Queer Places:
Cemitério do Alto de São João, Parada Alto de São João 3, Lisbon, Lisboa Municipality, Lisboa 1900-053 Portugal
Francisco Ferraz de Macedo (October 11, 1843 – January 28, 1907) was a prominent Portuguese pharmacist, physician, and anthropologist. Born in Lugar de Paradela, Espinhel
(Águeda), he spent a significant portion of his early career in Brazil, where he became a notable figure in the Portuguese community in Rio de Janeiro, working as a
physician and as the director-general of the Associação Montepio Agrícola.
After settling in Lisbon in 1881, he dedicated himself to the study of anthropology—specifically osteology, anthropometry, and criminal anthropology—and became a recognized figure in these fields. He authored several pioneering works in Portuguese biological anthropology and criminal science, such as Crime et criminel (1892) and Bosquejos de Antropologia Criminal (1900). Beyond his scientific work, he was a man of letters who published poetry and translations of Russian and Greek literature.
Francisco Ferraz de Macedo is noted for having included the first report on homosexuality in Brazil within his medical licensing thesis. Additionally, he is recognized within academic literature on LGBTQ history; for example, he is an entry in the Who's Who in Gay and Lesbian History.
While he is historically linked to this subject through his early academic research and modern biographical inclusion, he is primarily remembered in Portuguese history for his contributions to the development of criminal anthropology and for his extensive collection of human remains from Lisbon cemeteries, which he used for his scientific research.
References:
 Who's Who in Gay and Lesbian History: From Antiquity to World War II 1st Edition by Robert Aldrich and Garry Wotherspoon |
Other references:
Support this project
This website is a passion project researched, developed, and funded entirely by me. If you find the content valuable and would like to help support the ongoing research and hosting costs, any contribution is deeply appreciated.
Thank you for keeping this independent resource alive!
My books on Amazon: Elisa Rolle's books