Luís de Camões

Regarded as one of the greatest poets of the Portuguese language and indeed, of world literature, Luís Vaz de Camões achieved lasting renown through his epic masterpiece Os Lusíadas, first published in 1572.

Luís Vaz de Camões is believed to have been born in 1524 (or 1525), although his exact place of birth remains a mystery.

Little is known of his early years. As an adult, he became a poet admired at court, yet his life was marked by hardship and adventure, including several periods of imprisonment. In 1553, he departed for India and settled in Goa, where he served the viceroys and took part in military expeditions. In 1562, he travelled to Macau, and tradition holds that he composed part of Os Lusíadas in a cave, which to this day bears his name.

He later returned to India, where he endured further difficulties, before finally making his way back to Portugal in 1569. Three years later, in 1572, he published Os Lusíadas.

Camões died in Lisbon on 10 June 1580. In 1880, he was honoured with a tomb in the Monastery of the Jerónimos.

Since 1966, he has also been commemorated with a cenotaph in the National Pantheon.