Camões, our national bard, just turned 500!

Does Porto honor him enough? 

This year (2024) we're celebrating the 500th birth anniversary of Luis de Camoes, a literary titan whose influence extends far beyond the shores of Portugal. Sometimes rendered in English as 'Camoens', he was born around 1524 (exact date is unknown)

​Camoes' life was marked by adventure, hardship, and, ultimately, poetic brilliance... and yes, you'd think that a poet of epic proportions, a man who penned one of the world's greatest literary works, would be celebrated with grand monuments and sweeping memorials...!

But no, not in Porto... (hoping Porto's Mayor gets this message...!)

Camoes' bust in Santa Catarina street, Porto.​ ​
​(photo credits: J.Portojo)

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