José do Canto

José do Canto was born on December 20, 1820, in Ponta Delgada. He was the son of the nobleman José Caetano Dias do Canto Medeiros and Margarida Isabel Botelho, and brother of Ernesto do Canto. He married Maria Guilhermina Taveira Brum da Silveira in 1842. A man of knowledge and a benefactor, José do Canto dedicated himself to the administration of the family assets. He presided over the General Board of the District and founded the Society for the Promotion of Agriculture in São Miguel, having been responsible for the introduction of new species and agricultural technology in the Azores. His passion for botany led him, from 1845 on, to design one of the most beautiful botanical parks in Europe — the José do Canto Garden. Under his sponsorship, the Chapel of Our Lady of Victories was erected on the banks of the Furnas Lake, as other buildings on the island. He was a bibliophile, particularly passionate about the work of Camões. In the rich and extensive literary collection he bequeathed, today under the tutelage of the Public Library and Regional Archive of Ponta Delgada, there are rare books of high value. He left some written work, especially on agricultural topics. José do Canto died on July 10, 1890, in Ponta Delgada, being one of the greatest Azorean personalities of the nineteenth century.
The statue is by Xavier Costa.