Jose do Canto Botanical Garden

José do Canto was an Azorean landowner and intellectual who distinguished himself as a bibliographer and promoter new agricultural technologies and species into the Azores. He was a renowned gardener and botanist responsible for the creation of botanical garden, that later bore his name , in Ponta Delgada. He was also a philosophical romantic and fan of Luís de Camões; his holdings included a large number of rare books in various languages, which were incorporated into the Azorean public library and regional archive. José do Canto was the son José Caetano Dias do Canto e Medeiros, a rich politician, and wife Margarida Isabel Botelho, both connected to the more important and rich families on the islands of São Miguel and Faial. He was the brother of the bibliographer Ernesto do Canto. His father was culturally well-educated for the time, and was directly responsible for the education of his children. Young José began his studies at the age of 5 years, supported by a keen intellect, that allowed him to vault over the weak system of education in the public system at the time. He demonstrated a great intelligence and application, easily learning Latin and completing his studies by the age of 9 years. José was also able, at ten years, to read the works of Cato the Younger in the original Latin. José Caetano sent his son to Paris in 1838, to the Colégio de Fontenay-aux-Roses, then led by the Miguelist friar José da Sacra Famíl, but José did not adapt to his environment and quickly returned to the Azores. In 1840, he began his studies at the University of Coimbra in the Faculty of Mathematics, briefly interrupted by his arranged marriage to a rich heiress of local winemaker with lands in São Miguel and Faial, D. Maria Guilhermina Taveira Brum da Silveira. At the time, she was only 15 years old and he was 7 years her senior, but immediately set about administering the large holdings that pertained to his young wife. With a great determination and vision, he introduced many changes to the properties and initiated new agricultural techniques into production. Unlike many of his contemporaries, he was never interested in politics. When he was asked to be a deputy in the local assembly, he refused, and published a small manifesto on the reasons for declining the invitation. In all, he had a role in influencing the Portuguese government into authorizing the construction of a port for Ponta Delgada. But even with his aversion to politics, he did preside in the Junta Geral in the District of Ponta Delgada in 1878. José do Canto was charitable philanthropist, financing social institutions, including one in Ribeira Grande. He was a partner in the Lisbon Science Academy, elected on July 9, 1897 and received many scientific and cultural awards for his contributions.
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