The Sociedade was founded in 1861 in Lisbon, at the initiative of the entrepreneur Lisbon's Feliciano da Moura. Gathers around him, from the outset, membership of well-known politicians and writers, among them it should include the well-known historian and writer Alexandre Herculano.
The historical moment that he was living in Portugal was characterized by a diplomatic offensive, economic and propaganda by the Kingdom of Spain with a view to absorbing the Lusitanian kingdom into a larger Iberian monarchy. Castilian Spain, is a never vanished sense of superiority towards other Iberian peoples, whether for a colonial form of compensation for lost vast territories in Latin America, with greed saw the chance to get their hands on more extensive Portuguese possessions in Africa.
Both the Portuguese monarch of the time, both society as a whole were able to withstand the Lusitanian arguments and Castillian proclaimed their iron will to reject any attempt hegemony of Spain.
so auspices Association, promoters and numerous followers decided to commemorate the auspicious event of the year regaining independence from Spain, which occurred in December of 1640 (the Restauração ), as a warning to future generations to preserve what value supreme independence of Portugal, reached after a unanimous Restoration revolutionary and a subsequent war against the English Tercios lasted more than 27 years.
SHIP The headquarters is still in the Palácio da Independência built in the sixteenth century well-known in central Lisbon, easily recognizable by its bright red color. In the Palace of the episodes occurred Restauração, today underlined by beautiful old ceramic panels and static reconstruction of events in places. The current
SHIP, in addition to keeping alive the national feeling in Portugal, at a time when economic penetration in Spain is increasingly pressing (made evident by recent events of the attempted ascents of Telefónica Spain against subsidiaries of TMN Portuguese), also leads a brilliant policy of cultural diffusion of Portuguese language and culture, as well as a number publications, presentations, public discussions, sports activities. They are now part of SHIP the liveliest and most significant of Portuguese society, and counts among its members, ministers, diplomats, professors, senior military, known entrepreneurs, governors, civil and cultural figures. Its current President is Prof. Jorge Hagedorn Rangel, the last civilian administrator of Macau, a Portuguese colony until 1999, Luso-Chinese interesting figure shows that, with his own experience of two European and Asian ethnicity, the extraordinary epic that was the 'era of geographical discoveries unveiled by the Portuguese in the sixteenth century.
Azulejos in Palácio da Independência Lisbon
This past July was formalized the creation of the first section of the Italian SHIP , which sees awarded Piedmont, Liguria and Val d'Aosta regions as first preference on the choice of the Portuguese association. As its president-director in Piedmont and Liguria was chosen Prof. Adv. Mario Chiapetta (pictured) , graduated in law at Turin, Barcelona and Coimbra in Portugal, and in Political Science in Turin and Lisbon, as well as qualified lawyer in Spain and in Italy. Student of everything related to the Lusitania, Professor Chiapetta has assembled a remarkable collection of books of interest in Portuguese, in addition to a collection of local pottery, the famous tiles . As the first public intervention on the ground Piedmont Prof. Chiapetta has offered to propose to the Turin public a series of lectures and conference focused on Portuguese history, focusing on obscure topics. Our rapporteur has also offered to accompany any party on a trip to Lisbon, where it will appear as a qualifying time (as well as otherwise almost impossible) visit to the prestigious and ancient Independence Palace, the seat of our Sociedade .
