Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
relics trying to grab your attention. The next chapel to the left features a riot of babies.
Individual chapels—each for a different noble family—seem to be in competition. Keep
in mind that the tiles are considered as extravagant as the gold leaf and silver.
Portugal's Two Greatest Poets
The Portuguese are justifiably proud of their two most famous poets, whose names,
works, and memorials you may encounter in your travels.
Portugal's most important poet,
LuísdeCamões
(1524-1580), was a Renaissance-
age equivalent of the ancient Greek poet, Homer. Camões' masterpiece,
The Lusiads
(Os Lusíadas)
tells the story of an explorer far from home. But instead of Odysseus,
this epic poem describes the journey of Vasco da Gama, the man who found the route
from Europe to India. Camões—who had sailed to Morocco to fight the Moors (where
he lost an eye), to Goa (where he was imprisoned for debt), and to China (where he
was shipwrecked)—was uniquely qualified to write about Portugal's pursuit of empire
on the high seas. For more on Camões, see
here
.
