in the East. While waiting for his request to be granted, he settled in Almada, near Lisbon, married Maria Correia de Brito, fathered two daughters, and devoted his time to writing Peregrinação. He also served as a consultant on the regions he had visited. Pinto was not granted a pension until 1583, and he died six months after the stipend was granted.
While the Peregriancao was completed by 1578, Pinto’s masterpiece was not published until 1614, thirty-one years after his death. The work was divided into 226 chapters. In this colorful narrative, which at times is sharply critical of European colonialism, Pinto describes his impressions of society and culture in the Far East, especially in China. It remained a popular work through the seventeenth century, as it was published nineteen times and in six different languages. His work was an important source for people who wanted to know more about the East in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, and its appeal stems from the attractive content, which features adventure and exotic details.