The Legacy of Luís de Camões: Portugal’s Greatest Poet

At the close of the European Renaissance, when intellectual curiosity and scientific inquiry flourished, Luís de Camões, Portugal’s most celebrated poet, lived a life marked by travel and exploration.

To commemorate the 500th anniversary of Camões’ birth, the Gaudium Magnum Foundation and the Hispanic Society Museum and Library are strengthening their partnership through a public program of events. It comprises an exhibition featuring a selection of rare books related to Luís de Camões and a symposium highlighting the significant contributions of European humanists and artists to the cultural dynamics of the sixteenth century.

His writings were deeply influenced by his experiences as a navigator for the Portuguese empire. Camões’ most renowned work, the epic poem “Os Lusiadas,” published in 1572, immortalizes Vasco da Gama’s historic discovery of the sea route to India. This seminal text considered the most important work in Portuguese literature, masterfully recounts the journeys of Vasco da Gama, Pero da Covilha, and Afonso de Paiva.

“Metamorphoses: the shape of books and the fortune of texts”

A book exhibition curated by Isabel Almeida to be displayed in the Sorolla Gallery.

This exhibition’s goal is twofold. First, it showcases the eloquence of printed books’ materiality by presenting The Lusiads in both the monumental scale of Faria e Sousa’s edition and the small, portable format of Craesbeck’s typography. Second, it offers visitors a glimpse into the legacy of Camões’ work by highlighting translations from the 16th century (all printed in Spain) and the 17th century. This exhibition also allows visitors to observe the forms and rhythms of censorship during these periods.

Some images of the exhibit…