Origins & Early Life

Fernão Mendes Pinto (Portuguese pronunciation: [fɨɾˈnɐ̃w ˈmẽdɨʃ ˈpĩtu]; c. 1509 – 8 July 1583) was a Portuguese explorer and writer. His voyages are recorded in Pilgrimage (Portuguese: Peregrinação), his autobiographical memoir, which was published posthumously in 1614. The historical accuracy of the work is debatable due to the many events that seem far-fetched or at least exaggerated, earning him the nickname Fernão Mentes Minto (wordplay with the Portuguese verb mentir, 'to lie', meaning "Fernão, are you lying?

Pivotal Works & Achievements

I am lying."). Still, many aspects of the work can be verified, particularly through records of Pinto's service to the Portuguese crown and by his association with Jesuit missionaries. Pinto was born in about 1509, in Montemor-o-Velho, Portugal, to a poor rural family or perhaps to a family of minor nobility who had fallen on hard times. Pinto had two brothers and two sisters (and possibly other siblings). In 1551, a brother, Álvaro, was recorded in Portuguese Malacca.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

Letters also record that a brother died a martyr in Malacca. In 1557, Francisco Garcia de Vargas, Pinto's wealthy cousin, is recorded at Cochin. He was related to the wealthy Mendes family,...

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