Professor David de Melo Lopes' House

Category: Civil Architecture > Museum

District: Castelo Branco > Sertã > Barrocas

Location

Professor David de Melo Lopes House is located in the village of Barrocas, in the municipality of Sertã. Nestled in a peaceful rural setting, the house is an integral part of a typical landscape of central inland Portugal, characterized by the serenity of its villages and the natural beauty of the Beira Baixa region.

The surrounding environment invites visitors to observe the daily life of a local community, offering an authentic perspective on the built heritage and traditional way of life in this area.

A Name in History

This building marks the birthplace of David de Melo Lopes, a prominent figure in the Portuguese intellectual and cultural landscape. Born in 1867, he distinguished himself as a historian and professor, dedicating his life to the study and dissemination of knowledge.

His vast body of work includes significant contributions to the history of Portugal and the study of oriental languages, and he is recognized for his profound erudition and the rigor of his research. His work as a reviser of classic texts in Portuguese history, such as those by Alexandre Herculano, highlights his crucial role in the preservation and enrichment of the national historiographical heritage.

Memory in Stone

The importance of David de Melo Lopes to Portuguese culture and to the Sertã region is perpetuated in the very structure of his birth house. In 1967, to mark his connection to the land where he was born, a marble plaque was placed above the building's main door.

This visible tribute invites visitors to reflect on the legacy of a scholar who, despite having developed much of his career in urban centers like Paris and Lisbon, maintained his roots in the tranquility of Barrocas, thus helping his birthplace to be remembered as the cradle of a distinguished figure of knowledge.

License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.pt