Vice-Presidency promotes celebrations of 5th centenary of Luís de Camões' birth
Angra do Heroísmo
Vice-Presidência do Governo Regional
The Vice-Presidency of the Regional Government is promoting the exhibition "A Popular Classic: Camões in the Azores," starting on May 30, at the Capitães-Generais Palace, in Angra do Heroísmo, on the occasion of the celebrations of the fifth centenary of Luís de Camões' birth.
The exhibition, which will run until October 31, 2025, aims to rediscover Camões and his work, exploring the possible links between this unique figure in Portuguese and world literature and the island of Terceira.
The exhibition takes visitors on a journey through local identity and memory, covering the Camões celebrations held in Angra do Heroísmo in 1880, Camões' probable visit to Terceira, and the tradition that attributes to this island the inspiration for the “Ilha dos Amores” (Island of Love), a memorable episode in the epic poem “Os Lusíadas.”
This journey is based on two remarkable collections: José do Canto's collection of Camões' works, one of the three most complete in the country, and José Afonso Botelho de Andrade's collection.
Both book collections are being exhibited for the first time on Terceira Island and feature a manuscript of "Saudades da Terra" by Gaspar Frutuoso and a first edition of "Os Lusíadas."
As part of the National Plan to Celebrate the 500th Anniversary of Camões' Birth, this exhibition is promoted by the Vice-Presidency of the Regional Government, in partnership with the Ponta Delgada Public Library and Regional Archive and the Centre for Humanistic Studies of the University of the Azores.
The opening of the exhibition "A Popular Classic: Camões in the Azores" will take place at the Capitães-Generais Palace in Angra do Heroísmo on May 30 at 6:30 p.m. The programme includes a lecture by José Augusto Bernardes, General Commissioner of the Mission Structure for the Celebration of the 500th anniversary of the birth of Luis de Camões on the theme "Celebrating Camões... still."
The exhibition opens to the public on June 2.
