António das Chagas

António das Chagas (Anthony of the Holy Wounds), (25 June 1631 – 20 October 1682) was a Portuguese Franciscan friar and ascetical writer.

He was born António da Fonseca Soares on 25 June 1631 at Vidigueira, then in the ancient Estremadura Province of the Kingdom of Portugal.

There he continued to lead a dissolute life, but was converted through the writings of the Dominican friar Louis of Granada and promised God that he would change his ways.

Determined to lead his audiences to a more spiritual life than he had lived, his preaching was known for a level of theatricality and extreme fervor which led to criticism of him by some of his contemporaries, such as noted Jesuit preacher, António Vieira.

António became famous posthumously after the publication of his poetical and ascetic writings, in which he combined erudition with elegance of style.