The Chiado quarter is known as “the capital of Lisbon” because of its centrality, importance and elegance in the Portuguese city. It is also a neighbourhood marked by the strong presence of literature, both in terms of literary places and monuments (bookshops, statues, etc.) and the biographical and/or fictional presence of writers and protagonists of Portuguese literature, among whom the best known worldwide is undoubtedly Fernando Pessoa. This article identifies and briefly describes five important literary sites in Chiado, chosen from among the many places that make Chiado itself one of the most literary and fascinating quarters in Lisbon and Portugal.
The place name Chiado has been in common use since the XVII century. According to some, it was the name of the owner of a botequim, a bohemian tavern, located in this part of the city. Others link the name to the popular XVI century poet António Ribeiro Chiado (to whom a statue is dedicated in the centre of the neighbourhood, next to the statue dedicated to Pessoa). Still others relate the word to the characteristic shrill sound (“sizzle”) of transport on Lisbon’s pavements in this part of the city.
From a historical point of view, the Chiado area is one of very ancient human occupation. It was in this area that, in 1147, the Crusaders, allies of the first king of Portugal, D. Afonso Henriques, camped during the conquest of Lisbon. This area was later occupied for centuries by convents and other religious facilities, gradually becoming urbanised and, since the reconstruction of Lisbon after the 1755 earthquake, one of the city’s most elegant, popular and characteristic quarters.
Here are five of the literary places in Chiado that are a must-see for any literary tourist and in the professional field of Literary Tourism:
Luís de Camões Square and Statue
The statue dedicated to Camões dominates the urban landscape of Chiado, giving this part of the city an unmistakable literary character. Installed in 1867 in what soon became Luís de Camões Square (colloquially known as “Camões Square”) by sculptor Vitor Bastos, the Monument to Luís Vaz de Camões honours the great Portuguese poet, author of the epic-national poem Os Lusíadas (1572). The statue, made of bronze, rests on a stone pedestal that includes sculptures of eight important figures in Portuguese culture from the XV-XVII centuries, namely Fernão Lopes, Fernão Lopes de Castanhede, Francisco Sá de Menezes, Gomes Eanes de Azurara, Jerónimo Côrte-Real, João de Barros, Pedro Nunes and Vasco Mouzinho de Quevedo. Among the literary works in which the statue of Camões is mentioned is the novel The Year of the Death of Ricardo Reis by José Saramago (1984).
Find out here more about the Monument to Luís de Camões.
Café Brasileira in Chiado – Statue of Fernando Pessoa
Opened in 1905 in Rua Garrett, A Brasileira served coffee from Minas Gerais, whose business was run by the owner Adriano Teles. In fact, he opened other cafés with the same name in Lisbon and other Portuguese cities. One of Lisbon’s literary cafés of the XX century, A Brasileira hosted Fernando Pessoa several times, to whom the famous statue depicting him sitting with an empty chair next to him is dedicated, where thousands of onlookers, tourists and readers sit to take a photo. The work, by the artist Lagoa Henriques, was realised on the centenary of the poet’s birth (1988). Other writers who frequented A Brasileira were Aquilino Ribeiro, Mário de Sá-Carneiro and Teixeira de Pascoaes. The café has hosted works of art, including, for decades, a work by the modernist artist Almada Negreiros, Pessoa’s literary companion in the magazine Orpheu (1915).
Find out more about A Brasileira.
Rafael Bordalo Pinheiro Square
Formerly called Largo da Abegoaria and now dedicated to the illustrator Rafael Bordalo Pinheiro (who died in this area in 1905), this square houses the building in which the Democratic Conferences of the Casino Lisbonense were held in 1871, led by the poet and philosopher Antero de Quental, whom Pessoa considered his «precursor». It was one of the most remarkable events in the history of contemporary Portuguese culture. The group of intellectuals at the Conferences included Eça de Queirós and had its origins in the “Cenacle”, which met to reflect on literature and politics at Antero’s house in Bairro Alto. This was the famous and influential 70s Generation (Geração de 70), a heterogeneous group of intellectuals that included, among others, Oliveira Martins and Teófilo Braga. Some of them, in the following decades, also frequented the “dining” group of the Life’s Losers (Vencidos da Vida), at Café Tavares, still in Chiado.
Find out more about the Democratic Conferences.
Grémio Literário de Lisboa (Lisbon Literary Guild)
The Grémio Literário, located since 1875 in Rua Ivens (Palacete Loures), was created by letter from Queen Maria II in 1846, the founding act being accompanied by the words of the Queen of Portugal: “considering that the purpose of this association is the culture of letters and that through intellectual illustration it can contribute to moral improvement”. Among the founders of the Grémio Literário were the two main names of Portuguese Romanticism, the historian and writer Alexandre Herculano (who was the Grémio’s number one member) and the poet and playwright Almeida Garrett. Many important literary works mention the Grémio, with special mention going to the novel Os Maias by Eça de Queirós (1888). Over the decades, this important Lisbon institution has hosted countless literary and cultural activities in which several generations of intellectuals, artists and readers have participated.
Find out more about the Grémio Literário.
Livraria Bertrand (Bertrand Bookshop)
Founded in 1732, Bertrand won the Guinness World Record in 2010 as the oldest active bookshop in the world. Established in 1773 in Rua Garrett during the reconstruction of Lisbon after the earthquake, the bookshop was founded by the French bookseller Pedro Faure. The bookshop is named after the French brothers Pierre and Jean Bertrand, Faure’s partners. It was at Bertrand that two of the most important Portuguese intellectuals of the XIX century met, Alexandre Herculano and Oliveira Martins. Over the decades, the bookshop has been frequented by countless readers and writers, including those from the 70s Generation. Indeed, one of the organisers of the aforementioned Democratic Conferences was the socialist politician José Fontana, who worked as a bookseller at Bertrand itself. Bertrand has also been an important publisher and today is the largest bookshop chain in Portugal.
Find out more about Bertrand.
Regarding the Chiado quarter, its history, its cultural life and its rich heritage, we also recommend consulting the valuable website e-chiado.pt, , run by the National Culture Centre -Centro Nacional de Cultura (CNC).
Fabrizio Boscaglia
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