Celebrating Portugal: its culture and history

National Portuguese Day is celebrated on 10 June. It honours the death of the poet Luís Vaz de Camões who died on this day in 1580. Luís Vaz de Camões wrote the epic poem Lusiadas, which celebrates sixteenth century Portuguese exploration leading to fame and fortune for the country. In Portugal it is a national holiday and is celebrated by Portuguese communities around the world.

State Library of Queensland has an extensive and varied collection of resources, both online and on-site, through which you can explore Portugal’s rich culture and heritage.

Portuguese language

Whether you already speak Portuguese or just starting to learn, there are some wonderful online resources you can access with State Library membership to help you and your family enjoy the Portuguese language.

• LOTE4Kids allows children to explore the wonder of digital books in languages other than English. It is also great for adults just learning a new language as the digital books come with English translations.
• CloudLibrary is a collection of ebooks and eaudiobooks in languages other than English ranging from children’s books to contemporary fiction and everything in between.
• PressReader provides online access to magazines and newspapers from around the world. To enjoy magazines and newspapers from Portugal find Catalog, click on All countries/regions, select Portugal and click on Done. You can then browse the magazines and newspapers that are available. Click on the magazine or newspaper you want, click calendar to pick date and view the issue as it was published.

Visit your local library to borrow physical books, audiobooks, DVDs and more in Portuguese.

Exploring Portugal

Thinking of travelling to Portugal or just want to know more about the country? Why not step into the world of travel books from Lonely Planet to historical travel experiences. State Library has both ebooks and physical books in the collection to discover. Here is a selection of the wide range of books available.

Travel guides (ebooks)

• Lonely Planet Portugal
• Portugal / by Fiona Dunlop ; photography by Tino Soriano

Personal experiences

• How to clean a fish : and other adventures in Portugal / Esmeraldhttps://onesearch.slq.qld.gov.au/permalink/61SLQ_INST/npe7l9/alma99184038086202061a Cabral. A family’s experience of travelling through Portugal. [ebook]
• Portugal: a traveller's history / Harold Livermore drawing on the author’s personal experience travelling in Portugal.
• Travels in Portugal / by John Latouche ; with illustrations by T. Sotheron Estcourt. Published in the 1870s, this is a collection of personal experiences written by travellers from the Victorian era.

Discover Portugal through its food

Cooking is an amazing way to explore Portugal and its rich culture. Browse State Library’s collection and find amazing recipes to prepare.

There are ebooks you can access from home such as

• Easy Portuguese Cookbook : Recipes to Bring Home the Flavors of Portugal
• La Cuisine Portugaise - J'adore

Or cookbooks that you can borrow and take home like

• The cooking of Spain & Portugal / Tony Schmaeling
• The gastronomy of Spain and Portugal / Maite Manjon

Explore the Arts: Literature, Visual Arts and Music

Want to read the works of the poet who inspired a nation? You can read translations as an ebook or borrow from State Library.

• Selected sonnets / Luis de Camoes ; edited and translated by William Baer [ebook]
• The Lusiads / Luis Vas de Camoes ; translated with an introduction and notes by Landeg White

Discover Portuguese artists such as Nuno Gonçalves and Amadeu de Souza Cardoso or explore various Portuguese artists through books like The art of Portugal 1500-1800 and Modern art in Portugal 1910-1940.

Listen to the music of Portugal through the database Music and Dance Online, which you can access free from home with State Library membership.

Researching your Portuguese ancestors

State Library’s collection includes books related to tracing genealogy in Europe. Books like Tracing your European Roots and Family Tree guidebook to Europe : your essential guide to trace your genealogy in Europe offer some useful tips for searching such as naming conventions and useful words for family history research.

Access the following eresouces onsite at State Library to help trace your ancestors.

• Ancestry (Library Edition)
• FindMyPast (Australia, UK, Ireland and USA)
• FamilySearch (Affiliate records) (Access with your personal FamilySearch membership) onsite and at home

Our blog, Discovering your Portuguese heritage, lists additional resources to help you in your family history research.

So, whether you are learning Portuguese, interested in the history and culture of Portugal or would like to try some amazing Portuguese recipes there’s something to interest everyone at State Library. Not a member? It is easy to join.