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Curated category

Portuguese Renaissance writers

  • António GalvãoAntónio Galvão entered the world around 1490 as the son of Duarte Galvão. His father served as chief diplomat and chronicler to King Afonso V of Portugal.
  • Fernão Lopes de CastanhedaFernão Lopes de Castanheda was born around the year 1500 in Santarém. He entered the world as a natural son of a royal officer who served as judge in Goa.
  • Gaspar CorreiaGaspar Correia arrived in Portuguese India between 1512 and 1514 as a soldier. He spent most of his life serving the empire that had brought him to Asia.
  • Duarte BarbosaDiogo Barbosa served Álvaro of Braganza in 1501 when the third Portuguese India Armada set sail under João da Nova. Young Duarte stayed behind in Kochi while…
  • Bernardim RibeiroBernardim Ribeiro was born in 1482 within the village of Torrão, located in the Alentejo region. His father Damião Ribeiro faced severe consequences for his…
  • André de ResendeAndré de Resende was born around 1498 in the city of Évora. He lost his father early and entered the local Dominican Order at age ten or twelve.
  • Tomé PiresTomé Pires was born around 1468 in the Portuguese town of Leiria. His father served as apothecary to King João II of Portugal.
  • Garcia de OrtaGarcia de Orta was born in Castelo de Vide, probably in 1501. His parents were Spanish Jews from Valencia de Alcántara who had taken refuge in Portugal after…
  • Gil VicenteThe year 1465 stands as the commonly accepted date for Gil Vicente's birth, though scholars have argued fiercely over this number for centuries.
  • Luís de CamõesLuís Vaz de Camões, born around 1524 in Lisbon, emerged from a noble family with deep roots in the Kingdom of Galicia. His father, Simão Vaz de Camões…
  • Fernão Mendes PintoFernão Mendes Pinto was born in about 1509 within the quiet town of Montemor-o-Velho, Portugal. He emerged from a family that struggled financially or…
  • Francisco de HolandaFrancisco de Holanda entered the world in Lisbon, Portugal, during the year 1517. His father, António de Holanda, worked as a royal illuminator for the…
  • João de CastroD. João de Castro was born on the 27th of February 1500 to Álvaro de Castro, the civil governor of Lisbon. As the second son in his family, he was originally…