The Use of Medieval History in Constructing National Identities in 19th-Century Portugal

Abstract

Looking back at the development of Portugal today, the 19th century was undoubtedly an important turning point, with the emergence of professional historical writing in the country, the reconstruction of national identity, and the topic of intellectual commitment of the time. The main point of this study is to analyze the writing of European history in the early 19th century. Antony Smith considers the 19th century the beginning of professional historical writing under the framework of a national character. By the theory of Stephen Berger, the scientificity of history is seen as a key point. Combined with the actual situation of Portugal at that time, this paper seeks to emphasize that Portugal in the European environment was influenced by the general European view of history. Portuguese historians carried out scientific historical writing, choosing a romantic and liberal view of history. The paper focuses on Portuguese historians, represented by Alexandre Heeculano. In his view, the Middle Ages were a time of glory. Furthermore, the paper analyzes his professional historical writing and the literary creation of historical elements. Alexandre Heeculano used the well-ordered and vibrant Middle Ages to resist the depressed social situation in Portugal at that time. He called for the establishment of the Middle Ages as the origin of the nation, and the importance of the national imagination to restore national confidence and rebuild national identity. The paper follows this vein and explores how medieval history was used to construct Portuguese identity.