N. 1679; A. 1696; O.S. 1714; U.V.?; M. 1755

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Marcelo Leitão was born in Alcoutim (Algarve), on June 6 1679. He entered the novitiate of the Society of Jesus in Évora on September 2 1696, and professed on August 15 1714 (ARSI, Lus. 47, 48 and 49). After completing his academic training, he taught Humanities, Rhetoric, Mathematics and Moral Theology at the colleges of Faro (Algarve) and Portalegre (Alentejo), before becoming rector of the College of Vila Nova de Portimão (Algarve).

From 1729 onwards, he is mentioned as Procurator of Japan in Lisbon, and lived at the College of Santo Antão-o-Novo (ANTT, Jesuítas, Maço 97, No. 288). In 1741, Leitão accumulated this position with the offices of Procurator of China and of India (ANTT, Jesuítas, Maço 97, No. 308).

Leitão played a pivotal role as a broker of luxury goods (furniture, porcelain, textiles and silverware), like those sent in 1740 by the Beijing Jesuits to Queen D. Maria Ana of Habsburg (1683-1754), wife of King D. João V (1689–1750), and for the heir to the throne D. José (1714–1777) (ANTT, Jesuítas, Maço 98, No. 26). From his base in Lisbon, Leitão received and forwarded Asian commodities to the Royal Family and members of a wealthy elite - namely the Florentine architect Fr. Francisco Folleri SI (1699–c.1767), or the Portuguese ambassador to China Alexandre Metelo de Sousa Meneses (1687–1766) (ANTT, Jesuítas, Mç. 98, No. 37). But he also sent goods to the Qianlong Emperor (1711–1799), such as wax figures (of non-Catholic iconography) (ANTT, Jesuítas, Mç. 98, No. 68) . The Jesuits in China were always biding for imperial favour through gifts, as in 1751, when French Jesuits offered the Qianlong Emperor twenty-two glass and enamel relief figures of animals, twenty-four flower bouquets made of beads with small stones and pearls, an enamel gold box, and a harpsichord. Leitão made his best to outdo the French Jesuits, by commissioning in Macau two little birds made of beads, and shipped from Europe Portuguese painted glass pieces and colored prints to offer to the Qianlong Emperor (ANTT, Jesuítas, Mç. 98, No. 66).

Leitão also sought to satisfy requests from the Jesuit Padroado missionaries in China, for whom he acquired properties to fund the mission, and he sent mathematicians, astronomers, surgeons and artists for the College in Beijing. One of such missionaries was Fr. José de Espinha (1722–1788), who served the Qianlong Emperor as a cartographer and artillery founder. Another case was his search of a substitute to Giuseppe Castiglione (1688–1766) as a painter at the Qing court (ANTT, Jesuítas, Maço 98, No. 37). He also sent missionaries and professors to the House of Saint Joseph (Casa de São José) in Macau; and influenced King D. João V to appoint Fr. Francisco de Santa Rosa de Viterbo (?–1750) as Bishop of Nanjing in 1742 (ANTT, Jesuítas, Maço 98, No. 37).

While Procurator, and on appeal of Fr. Luís Sequeira (1693–1763), he investigating whether there were misappropriations of Chinese and Portuguese goods during transshipment in Goa (ANTT, Jesuítas, Maço 98, N. 40). Stealing the content of bundles, caskets and barrels, seen at the time as a Portuguese characteristic, is evidenced by the quantification of the casks of wine that arrived empty in Beijing, for which Fr. Leitão was ultimately responsible.

During his tenure as Procurator of China, he acted as a diplomatic mediator between Portugal and the Holy See, namely while Manuel Pereira de Sampaio (1692–1750) was ambassador in Rome (ANTT, Cartório Jesuítico, Maço 98, No. 134). In 1752, on occasion of the embassy of Francisco Pacheco de Sampaio (c. 1711–1767) to the Qianlong Emperor, Marcelo Leitão tried to advise the ambassador not to proceed to Beijing on the advice given to him by German and French Jesuits. However, unaware of Marcelo Leitão's maneuvers, the embassy eventually proceeded to Beijing.

Marcelo Leitão started grooming Fr. José Rosado (1714–1797) to be his successor as Procurator of China around 1751, despite the opposition made by Fr. Luís de Sequeira to the appointment, based on Rosado's youth and inexperience to carry out such office (ANTT, Cartório Jesuítico, Maço 98, No. 40). The following year, 1752, he managed to obtain exemption for the Society of Jesus to pay taxes on the sale of goods, thus promoting the circulation of commodities between Jesuit houses in Europe, America, the Atlantic Islands and Asia.

He also managed the estate left to the Portuguese Province by Juan Tomás Enriquez de Cabrera y Álvarez de Toledo (1646–1705), Admiral of Castile and Duke of Medina de Rioseco, whose management was connected, by the duke's will, to the office of Procurator of the Overseas Missions. He became seriously ill in 1754, and died the following year as a victim of Lisbon's earthquake on November 1 at his residence in the College of Santo Antão-o-Novo.

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REFERÊNCIAS BIBLIOGRÁFICAS

 

GOLVERS, N. (2011), p. 19; RIVARA, J. H. da Cunha (1869), p. 300; RODRIGUES, Francisco (1925), p. 63; ROSA, T. M. R. da Fonseca (2008), pp. 246-251; SOMMERVOGEL, C. (1890-1960), Col. 1670; SOUSA, J. S. Oliveira e (1949), p. 20; VALE, A. M. Martins do (2002), p. 411.

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The entry, with scientific review should be cited as follows: Maria João Pereira Coutinho, "Marcelo Leitão (1679-1755)", in Res Sinicae, Enciclopédia de Autores, Arnaldo do Espírito Santo, Cristina Costa Gomes and Isabel Murta Pina (Coord.). ISBN: 978-972-9376-56-6. 

URL: "https://www.ressinicae.letras.ulisboa.pt/marcelo-leitao-1680-1755?lang=en".

Última revisão: 15.01.2021.

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