ANTONIO da ENCARNAÇÃO. - Portuguese Dominican, born in the last years of the 16th century in Elvora. Having embarked at a very young age for India, on the return journey he stopped in Armenia; for several years he served as provincial in these two regions, attended the general chapter in Rome in 1550, and in his homeland held the position of deputy of the Inquisition in Elvora and Lisbon. He died in 1665 at Bembica, prior of the convent of S. Domenico.
He wrote two accounts of the activity of the Dominicans and of the Order of Preachers in the East Indies, and translated some religious texts into Armenian. However, he is chiefly remembered for having written the life of Friar Luiz de Sousa, which includes a legendary episode that inspired Garrett to dramatize it in one of his most famous plays, *Frei Luís de Sousa*; he also completed the *History of St. Dominic* begun by the same author. Generally, A. proves himself to be an attentive and scrupulous chronicler, as well as a keen observer of men, places, and a learned theologian animated by active and sincere faith.
He wrote: *Relações sumarias de alguns serviços que fizeram a Deus e a estes reinos os Religiosos Dominicos nas partes da India Oriental* etc., Lisbon 1635; *Breve Relação das cousas... que fizeram os Religiosos da Ordem dos Fraguadores* etc., 1615; *Vida de Frei Luís de Sousa*, 1660; *Addições à Historia de s. Domingos de Frei L. de Sousa*, 1662, in whose second part is found an *Addição à fundação do Convento de S. Domingos de Bembica*.