The national community and the monumental heritage role in the writing of its narratives: the Portuguese example of Alexandre Herculano

Abstract

Portuguese authors and historians refer to the end of the 14th century, more specifically to the biennium 1383-1385, as the beginning of the building process of the Portuguese national community. In the Alexandre Herculano perspective, in 1385, for the first time, the people supported the king of Portugal, D. João I, “mestre de Avis”, in his battle against the king of Castile, communing with him, the victory of the Aljubarrota Battle. This battle was decisive for the maintenance of the Portuguese crown independence against the Castile kingdom. The national citizen concept would begin to be implicit in this popular attitude, to the extent that there is an identification of the people, more than of the nobility, with the king's purposes. However, it was only from the 19th century ahead, from the Alexandre Herculano writing, that we are able to discuss a Portuguese national community. Herculano was a writer and historian, having written the first (scientific) history of Portugal, guided in his perspective by the concern with the facts’ veracity. He introduced the historical novel in Portugal, giving prominence to the monuments of the nation. Analyzing some of the Alexandre Herculano works we intend to research how Herculano nationalized some monuments, constituting himself as one of the main founders of the Portuguese nation. The actors of his novels are relevant people of the Portuguese history and her stage, the main national monuments, namely the Santa Maria da Vitoria and Alcobaça Monasteries, which were sacred in the various literary works of Herculano. From his action, these ancient religious spaces became monumental, nationalized and transformed into places of memory and cradles of the modern Portuguese nation.