For those who know the magic of Portugal, it will come as no surprise that hidden in its southern most part lies Beja, an undiscovered jewel that once was the setting for the greatest love story ever told. There, a young twenty-six-year-old nun, the daughter of a rich nobleman met, fell in love and was abandoned by a French officer. Her passionate letters to him published in 1669 took Paris by storm and incited a crucial turn in world literature that inspired generations of artists including Braque, Modigliani and Elizabeth Barret Browning. Built on the highest hill in the Alentejo, Beja still holds the same appeal. Read more →
Books
Portuguese people are often described as melancholic and nostalgic, but when it comes to love, they could not be more intense. Read more →
Portugal has no entrance exam. But it is sneaking up on 900 years of existence. Like a good glass of wine there are many flavors, and hues Last year we offered our tongue-in-cheek Portuguese citizenship exam. It gained a few comments, and stumped a few people. As a result, here is the 2nd round of “So you think you know Portugal.” And the questions just got a tad harder. Read more →
Fernando Pessoa is one of the most important Portuguese poets of all time. In a tumultuous period of the early 20th century, in times where Portugal's first Republic was being born and the First World War was about the disrupt, Pessoa was part of a disruption himself - in the arts. Read more →
"Here at the helm is more than me: I am a People who want the sea that is yours; And more than a Sea Demon, who my very soul fears That runs in the darkness of the end of the world; Is the will, which binds me to the helm, Of the king El-Rei D. João Segundo! Read more →
D. Dinis was man of his word, and he granted his wife the revenue of several towns so that she would have her own funds to help the needy. The first town he granted her was Trancoso, the second was Obidos – a charming town near Lisbon. Read more →
Porto is the stage for the launching of "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child - Parts I & II," the latest book in the Harry Potter saga. Read more →
By 1090, a new state was created under Count Henrique. It was called Portucale. Portus Cale referred to either the port town of Cale (Gaia today) or Cale and its neighboring town. Today “Portus” is known as Porto. Read more →
For a small country, Portugal has a rich literary tradition. Portugal’s 2nd king was a poet, and every generation has produced writers of note. Today, mountains, monuments and an infinite sea make for inspiration. Read more →
Fernando Pessoa - O Quinto Imperio Read more →