José Rodrigues de Sucena, Count of Sucena, portrait

José Rodrigues de Sucena, Count of Sucena, was born in Borralha the April 13, 1850, was the son of Antonio Rodrigues Sucena and Emilia Rosa de Oliveira. He grew up in modest surroundings in a modest family of farmers. The desire of his father's an ecclesiastical future did José learn to read and become a young scholar. With the passage of time and arriving at the young age of its 17 years, he concluded that it was not his vocation, traveling to Brazil, carrying in his pocket the documentation for the dealer Alves Machado, a man of much credit and more fortune. In 1872 he entered a store that was dedicated to the religious items business, very experienced but still young, hardworking, crafty and disciplined, already involved in the company as a partner. Later proceeds to the construction of a large building on the street Quitanga in the center of Rio de Janeiro for the development of the business of clothings and religious items (with a wide chapel artistically adorned, which deserves special blessing of Pope Leo VIII, by Brief of May 10, 1892 and authorization for the celebration of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass). JR Sucena business experienced an explosion causing it to travel frequently to Europe both to Rome, where he was received by the Pope, like Paris, where expired their business growth strategy.
His fortune grew and José Rodrigues Sucena subsidized in Brazil many religious institutions of beneficence, which was appreciated with honors at the Vatican, by the way, Leo VIII, who visited often distinguish it with the mercy of Knight of St. Gregory the Great.
It was also Commander of the Order of the Immaculate Conception of Vila Viçosa, and Christ (1904), and was awarded by order of King Carlos, first with the title of Sucena Viscount (1899), and then in 1904 with the Count of Sucena.
Already at the end of the century. XIX, José Rodrigues Sucena, gifted with a high human sensitivity in respect of traveling to Portugal, leaving multiple aid for the population of Agueda and Borralha. Following its humanistic purposes, then Sucena Viscount, took possession of the office of the Provider Santa Casa da Misericordia of Agueda, to August 23, 1899, a post he held until 1910. As such, realized, among other activities, the construction of the building for the hospital then Agueda village, opened in 1922. But man of such experience, relationships and fortune, could not be confined to Santa Casa da Misericordia. Hence the call to the management of City Hall and the House of Representatives in 1905.
Among the tens of thousands of charitable activities carried out with local populations can highlight the bridge to Falgoselhe (1907/1909), Foundation of an agricultural school Sucena Count on Borralha and also an agricultural school named Countess of Sucena (1906) delivery to the state of one hundred thousand crowns for the construction of the link road Borralha, among others.
He married Dona Rufina Gomersor, a distinguished lady, niece of the President of Uruguay, erected in his hometown a vast estate that dominates the hillside of Borralha, a magnificent palace. This marriage was born a son with the same name as the parent, 2nd Count of Sucena.
He died on April 15, 1925, having been his will drawn up by Dr. Antonio Breda, which included mainly the Santa Casa da Misericórdia.

The portrait was executed by Christiano Vicente Leal, painter, portrait painter and photographer, was born in 1841 and died in 1911.
His father was a servant of King Carlos. Having lived in Albergaria-a-Velha. He had atelier in Albergaria-a-Velha and Porto.
He was the author of dozens of portraits scattered throughout the districts of Aveiro, Porto, Viseu and Guarda.