Portugal is today a “fashionable” country, consecutively receiving the most prestigious awards in terms of tourism, and attracting millions of visitors. Although small, it has a rich artistic, cultural, and gastronomic diversity, which is the result not only of its particular geography (located between the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean), but also of its history and its people. This two-part series, The History of Portugal, will aim to present and contextualize, in a chronological and systematic way, the most important moments in the history of Portugal, as well as its most relevant actors and its positioning in the European and global context.
The History of Portugal, Part 1 will describe the communities and civilizations that preceded the period of Formation for the Kingdom of Portugal, which occurred only in the 12th century, until the loss of independence to Spain at the end of the 16th century. Even before being an independent country, Portugal's “Pre-History” is marked by the presence of countless peoples and civilizations in the Iberian Peninsula, such as Romans, Visigoths, Arabs, and Jewish communities. In the Medieval Age, Portugal became an independent kingdom in the 1140's and had its borders stabilized (as seen today) in 1250; for that reason, it is also considered the oldest country in the world. The fact that it survived and remained independent in relation to its much larger and more powerful neighbor, Spain, still today results in astonishment, admiration, and ignorance, and it is important to explain the reasons for and consequences of its independence.
During the 15th and 16th centuries, under the rule of the second Dynasty, the Avis, Portugal would become a global superpower with the huge Empire built during the Portuguese Discoveries Age, leading the world in nautical, scientific, and technological advances, and establishing the first systematic contact between the West and the East. The accumulated wealth would provide a period of splendor within its borders and a historical, artistic, and religious legacy in much of the world where the Portuguese settled. Portugal would finally lose its independence to Spain after a Dynastic Crisis in 1580 and would be ruled by the Spanish Philippe Dynasty for the next 60 years.
Led by an expert on architecture and history, Tiago Miranda Neiva, this lecture series will allow you to learn, in a brief but systematic way, about the history of Portugal and its central role in an Iberian, European, and global context. Designed to inform curiosity as well as future travels, participants will come away with a deeper knowledge of the history of Portugal.
Tiago Miranda Neiva was born and raised in Lisbon. He studied architecture in Rome and worked later in distinct offices in Portugal and Spain. For several years he was Professor of Arts and Art History, having a Master's degree in Teaching of Visual Arts. He is currently working towards a PhD focused on the Art and Architecture of al-Andalus: the confluence between the Arab, Jewish and Christian medieval world. In recent years he has been working as a tour guide in his hometown, seeking to show and reveal its most intimate secrets through an authentic and passionate local vision.
This conversation is suitable for all ages.
90 minutes, including a 30 minute Q&A.
