Academic Facts

THE OLDEST ONE
The Petropolitan Academy of Letters is one of Brazil´s oldest academies. It was established on August 3, 1922, in the middle of the "Modern Art Week", a Brazilian Culture´s new activity, and one month away from the celebration of Brazil Independency´s centenary, in whose Petropolitan festivities it immediately inserted itself and actively participated.

THE MAYOR PRESIDENT

Its first President was, in the occasion, Petropolis´Mayor Dr. Eugênio Lopes Barcello, invited to the entity´s organizational phase that had the pompous title "Petropolitan Academy of Science and Letters". The first statute was written by the entity´s deviser, Joaquim Gomes dos Santos.


FEMININE PIONEERING
The Academy was one of the first - if not the first one in the country - to allow women in its social scene and to open the rostrum to female writers and poetess´ literary works. In the first days Fausta Gouveia, Anadir do Nascimento Silva, Stela Aguiar, Germana Gouveia, Virgolina de França e Silva were there, among others. Germana Gouveia and Anadir do Nascimento Silva joined the effective body.

FROM ASSOCIATION TO ACADEMY
It was due to Nair de Teffé Hermes da Fonseca to preside the Association of Science and Letters from 1928 to 1932 and, updating the entity, made it become the Petropolitan Academy of Letters, from June 5, 1929 onwards. Probably she was the first woman to preside a Academy of Letters in the country. The Board of Directors that made the transition from Association to Academy was formed by: President: Nair de Teffé Hermes da Fonseca; 1st Secretary: Priest Lúcio Gambarra; 2nd Secretary: Joaquim Gomes dos Santos, and Treasurer: Soleyman Antoun.

Picture inauguration of Nelson de Sá Earp´s Bust

EFFECTIVE PARTICIPATION
The Academy has been contributing to keep alive the memory of our cultural personalities. It was due to it to organize and to preside inauguration tributes to the busts and hermas of the intellectuals Raul de Leoni, Euclides da Cunha and the academics Carlos Maul (1971) and Nelson de Sá Earp; it contributed to the inauguration of the Brazil Independency centenary´s commemorative landmark (1922); it took part, in 1933, of the inauguration of Nilo Peçanha's bust; in 1939, of the Emperor D. Pedro II and Empress D. Teresa Cristina's funeral ceremony in the Imperial Chapel, and in 1971, the Princess Isabel and Count D'Eu's funeral ceremony; in 1979, of the academic Antônio Cardoso Fontes' bust inauguration. The picture shows the inauguration of the doctor, politician and academic Nelson de Sá Earp´s herma, at the end of the street that honours his name, on May 9, 1992, in the thanking moment, in behalf of the family, by the honoured's son, Dr. Arthur Leonardo de Sá Earp.
ACADEMIC PLAQUES
The Academy has placed artistic bronze plaques next to the entrance of three important personalities' residences, distinguishing the honour and privilege of having their residences in the city: Princess Isabel's house, at Koeler Avenue; Rio Branco Baron, where was signed the "Petropolis Treaty"; and the house where Ruy Barbosa passed away, at Ipiranga Avenue.

PASL logo idealized by Maria Helena

OUR BRAND

The Academy coat of arms - or logo - was idealized and designed by the librarian Maria Helena de Avelar Palma, in José Kopke Fróes' Presidential time. The author, a Municipal Library's employee and columnist in the Petropolitan press with a column about books and writers, was the academic Anthero Palma's daughter and the social columnist Décio Elysio de Avellar's sister, who was a important presence in the city press.

THE ACADEMY IN THE SCHOLARLY GROUP
The Academy, which was established at a Petropolis Guesthouse's room - where João Roberto d 'Escragnolle installed his tourist promotion and estate agency "Alex Agency" - later worked, for many years, at the D. Pedro Scholarly Group´s Noble Hall, thanks to the State support and the Scholarly Group Manager, the academic Germana Gouveia´s support. When the Scholarly Group spread its courses and built an annexe, the Academy lost its place, where today there are classrooms.

SÁ EARP FAMILY IN THE ACADEMY
The Sá Earp family has marked their presence in the Academy through several generations: the seat nº 25 has as patron Arthur de Sá Earp, doctor, politician, writer and journalist. The first to take the seat was his son Arthur de Sá Earp Filho, doctor and journalist; the second one was his grand-son Arthur de Sá Earp Netto, educator and lawyer. Another of Arthur de Sá Earp Filho' sons, the doctor, writer and politician Nelson de Sá Earp, was the seat nº 12´s title holder. Arthur de Sá Earp Netto´s daughter, Maria Isabel de Sá Earp Rezende Chaves, lawyer and educator, takes the seat nº 9. Nelson de Sá Earp´s son, Arthur Leonardo de Sá Earp, is an honorary member.
THE ACADEMY AND THE CATHOLIC CHURCH
The Catholic Church is very present in the Academy. As patrons of title holders seats, Bishop D. Francisco do Rêgo Maia (seat nº 19), D. Azeredo Coutinho (seat nº 26) and D. Agostinho Benassy (seat n º 15), Monsignor José Benedito Moreira (seat nº 39) and Brother Monte Alverne (seat n º 29). As academic title holders, already deceased: Bishop D. José Pereira Alves (seat nº 26), Monsignor Conrado Jacarandá (seat nº 30), Monsignor Francisco Gentil Costa (seat nº 19) and Priest Lúcio Gambarra (seat nº 29). Nowadays the following priests are effective: Honoured Bishop D. José Fernandes Veloso (seat nº 1), Diocese´s Bishop D. José Carlos de Lima Vaz (seat nº 36), Monsignor Paulo Elias Daher Chedier (seat nº 6) and Monsignor Gilberto Ferreira de Souza (seat nº 30).
PRIEST JACARANDÁ´S TAKING OFFICE
The Academy, on Sunday, March 25, 1928, when it was still an Association, with Nair de Teffé Hermes da Fonseca as President, held a festive literary afternoon, in the D. Pedro II Scholarly Group´s Noble Hall, to receive the new associate Priest Conrado Jacarandá, the parish vicar and appointed intellectual, entertained by the associate Paulo Montes. To express the literary session splendour and the prestige given to the Academy, here are some of the presences: Dr. Cláudio de Souza, from the Brazilian Academy of Letters; Dr. Antônio Joaquim de Paula Buarque, Petrópolis Mayor; Admiral Teffé Baron and wife, President Nair´s parents; Dr. Alfredo de Mattos Rudge, Town Hall President; Judge of the High Court Alfredo Russel, Admiral Octávio Jardim; the academy members Reynaldo Chaves, Joaquim Gomes dos Santos, Walter Bretz, Priest Lúcio Gambarra, Soleyman Antoun, Arthur Barbosa, Ernesto Tornaghi, Vicente Amorim, Luis Moraes, Salomão Jorge; Dr. Álvaro de Freitas Guimarães, Manoel Alves de Seabra, Odilio Macieira and wife, Colonel Antônio Condé, Geraldino Machado, Guimarães Júnior, Lisboa Serra, Alcebíades Mendes, Júlio Müller, Dr. Adolfo Gredilha, Manoel Teixeira Soares and wife, Dr. Atilio Parin, A . Bertoni and wife, Dr. Arthur Cruz, Dr. Octavio Silva Costa, Leite Guimarães and wife; Dr. Carvalho Leite and wife; Professors Virgolina França Silva, Germana Gouveia, Georgina Jorge, Maria Amélia Condé, Angelina Antoun, Elvira Braga and Elza Carvalho; Madams Maria Luiza Duclos, Antonieta Karnall, Christina Rombauer, Rosa Libonatti; finally, an extremely selected audience with many ladies, besides the present ones whom the period press hasn´t taken note.
DOWN WITH THE UNDESIRABLE
In June, 1925, the Association elected Alfredo Sade as a member. On July, 31, 1925, the associate Carlos Paixão presented to the entity the following deliberation proposal: "Considering that, in the occasion when Mr. Alfredo Sade was proposed to become a member, the Association of Science and Letters hasn´t had the knowledge about the violent article, aggressive to Petropolis city, written by the same on the "O Botafogo" nº 57, dated May 2, 1925. Considering the same Alfredo Sade not having, though accepted, taken office, and not being, consequently, member of this Association: It decides annuling the act by which Mr. Alfredo Sade was elected, drawing up the protest against the aggression done to this city. Signed by Carlos Paixão". The joined Board of Directors, with Arthur Barbosa as President and Walter Bretz and Aloysio Silva as Secretaries, obeyed the request and made official the document. The "Petropolis Newspaper", registering the fact, wrote in curious words: "In literal Portuguese, we can translate it the following way: 'this kind of literate doesn´t fit, let´s expel him.'" And the Petropolitan caenaculu is saved. Congratulations".
SADE´S ARTICLE
But, what was this article that so much affected the Academy´s self-esteem? Here it is:
"FROM PEDRO CITY "I returned from Petropolis. Fortunately. Thanks god! "The summer in Petropolis has definitely died. From here I throw the last spade of lime. That idleness that exists in Petropolis was already unbearable for me. Imagine the fellow readers, a city where you cannot have a love affair, for everyone knows about it. How horrible! How dreadful! But it's a fact. And always the same old faces… colonel here, colonel there, major this, commander that… And always having to walk with your hat on hand… God! It's too much. In Petropolis, only the Nature is saved. It's really beautiful, we can't deny it. Duke Estrada was there. He and his pronouns. And Paulo da Silveira, too. And, more, Manoel Bandeira. In Petropolis, there are already futurists. Thanks God! Petropolis has ceased being old. It doens't have white hair. And, the Mr. Pedro II made of bronze, very dirt and very old, that is at the hollow place, it's going to take showers and Voronoff pills. Just as well, it was getting late! Now I am in Rio. I'm back, not to return for good. And I also brought back the pince-nez and the gaiters. Alfredo Sade."
REWRITTING HISTORY
The current Academy´s President is doing his utmost to fit and to define the true Academy history once there are some contradictory respects in its already researched history. For instance, the patronymic numbered seats had only arised in the 1934's Statute modification. From 1922 to 1929 there wasn´t a fixed number of associates, which arised in the 1929's modification, that renamed the Association as Petropolitan Academy of Letters and defined the staff in 50 associates. The 1934's Reform adopted 40 patronymic seats and the ones interested in remain in the entity should choose their patrons, whom subsist - fixed - up to now.

10 STATUTES

The Academy, proving its constant modernization and atualization, has already made 10 Statute modifications, being the last one in force since March 11, 1995.

THE ACADEMY, THE CONDUCTOR AND THE SCHOLARLY GROUP

The Academy has a close relationship with the centenary Santa Cecília Music Scholarly Group. The Scholarly Group establisher, the Conductor João Paulo Carneiro Pinto was one of the old Association of Letters´establishers, took part in its first year of activities and, when passing away in 1923, had the Academy in the lead of his funeral and in the popular campaign for the building of the grave where the dear conductor lies.

UNFORGETTABLE FUNERAL CEREMONY
On February 23, 1942, the writer Stefan Sweig killed himself along with his secretary Elisabeth Charlotte, in the house where he lived in Petropolis, at Gonçalves Dias Street. It was the Petropolitan Academy of Letters´ responsibility, presided by Francsico Carauta de Souza, to promote the wake in the D. Pedro II Scholarly Group's Noble Hall, the Academy headquarters, along with the School Manager, the academic Professor Germana Gouveia.

Stefan Sweig and his secretary Elisabeth Charlotte	Stefan Sweig's Wake
	Stefan Sweig's funeral

THE EVICTED ACADEMY
In Serpa de Carvalho´s academic administration, 1947-1949, the Rio de Janeiro State Governor, Colonel Macedo Soares, ordered to evict the Academy from the D. Pedro II Scholarly Group, with the intention of installing in its place the Secondary School Department, what really happened. The act was necessary and fair. Lamentable was the act taken by the new School Management, throwing, in the middle of the Emperor Wood, all the entity´s historical documentation, which, torn, spread and trampled, had found, as a despicable end, its grave in the municipal dustbin. Thrown away were minutes, pictures, letters, finally, all the academic collection saved since its foundation in 1922. The academic management itself failed - and we cannot point out the responsible ones - to get ahead of the facts not to allow the fatal aspiration. It has happened, and that´s that!
TRIBUTE TO THE COUNTESS

The Paris´Countess, Princess Isabel de Orleans e Bragança, has written a beautiful memoirs called "From all my heart", successfully launched in Europe. Translated to Portuguese by Vera Mourão, the Academy has become a part of the Imperial Museum for the new title´s work in Petropolis, which happened on October 14, 1984, from 18.30pm onwards. In the occasion, the Academy paid tribute to the Countess with a reception in the academic Flávio Castrioto de Figueiredo e Mello ´s residence, who, along with his wife Heloísa, were perfect hosts. In the picture we see the President Joaquim Eloy, the academic Mário Fonseca, Mrs. Heloisa Castrioto, the Paris´Countess, Genita Adão and her husband, the academic Claudionor Adão and Prince D. João de Orleans e Bragança, the Countess´brother.
THE SYNLOGOS INSTALLATION
The Petropolitan Academy of Letters holds its headquarters in the Petropolitan Synlogos, at 247 Liberdade Square, thanks to the longing professor, academic and former President José de Cusatis´efforts. The property belongs to the Federal Government, through the writer Claudio de Souza family´s donation, and was given to the Academy, along with the Academy of Education, the Raul de Leoni Academy of Poetry, the Academy of Neurological Sciences and the Petropolis Historical Institute. The synlogos was installed and inaugurated on September 2, 1993. In the picture, we can see the academic José de Cusatis, the Synlogos deviser, Prof. Noelma Simões Costa, the Academy of Education´s President, Dr. Maria de Lourdes Parreiras Horta, the Imperial Museum´s Manager, Prof. Dr. Lélio Gomes, The Academy of Neurological Sciences´President, Prof. Antônio Eugênio Taulois, the Petropolitan Historical Institute´s President, the poetess Edith Marlene de Barros, the Raul de Leoni Academy of Poetry, and Prof. Joaquim Eloy Santos, the Academy of Letters´President and the installation ceremony´s official orator, on behalf of all institutions.

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE PUBLIC SPIRIT!
Em janeiro de 1929 a Associação de Ciências e Letras convidou um conferencista do Rio de Janeiro, de certa fama, para uma palestra. Este, aceitando a incumbência, desmanchou-se em críticas ao país e à cidade de Petrópolis, ofendendo brios da platéia e da própria Associação que agasalhara seu infeliz pronunciamento. Joaquim Gomes dos Santos, em sua coluna na "Tribuna de Petrópolis", edição de 26/1/29, comentou: "Não assistimos à última recepção na Associação de Ciências e Letras, mas pessoas fidedignas, que lá estiveram deram-nos o seu testemunho de que o recipiendário ofendeu profunda e gravemente a alma nacional. Esse senhor, que o nosso país agasalhou e honrou, elevando- a posições nobilíssimas, qual a de mentor de sua mocidade, arrogou-se o direito de tripudiar sobre as nossas glórias e a nossa gente, supondo, talvez, que as nossas questões domésticas nos tenham feito perder a sensibilidade e que assim seríamos capazes de ouvir e engolir sem pestanejar os desaforos que entendesse nos lançar em rosto dentro de nossa própria casa. Enganou-se redondamente..." O Barão de Teffé, que já houvera escrito na imprensa sobre o assunto, enviou um cartão a Joaquim com os seguintes dizeres: "Ao ardente patriota que na Tribuna de hoje, sob o pseudônimo "Hebdomadário" escreve o belo artigo "Sabatinas", vem agradecer o velho Almirante Barão de Teffé, as frases de esmerada gentileza com que lhe aprouve associar-se ao seu protesto contra as zombarias do orador de domingo na Associação Brasileira de Ciências e Letras". Os atentos petropolitanos não deixaram passar sem registro o fato lamentável. Coisas daqueles dias da "belle èpoque".

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