He was born in Vila Viçosa  in the parish of Nossa Senhora da Conceição .His parents were António da Cardonega e Oliveira and Antónia Simões Correia.,. He was baptized on March 2, 1624.
 He completed his elementary studies attending the Latin and Portuguese classes of the Austin friars.
 In 1639 he went to Africa, as a soldier of the army which accompanied Pedro Cèsar de Menezes; when he was nominated Governor of Angola, António de Oliveira Cardonega undertook some heroic deeds in the tough battles against the Dutchmen, which worth him the nomination to the charge of second-lieutenant and later, of captain. He finished the military service and moved to Luanda. where he lived, until 1690, as Ordinary Judge.
 He seized the knowledge he acquired about Africa to write the three-volume “História Geral da Guerra de Angola no Tempo dos Governadores que a governaram depois da Guerra até D. João de Lencastre”. Besides this work, essential to the History of Africa, he also wrote the “Compêndio da expugnação do reino de Benguela e das terras adjacentes” and the “Descrição de Vila Viçosa”  inscribed to the Earl of Ericeira, D. Luís de Menezes.
 Cardonega was an historian by a natural talent, not by eruditeness, he wore away the strength of his arm fighting in the name of his country and, in his remainder life time, handling the steel nib to keep the memories of Portuguese deeds and the glories of his homeland, facts worthy of eternal remembrance.