Taunay was born in
Rio de Janeiro, in 1843. His father was
Félix Taunay, Baron of Taunay, a painter, professor and headmaster of the
Escola Nacional de Belas Artes; his mother, Gabriela Hermínia Robert d'Escragnolle Taunay, was one of the sisters of
Gastão d'Escragnolle, the Baron d'Escragnolle; and his grandfather was the French painter
Nicolas-Antoine Taunay, Baron of Taunay. Growing up in a cultured environment, Taunay studied Literature and
Humanities at the
Colégio Pedro II, graduating in 1858. He studied
physics and mathematics in what is now the
Academia Militar das Agulhas Negras. An
Ensign in 1862, bachelor in Mathematics in 1863 and an
Artillery Lieutenant in 1864, he was matriculated in the second year of
military engineering course, but he did not finish it because of the
Paraguayan War. From his experiences at the war, he wrote the memoir
Cenas de Viagem in 1868 and the historic account
La Retraite de Laguna (French for
The Retreat of Laguna) in 1872, translating it to
Portuguese two years later. Taunay wrote and published his first romance,
Mocidade de Trajano (''
Trajan's Youth''), in 1871, under the pen name
Sílvio Dinarte. Appointed by the future Viscount of Rio Branco
José Maria da Silva Paranhos Sr., he became the general deputy of
Goiás from 1872 to 1875, a Major in 1875 and the governor of
Santa Catarina from 1876 to 1877. In 1885, he asked for his demission of the Major post. Taunay married Cristina Teixeira Leite, daughter of (
Baron of
Vassouras), granddaughter of (1st Baron of
Itambé) and grandniece of (Baron of
Aiuruoca). They had one son, the historian
Afonso d'Escragnolle Taunay (1876–1958). (with his hand on the waist, center-right) with future Viscount of Rio Branco
José Maria da Silva Paranhos Sr. (on his right, wearing a
top hat) and Taunay (between the two) among Brazilian soldiers during the
Paraguayan War, in a photo dating from Taunay was a member of the
Conservative Party, but when the party fell, in 1878, he travelled to Europe, returning only in 1880. From 1881 to 1884, he was the deputy of Santa Catarina. He candidated himself to the post of deputy of
Rio de Janeiro, but was defeated in the elections. From 1885 to 1886, he was the governor of
Paraná. One of Taunay's most famous deeds as governor of Paraná was the inauguration of the
Passeio Público in the capital
Curitiba, in 1886. In 1889,
Emperor Pedro II gave him the title of
Viscount of Taunay. However, when Brazil
became a Republic, all the
nobility ranks were abolished. Taunay, disgusted, abandoned his political career, since he was a
monarchist. He died in 1899 due to
diabetes. ==Works==