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Priest and naturalist born in the then Portuguese colony of Brazil, considered a pioneer in aviation.
Bartolomeu de Gurmaõ was born in what was then Portuguese colony of Brazil. At age 15 he went to Portugal. He graduated from the University of Coimbra where he stressed his devotion to physics and mathematics.
De Gusmaõ asked the King Juan V of Portugal the privilege of patent on the invention of "the instrument of walking on air" capable of doing 200 miles per day, which was granted on April 19, 1709. He had several previous experiences with paper balloons before presenting publicly. On August 8 of that year he made a presentation at the India House in Lisbon to the King Juan V, the Queen, ambassadors, diplomats, religious leaders and other court, getting raise four meters above the ground and leaving impressed observers. Since then has been known as the Padre Voador (the Flying Father). It has the privilege of being the precursor of Aeronautics and making the first public experience of a balloon.
The Cardinal of Lisbon (the future Pope Innocent XIII) warned of fire hazards that could produce such a device and later Bartolomeu was ridiculed and called "partner of the devil". From the period spent in Europe he went back to Portugal where he was defamed by the Inquisition. Persecuted, he was forced to flee to Spain where, suffering fever, was admitted to Mercy Hospital of Toledo and died at night nearly 39 years of age.
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variant spelling:
de Gusmão, Bartolomeu Lourenço; de Gusmaõ, Bartolomeu
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Curriculum vitae
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* 1685
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São Paulo, Brazil
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born
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1709
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Portugal
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1713 - 1716
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Netherlands
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He registred an invention: Sistema de lentes para asar carne al Sol
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1720
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Portugal
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He was also one of the fifty selected as members of the Academia Real de História
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* 1722
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Portugal
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He was made chaplain of the Court
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† 18.11.1724
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Toledo, Spain
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died
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