Carlos Antônio Napion
{{Infobox person
| name = Carlos Antônio Napion
| image = Tenente General Carlos Antônio Napion.jpg
| alt =
| caption =
| birth_name = Carlo Antonio Maria di Galleani Napione Coconato
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1757|10|30|df=y}}
| birth_place = Turin, Piedmont, Kingdom of Sardinia
| death_date = {{Death date and age|1814|06|22|1757|10|30|df=y}}
| death_place = Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| nationality = Piedmontese, Brazilian
| other_names =
| occupation = Soldier
| known_for =
}}
Carlos Antônio Napion (30 October 1757 – 22 June 1814), originally from Piedmont, was an engineer who became a general in the Portuguese army in Brazil. He set in motion the industry needed to create war materials in Brazil.
Early years
Carlo Antonio Maria di Galleani Napione Coconato, better known by the Portuguese form Carlos Antônio Napion, was born in Turin, Piedmont, on 30 October 1757.{{sfn|Material Bélico: Reserva do Recife}}{{sfn|Paraense dos Santos|Filgueiras|2011|p=363}}
He joined the army of Piedmont at the age of 14.
Through most of his career he studied chemistry and metallurgy and their military applications.{{sfn|Paraense dos Santos|Filgueiras|2011|p=363}}
He specialized in ordnance, and rose to the rank of major.{{sfn|Napion: Exército Brasileiro}}
In 1800 the French army occupied Piedmont after the Battle of Marengo, and Napion moved to Portugal.{{sfn|Robbesom|2014}}
Based on his proven expertise, on 26 August 1800 Rodrigo de Sousa Coutinho invited him to join the army of Portugal to reorganize the army's artillery.
He shared an interest in science with José Bonifácio de Andrada, and accompanied Andrada that year on a mineralogical exploration of Estremadura and Beira.
In 1807 he was promoted to Brigadier, and became Royal Inspector of the Army and of the military workshops and laboratories.{{sfn|Paraense dos Santos|Filgueiras|2011|p=363}}
Brazil
Napion accompanied the court of John VI of Portugal when it moved to Brazil in 1807-08.
He was charged with establishing the industry required for national defense.{{sfn|Napion: Exército Brasileiro}}
This included production and storage of equipment. Napion created the Unit of Battle Equipment organization of the Brazilian Army.{{sfn|Robbesom|2014}}
In 1808 he established the first gunpowder factory in Brazil on the shore of the Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas, and became director of the factory.{{sfn|Paraense dos Santos|Filgueiras|2011|p=363}}
He accompanied José Bonifácio and his brother Martim Francisco Ribeiro de Andrada in their mineralogical explorations of the province of São Paulo.{{sfn|Martim Francisco Ribeiro de Andrada: IHGS}}
Napion reached the rank of Lieutenant General, the highest rank in Brazil at the time.{{sfn|Napion: Exército Brasileiro}}
Napion became the main authority on military technology of the time, fully supported by the Prince Regent John.{{sfn|Material Bélico: Reserva do Recife}}
He was the author of several technical books.{{sfn|Napion: Exército Brasileiro}}
Napion became the President of the board that directed the Royal Military Academy in 1810.{{sfn|Paraense dos Santos|Filgueiras|2011|p=363}}
It was said of Napion in this position that he had great knowledge and undoubted probity, but completely ignored the principles of military academies.{{sfn|Monteiro de Siqueira|Mormêllo|2011|p=17}}
Carlos Antônio Napion died on 22 June 1814 while holding the position of President of the board of the Brazilian Royal Military Academy, member of the Supreme Military Council, inspector of the Royal Iron Factory of Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas and Inspector General of the Royal Council of the Arsenal, factories and foundries.{{sfn|Napion: Exército Brasileiro}}
References
Citations
{{reflist |colwidth=30em}}
Sources
{{refbegin}}
- {{cite web|ref={{harvid|Martim Francisco Ribeiro de Andrada: IHGS}}|url=http://www.ihgs.com.br/cadeiras/patronos/martimfrancisco.html|title=Martim Francisco Ribeiro de Andrada|publisher=Instituto Histórico e Geográfico de Santos|access-date=2014-02-17|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140222163405/http://www.ihgs.com.br/cadeiras/patronos/martimfrancisco.html|archive-date=2014-02-22}}
- {{cite web
|ref={{harvid|Material Bélico: Reserva do Recife}}
|url=http://www.cporr.ensino.eb.br/index.php/cursos-cpor-2/matbel
|title=Material Bélico
|publisher=Centro de Preparação de Oficiais da Reserva do Recife
|access-date=2014-02-18
|url-status=dead
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141202033712/http://www.cporr.ensino.eb.br/index.php/cursos-cpor-2/matbel
|archive-date=2014-12-02
}}
- {{cite journal|url=http://revistas.pucsp.br/index.php/hcensino/article/download/5672/4341
|last1=Monteiro de Siqueira|first1=Rogério|last2=Mormêllo|first2=Ben Hur |volume=3|year=2011|journal=História da Ciência e Ensino
|title=A gênese ilustrada da Academia Real Militar e suas onze reformas curriculares (1810-1874) |access-date=2014-02-18}}
- {{cite web
|ref={{harvid|Napion: Exército Brasileiro}}
|url=http://www.eb.mil.br/en/napion-quadro-de-material-belico
|title=Napion
|publisher=Centro de Comunicação Social do Exército
|access-date=2014-02-18
|url-status=dead
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131204203854/http://www.eb.mil.br/en/napion-quadro-de-material-belico
|archive-date=2013-12-04
}}
- {{cite journal|url=http://www.scielo.br/pdf/qn/v34n2/34.pdf
|last1=Paraense dos Santos |first1=Nadja |last2=Filgueiras |first2=Carlos A. L. |year=2011
|volume=34 |issue=2 |title=O primeiro curso regular de Química no Brasil|journal=Química Nova|issn=0100-4042|location=São Paulo |access-date=2014-02-18}}
- {{cite web|url=http://insiderbrazil.wordpress.com/2013/10/30/brazilian-days-303-october-30-2/|last=Robbesom|first=Adriano Antoine|year=2014|title=Dia do Material Bélico do Exército|work=Inside Brazil|access-date=2014-02-18|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140416043846/http://insiderbrazil.wordpress.com/2013/10/30/brazilian-days-303-october-30-2/|archive-date=2014-04-16|url-status=dead}}
{{refend}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Napion, Carlos Antonio}}