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)

In fact, our beloved Luis de Camoes is honored with only a few rather modest tributes, most by private initiative. You might stumble upon one of his busts, perhaps in the tranquil setting of Foz or the one in the photo, perched above the historic Latina bookshop...!

Yet, there's this one street...!

Rua de Camoes...  yes... a dull street in Porto that offers little to entice the visitor.

Unremarkable buildings and lack of character make it another forgettable thoroughfare. The absence of any significant landmark or historical connection renders it a mere conduit, devoid of charm. Porto: you can do better than this!

Regarding Camoes, the human being: what was he really like?

Well...  

Personality-wise: a bohemian, a liberal, cheerful, and witty when the blows of fortune did not dampen his spirits and sadden him. All of it, is reflected in his writing.

His contemporaries described him as a man of medium stature, red-bearded and... blind in his right eye.

Born into the lower ranks of Portuguese nobility, he was educated, skilled in all physical exercises, and with a temperamental disposition.  He was said to have little difficulty getting involved in fights. Which may explain his vision disability...!

Ironically enough, the Camoes street is home to... the Camoes optician. 

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His masterpiece: the 'Lusiadas'

In the 17th and 18th centuries, being cultured in Portugal meant, among other things, having read and understood Camoes' os Lusiadas.  The work was considered the Bible of Portuguese history, a compendium of heroic deeds and maritime adventures, in verses, that every good citizen should know.

Camoes' work (a written odyssey of epic proportions: more than 8.800 verses!) did more than just tell stories; it shaped the way Portuguese people viewed their past.

​Thanks to Camoes, Vasco da Gama's voyage to India became a founding myth, a moment when Portugal reached its greatest glory.

Surely to make everything even more epic, Camoes didn't hesitate to invoke Roman gods in his story! Venus, the goddess of love and beauty, cheered for the Portuguese, while Bacchus, the god of wine, tried to hinder their journey. 

In the 19th and 20th centuries, 'Os Lusiadas' became a mandatory classic in schools. Generation after generation of students memorized verses, analyzed metaphors, and through it got in touch with Roman mythology and the Portuguese historical context. The work shaped how the Portuguese viewed their past, emphasizing the idea of a chosen people destined for great achievements.

​'Os Lusiadas' remains a fundamental work for understanding Portuguese culture and how the Portuguese see themselves.

Probably a legend, definitely a hero

One of the most famous legends about Luis de Camoes involves a dramatic shipwreck and an act of heroism that saved one of the greatest works of Portuguese literature.

The story goes that, during a return voyage from his adventures in the East, Camoes' ship was wrecked at the mouth of the Mekong River, in what is now Vietnam. Faced with imminent death, the poet is said to have made an epic decision: to save his manuscript of 'Os Lusiadas'.
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With the strength of desperation and the love for his work, Camoes is said to have swum to shore, holding the precious parchment above the water. This scene, full of drama and bravery, has become one of the most enduring myths of Portuguese literature, symbolizing the passion and dedication of an artist for his creation.

Portuguese stamp, dated 1924:
Depicts the poet saving his masterpiece, swimming for it after a shipwreck in the Mekong river delta.

A side note: external recognition

This October (2024), the Paris Mint has launched a special series coin honoring Luis Vaz de Camoes.

It is included in a series dedicated to literary styles and authors who have marked the history of literature, in France but also abroad. France is certainly doing its job in honouring Camoes...!  

 source: Monnaie de Paris ​(www.monnaiedeparis.fr)

Love and Saudade

Among the most prevalent themes in Camoes' lyric poetry, love is central. Spiritual love, not carnal love. For the classics, especially in the Platonic school, spiritual love is the most elevated, the only one worthy of the wise, and this kind of incorporeal affection came to be known as Platonic love. 

Restaurant Sonetos' front window, in rua de Camoes, in Porto.

In his sonnets (Sonetos), the poet complained bitterly and repeatedly about the tyranny of impossible loves, mourned the distances, the farewells, the longing (Saudade!), the lack of reciprocity on the part of his muses... guessing his 16th century sea travels didn't make his love life easy. 

One of the 'tributary' streets to the Camoes street is, ironically, named 'rua das Musas', the muses' street. While muses are supposed to be inspirational, this narrow short street is nothing of the sort.

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What can we, as running tour guides, do for you?

This Camoes' bust is in the Foz district. The location is outstanding but its small size and the surrounding bushes make it really hard to spot, if you happen to run or cycle by.

Whether Porto honors Camoes enough is a matter of perspective. While the city does have some memorials to him, a street and a couple of busts, some argue that these are not commensurate with his stature as one of Portugal's greatest poets.

So, the next time you're in Porto, keep an eye out for these humble memorials to our literary giant. And remember, even a one-eyed poet deserves a bit more recognition, especially when he's given the world a masterpiece like Os Lusiadas. 
 
In any case, our running tour guides are here to help you spot some of the quirky physical tributes, to Camoes or to the other worthy personalities, some of them not even Portuguese!

And, most importantly, make your run pleasant, avoiding all dull & busy streets - and sharing the best stories the city has to offer: adding meaning to every km/mile you run in Porto!

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