Afonso Celso, Viscount of Ouro Preto

Afonso Celso de Assis Figueiredo, Viscount of Ouro Preto (21 February 1836 – 21 February 1912) was a Brazilian politician who served as the last Prime Minister of the Empire of Brazil.

Viscount of Ouro Preto
Prime Minister of Brazil
In office 7 June 1889 – 15 November 1889
Monarch	Pedro II
Preceded by	João Alfredo
Succeeded by	Office abolished
Further offices held Minister of Finance In office 7 June 1889 – 15 November 1889 Prime Minister Himself Preceded by João Alfredo Succeeded by Ruy Barbosa In office 8 February 1879 – 28 March 1880 Prime Minister Viscount of Sinimbu Preceded by Silveira Martins Succeeded by José Antônio Saraiva Minister of the Navy In office 3 August 1866 – 16 July 1868 Prime Minister Zacarias de Góis Preceded by Silveira Lobo Succeeded by Baron of Cotegipe Senator for Minas Gerais In office 26 April 1879 – 15 November 1889 Appointed by Pedro II General Deputy for Minas Gerais In office 1 February 1877 – 26 April 1879 In office 1 January 1864 – 18 July 1868
Personal details
Born	(1836-02-21)21 February 1836 Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais, Empire of Brazil
Died	21 February 1912(1912-02-21) (aged 76) Petrópolis, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Political party	Liberal
Spouse	Francisca de Paula Martins de Toledo ​ ​ (m. 1859)​
Children	6
Parents	João Antônio Afonso (father) Maria Madalena de Figueiredo (mother)
Alma mater	Faculty of Law of Largo de São Francisco
Occupation	author lawyer politician professor
Coat of Arms of the Viscount of Ouro Preto

Biography

Personal life

Ouro Preto in the 1860–70s

Afonso Celso was born in Ouro Preto, then the capital of the province of Minas Gerais, on 21 February 1836.^[1]

He married on 6 January 1859 with Francisca de Paula Martins de Toledo (1839–1916), the daughter of Joaquim Floriano de Toledo – a Colonel of the National Guard and counselor – and his second wife, Ana Margarida da Graça Martins.

From the marriage between the Viscount of Ouro Preto and Francisca de Paula was born the immortal Count Afonso Celso de Assis Figueiredo Júnior, who came to found the Jornal do Brasil (he would not have founded but collaborated for more than 30 years in the newspaper). Francisca de Paula was the sister of Carlota Martins de Toledo, the wife of Jorge João Dodsworth, the second Baron of Javary. Dodsworth was the brother-in-law of the Baron of Teffé and, therefore, uncle of Nair de Teffé, who was the First Lady of Brazil as the wife of President Hermes da Fonseca.

His brother, Carlos Afonso de Assis Figueiredo, was Minister of War and president of the province of Rio de Janeiro. The Viscount of Ouro Preto wrote a work of history about the first ten years of the Republic.

Career

A member of the Liberal Party, Afonso Celso was elected senator by the province of Minas Gerais and took office on 26 April 1879. He also held the positions of Secretary of Police, Inspector of the Provincial Treasury and procurator of the Treasury. Having been provincial deputy in two terms and general deputy for Minas Gerais four times.

Still in the Empire, the viscount of Ouro Preto, a covinced monarchist, embraced the abolitionist cause. As senator, he created a tax of 20 réis on the price of tram tickets, which provoked great agitation in Rio de Janeiro, known as the "Revolta do Vintém", in January 1880.

He published, among other works, the squadron and the parliamentary opposition and Advent of the military dictatorship. He was awarded the Viscount's nobiliarchic title with greatness on 13 June 1888 by Isabel, Princess Imperial of Brazil, who was acting as regent.

He was Minister of the Navy and of the Treasury and member of the Council of State. It presided over the last Council of Ministers of the Empire. Assis Figueiredo was arrested on 15 November 1889 at Campo de Santana Headquarters, on the day of the proclamation of the republic, with the whole ministry, and then exiled with the Brazilian Imperial Family.

Later life

He lived in exile until 1892, a year after the Emperor's death, when he was allowed to return and decided not to pursue a career in republican politics.

At the beginning of the 20th century, after the proclamation of the republic, he was professor of Civil and Commercial Law at the Free School of Legal and Social Sciences of Rio de Janeiro. He was one of the most important politicians of the Second Reign of the Empire of Brazil and great friend of Emperor Pedro II.

Afonso Celdo died in Petrópolis on 21 February 1912.^[1]