Luísa Todi
Luísa Todi (1753-1833) was a mezzo-soprano opera singer who achieved massive global fame in her day.
She was born Luísa Rosa de Aguiar in Setúbal in 1753 and was a contemporary of the city's other most famous figure, the writer Manuel Bocage.
Like Bocage she has been honoured with a statue in the city and a main street in town is named after her.
Another famous person from Setúbal is José Mourinho. There's a street named after him but as yet not a statue.
At a young age her family moved to Lisbon where her father was a musical writer for the theatre.
Still in her early teens Luísa made her debut as an actress on stage and at age 16 married the Italian violinist Francesco Todi. She began her opera singing career soon after and moved again, this time to Porto where she both sang and gave singing lessons.
Her fame on the international stage began with a performance in London in 1777 and she performed in Paris the next year, followed by appearances in Italy, Germany and Austria.
Luísa's growing fame in Europe meant that she was invited to perform in Russia and stayed in the country from 1784 to 1788. She was showered with expensive gifts by the Empress Catherine the Great and acted as the music teacher of the royal princesses.
She and her husband then moved on to Berlin, Paris and Berlin again just as the French Revolution was about to begin.
By now at the height of her fame she famously performed for Beethoven in 1790.
Her later life was one of some misfortune after her previous great fame and wealth.
Her husband died in 1803 and after returning to Porto she was caught up in the Peninsular War (1807-1814), losing the diamonds and jewels given to her in Russia. Settling in Lisbon she became steadily blind and died in 1833. The street where she passed away has been renamed the Rua Luísa Todi and is close to the Convento de São Pedro de Alcântara the Church of São Roque, and the Jardim de São Pedro de Alcântara.
A biannual singing contest, the Concurso Nacional de Canto Luísa Todi, is named in her honor and takes place in Setúbal.