From literature to music, many creative arts find inspiration in the most tragic love stories. From the impossible romances of the Middle Ages to the social asymmetries of the 20th century, bloodshed, irrefutable passion and scandal have marked the Portuguese collective imagination throughout time.
In this article, we intend to (re)visit some of Portugal’s most dramatic romantic stories. From the eternal legend of Pedro I and Inês de Castro to the birth of the ‘Romeo and Juliet’ myth of Alcácer do Sal, these narratives deserve to be told.
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Pedro & Inês: love greater than death
This is undoubtedly Portugal’s most famous love story, referenced by Luís de Camões in the epic “Os Lusíadas”. In the 16th century, like a fairy tale – but without the famous ‘they lived happily ever after’ – a young prince fell in love with a lady-in-waiting.
Heir to the Portuguese throne, Pedro married Constança. However, it was a Galician noblewoman who stole his heart for all eternity, by which we mean, of course, Inês de Castro. Legend has it that her beauty was breathtaking and she was highly coveted at court. However, the son of King Afonso IV wouldn’t let anyone else get close.
The two fell in love without end, culminating in a secretive marriage shortly after Constança’s death. For a while, Pedro and Inês de Castro lived happily in Coimbra. However, their story had a dark ending. It is said that King Afonso IV feared the influence of the Galician woman’s brothers.
In this context, the monarch promptly ordered the murder of Inês, causing irreparable pain to Pedro, who swore revenge. Distraught, when he ascended the throne he pursued the perpetrators of such a vile act, reserving for them an infamous fate: to have their hearts ripped out, in a painful analogy to his own suffering.
Despite his revenge, Pedro I went even further to honor Inês, and is said to have crowned his beloved as posthumous Queen of Portugal. Furthermore, in an act that shows that his attachment was greater than death itself, he had the body of the beautiful Galician transferred to the Monastery of Alcobaça.
Today, the testimony of this tragic plot worthy of any period movie can be seen in the monument (classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site). After all, Pedro I and Inês de Castro lie there , in tombs arranged facing each other so that they could meet in the ‘afterlife’. An unbridled and chilling love, from start to finish.
Romeo and Juliet from the Alentejo
From a medieval romance we jump straight to the beginning of the 20th century. Although the plot doesn’t involve murder, the story is just as sad and moving. In 1912, Luís Inácio de Paiva and Laura Branca decided to commit suicide because their families rejected their love.
Originally from Alcácer do Sal, in the Alentejo, Luís belonged to a wealthy family that owned vast estates. Laura, on the other hand, was born into a respected family, but with less power and influence. In fact, social and economic asymmetries were allegedly at the root of the problem.
In addition to the inequality between their origins, it has also been speculated that possible marriage promises to third parties, typical of the time, may have caused problems. Whatever the case, the two young lovers were found dead in a house in Alcácer do Sal.
It is said that they had first tried to commit suicide with poison, but in the face of so much pain, they ended up saying goodbye to this world with clear (and fatal) shots to the heart. In a way, this story transports us to the literary and dramatic universe of William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet.
Scandal, prison and suicide: Camilo’s odyssey
In the 19th century, the romance between the writer Camilo Castelo Branco and Ana Plácido, then married to another man, generated a lot of ‘buzz’ in Porto society. In fact, the case of adultery even led to their imprisonment, during which time the author wrote his masterpiece “Amor de Perdição”.
After the scandal and imprisonment, Camilo Castelo Branco and Ana Plácido finally moved in together, but they were never fully accepted by society. They even got married, but their relationship was marked by severe financial difficulties and health problems.
Camilo suffered from syphilis and symptoms of blindness, a scenario that caused great despair in the writer, who was now prevented from continuing to bring his characters to life. Not even Ana’s love was enough to prevent the tragic end and, in 1890, the author took his own life.
From Pedro and Inês to the scandal of Camilo Castelo Branco and Ana Plácido, each of these stories shows us that love can be a very powerful feeling, “a fire that burns without being seen”, as Luís de Camões wrote.
However, overwhelming passion that transcends social barriers and even death is not always enough to achieve a happy ending. These are impactful, heartbreaking and intense cases that deserve not to be forgotten!