Detail of a caravel ship on a mosaic fountain in the Fidalga Palace and Gardens, Seixal, Portugal
Far from being just “Spain’s little brother,” Portugal has its own fascinating history and culture. Medievalist Paul B. Sturtevant explores the background of the country that has alternated between peripheral frontier and seat of imperial power, international pariah and tourism darling.
June 2 Deep Foundations, 900 B.C.E.–1100
Lisbon is the second-oldest capital city in Europe. Founded by the Phoenicians, it saw Carthaginians, Romans, Visigoths, and Andalusians come and go. Though the region was not yet called Portugal, each group left its mark on what this place would become.
June 9 The Many Spanish Kingdoms, 1100–1400
Portugal was not born so much as made. Forged by French aristocrats and papal decrees, the new kingdom struggled to define itself in opposition to the Muslim rulers to its south and the Christian rulers to its east. This tiny kingdom managed to resist as the rest of Iberia was gobbled up by Spain.
June 16 The First Empire, 1400–1926
Not content with a slice of the Iberian Peninsula, Portugal set out to conquer much of the world. With its explorations, Portugal wreaked havoc and created a prototype of colonization and enslavement that would grind many parts of the world under Europe’s heel.
June 23 The Empire and the Long Dictatorship, 1926–1974
In 2024, Portugal celebrated 50 years of democracy. Its fascist dictatorship—the longest-lived in Europe—fell in 1974 after a revolution spurred by the Colonial Wars brought down the dictatorship and thus put an end to the empire's rule over its remaining colonies. But even 50 years later, some Portuguese people continue to repeat the dictatorship’s propaganda and remember it with nostalgia. What about this history makes it hard to separate fact from fiction?
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