Diogo de Gouveia

Diogo de Gouveia (c. 1471, Beja - 8 December 1557, Lisbon), known as Diogo de Gouveia, the Elder to distinguish him from contemporary homonyms such as his nephew, was a leading Portuguese teacher, theologian, diplomat and humanist during the Renaissance. With an extensive academic curriculum as rector at the University of Paris, he served King Manuel I and king John III of Portugal, whom he advised on the creation of captaincies in Brazil and the coming of the first Jesuit missionaries and notably Francis Xavier. First of a lineage of distinguished humanists and educators, he was the uncle of André de Gouveia, António de Gouveia, Diogo de Gouveia "the younger", and Marcial de Gouveia. During the Counter-Reformation he was a strong supporter of scholastic and Catholic orthodoxy, clashing with the liberal views of his nephew André de Gouveia.