Antonio di Govea

Antonio di Govea (1575–1628) was a Portuguese missionary, Spanish ambassador to Iran. In 1597, he was a missionary in Goa (India), from where he traveled to the court of Abbas the Great with two other missionaries on the orders of King Philip III of Spain. The mission was tasked with resolving political-religious and commercial issues.

In 1611, Govea's work was published in Lisbon. It consisted of three parts. This work contains a lot of valuable information about Georgians, who were active in Iran, in particular, about the first Qullar-aqasis of the Iranian army and the Governor of Fars, Allahverdi Khan Undiladze, his two sons – Daud Khan and Imam-Quli Khan. As well as about Simon I, the King of Kartli, Manuchar II, the Atabeg, and Queen Ketevan.

Govea has interesting information about the Georgian diplomat Gulchara, the Kakhetian King Alexander II, and his Muslim-converted son Constantine.

Literary work: Relaçam en que se tratam as guerras e grandes victorias que aleançan o grande Rey da Persia Xa Abbas do grão Turco Mahometto e seu pilho Amethe etc..., Lisboa, 1611.

Literature: გ ი ო რ გ ა ძ ე  ბ., XVII საუკუნის დასაწყისის პორტუგალიელი ელჩის დონ ანტონიო დე გოვეას რელაციონი საქართველოზე, წგ.: საქართველოს ფეოდალური ხანის ისტორიის საკითხები, წგ. 1, თბ., 1970.

 B. Giorgadze