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For the transit´s next destination, there will be a magnificent view of a great mausoleum. The mausoleum has great history behind it. It was built in honor for the first president of Angola, Agostinho Neto and is a tower shaped like a rocket. It is located in Luanda, Praia do Bispo, behind the presidential palace and also located 2.5 km from Luanda downtown. The mausoleum is also around 120m high. At this stop, you can take pictures and explore the surrounding area around the Mausoleum while you learn about its history.
Agostinho Neto or his full name, Antonio Agostinho Neto was born on September 17, 1922 in Icolo e Bengo, Angola. His father was a Methodist pastor and he was educated to high school level. He was a renaissance man being able to do many thing, such as write poetry, become a physician, and finally becoming the first president of the People’s Republic of Angola. Agostinho fame started to rise in 1948, when he published a volume of poems in Luanda and joined a national cultural movement. The national cultural movement was similar to the Negritude movement which is a literary movement. They are both about discovering cultural identity or culture.
Agosto went to Lisbon to study medicine where he was arrested for political activities for the first time. He was arrested because he was campaigning against the Portuguese colonial administration of Angola. Many patients, friends, and supporters rebelled in march for his release. The police opened fire upon them and killed 30 while 200 were injured. This became known as the “Massacre de Icolo e Bengo.” This caused him to be exiled from Angola by the Portuguese authorities and moved to Cape Verde, then finally in Lisbon, Portugal where he started to write his second poetry volume.
The Portuguese faced international pressure causing them to put Agosto in house arrest in Lisbon. This caused him to escape to and make his way to Morocco and then Zaire. He then joined the Angolan Liberation movement and became president for the MPLA in 1962. When he became president of the MPLA, he traveled to Washington to seek assistance for the war of liberation against Portugal in Angola, but the U.S. placed their support with the FNLA. Agosto was facing direct conflict with forces supported by the FNLA, but he gained support in Angola causing OAU to remove its support from FNLA and instead to the MPLA in 1965. Finally Portugal went under a revolution in 1974 which caused MPLA to declare independence in Angola in November 11th, 1975 which is the same day Portuguese abandoned Angola. This made Antonio Agostinho Neto become proclaimed president on the same day.
Antonio Agostinho Neto died of cancer on September 10th, 1979 in Moscow Russia where he traveled to receive treatment. He was succeeded or passed down his presidency to Jose Eduardo dos Santos, his Minister of Planning. He was quite a great man to Angola, being able to free them from Portuguese’s grasp while practicing non-violence. His work of poetry was published in several languages, his poetry deals with quest for freedom and several of his poem was converted into liberation anthems. His birthday is celebrated in Angola as National Heroes day because of his achievement.
Agostinho Neto or his full name, Antonio Agostinho Neto was born on September 17, 1922 in Icolo e Bengo, Angola. His father was a Methodist pastor and he was educated to high school level. He was a renaissance man being able to do many thing, such as write poetry, become a physician, and finally becoming the first president of the People’s Republic of Angola. Agostinho fame started to rise in 1948, when he published a volume of poems in Luanda and joined a national cultural movement. The national cultural movement was similar to the Negritude movement which is a literary movement. They are both about discovering cultural identity or culture.
Agosto went to Lisbon to study medicine where he was arrested for political activities for the first time. He was arrested because he was campaigning against the Portuguese colonial administration of Angola. Many patients, friends, and supporters rebelled in march for his release. The police opened fire upon them and killed 30 while 200 were injured. This became known as the “Massacre de Icolo e Bengo.” This caused him to be exiled from Angola by the Portuguese authorities and moved to Cape Verde, then finally in Lisbon, Portugal where he started to write his second poetry volume.
The Portuguese faced international pressure causing them to put Agosto in house arrest in Lisbon. This caused him to escape to and make his way to Morocco and then Zaire. He then joined the Angolan Liberation movement and became president for the MPLA in 1962. When he became president of the MPLA, he traveled to Washington to seek assistance for the war of liberation against Portugal in Angola, but the U.S. placed their support with the FNLA. Agosto was facing direct conflict with forces supported by the FNLA, but he gained support in Angola causing OAU to remove its support from FNLA and instead to the MPLA in 1965. Finally Portugal went under a revolution in 1974 which caused MPLA to declare independence in Angola in November 11th, 1975 which is the same day Portuguese abandoned Angola. This made Antonio Agostinho Neto become proclaimed president on the same day.
Antonio Agostinho Neto died of cancer on September 10th, 1979 in Moscow Russia where he traveled to receive treatment. He was succeeded or passed down his presidency to Jose Eduardo dos Santos, his Minister of Planning. He was quite a great man to Angola, being able to free them from Portuguese’s grasp while practicing non-violence. His work of poetry was published in several languages, his poetry deals with quest for freedom and several of his poem was converted into liberation anthems. His birthday is celebrated in Angola as National Heroes day because of his achievement.