João de Figueiredo Maio e Lima

Born in Galveias, Alentejo, on February 10, 1779, João de Figueiredo Maio e Lima was a Portuguese poet whose surviving reputation rests mainly on Testamento poético-anacreôntico, first published in 1838 in the periodical O Ramalhete. He is listed in literary databases as living from 1779 to 1851.

A biographical notice printed with a later edition of his work says he was originally intended for an ecclesiastical life and had entered the Order of Aviz. While studying at the University of Coimbra in 1808, he interrupted that path when the Napoleonic invasions reached Portugal, serving first as a cadet in artillery and then as an infantry officer during the Peninsular War.

The same notice describes him as a poet of lively imagination and polished verse, even if he is not widely remembered today. Reliable, detailed information about his later life appears to be scarce online, which makes his work itself the clearest window into his personality and literary style.