Faith In Action #14: Sky Dreams – The Brazilian Priest Who Flew Before His Time

In the early 18th century, centuries before air travel became a reality, a visionary Brazilian-born priest dared to imagine the skies within reach. Bartolomeu Lourenço de Gusmão, born in December 1685 in Colonial Brazil, captivated the Portuguese Court with an invention that defied gravity — the precursor to the modern hot air balloon.

In 1709, Gusmão petitioned King João V of Portugal for royal backing of an airship design unlike anything seen before. His ambitious proposal described a vessel shaped like a boat, covered with a vast sail, and propelled by magnets hidden within metal spheres — an idea likely inspired by the Jesuit scholar Francesco Lana de Terzi. Though his full-scale public test never took flight, his passion did not wane.

On 8 August 1709, Gusmão astonished the royal court in Lisbon’s Casa da Índia by successfully launching a small balloon using combustion. Witnesses watched as the fiery device floated to the ceiling — a feat that earned him royal patronage, a professorship at Coimbra, and a place as one of the first members of the Academia Real de História.

While his later designs, including a gas-filled flying pyramid, never materialised, Gusmão’s legacy endured. He continued inventing and dreaming of flight until his death in 1724, leaving behind blueprints of a world yet to come.

Celebrated as a character in José Saramago’s Baltasar and Blimunda, Gusmão lives on as both scientist and symbol — a man whose ideas were centuries ahead of their time, and whose eyes were fixed firmly on the skies.

Source : Wikipedia

“Faith in Action” highlights inspiring stories of Catholic priests and nuns who have made remarkable contributions in fields like science, law, and technology. These individuals have pioneered inventions, developed cures, and impacted lives beyond the church. Know someone deserving of recognition? Contact editor@catholicconnect.in.

Read More from Our “Faith in Action” Series:

Faith in Action #1: The Catholic Priest Who Transformed Fluid Dynamics

Faith in Action #2: The Catholic Priest Who Revolutionised Electrical Engineering

Faith in Action #4: Pope Sylvester II: The Medieval Genius Who Invented the Mechanical Clock