by Almeida Garrett

Portuguese writer Almeida Garrett (1799- 1854) was born in Oporto but spent most of his adolescence in the Azores, where he was deeply influenced by his well-read Franciscan uncle, the bishop Father Alexandre da Sagrada Família. On returning to mainland Portugal, Garrett studied law from 1816-21 at the university in Coimbra, where he was at the heart of the sociopolitical debates on the drafting of the first Portuguese constitution. Extremely active in favor of the liberal revolution, he is known to have charismatically proclaimed discourses on the streets of Coimbra and to have rallied together groups of students and political activists around the liberal ideals that he preached. Twice forced into exile for political reasons (in 1823 and 1828), Almeida Garrett came into direct contact with the works of seasoned Romantic writers such as Lord Byron and Walter Scott. His epic...