Famous Portuguese Secretary of the State known for his effective leadership in the wake of the Lisbon earthquake of 1755. He was responsible for the Pombaline Reforms that aimed to make Portugal more economically self-sufficient.
He studied at the University of Coimbra before receiving his first public appointment as the Portuguese ambassador to Great Britain in 1738.
He helped weaken the far-reaching grasp of the Inquisition.
He married twice: to Teresa Luísa de Mendonça e Almada and Maria Leonor Ernestina Daun.
He was born in the same country as soccer star Rui Costa.
