Camões Garden-Orchard

Category: Nature > Garden

District: Santarém > Constância > Constância

Location

The Camões Garden-Orchard is located in the picturesque village of Constância, nestled in the heart of its historic center. This green space enjoys a privileged position, offering views of the confluence of the Zêzere and Tagus rivers, a natural setting that adds serenity and beauty to the visit experience.

Its riverside location invites a peaceful stroll, where the presence of water is a striking element in the surrounding landscape.

A Garden Inspired by Poetry

This unique garden was designed to bring to life the flora that Luís Vaz de Camões mentioned in his works, both in his lyrical poetry and in the epic "Os Lusíadas". It is a space where one can discover the approximately fifty botanical species referred to by the poet, from the most common Mediterranean vegetation plants to some tropical varieties, such as pepper or sandalwood.

Each plant is properly marked with identifications that include its common and scientific name, accompanied by a transcription of the Camonian verse that alludes to it. The project, inaugurated in 1990, was designed by landscape architect Gonçalo Ribeiro Telles, creating a harmonious link between botany and the richness of Portuguese literature.

Symbols and Memories

The Camões Garden-Orchard is not only a botanical space but also a place that evokes the life and work of the great poet. At the entrance, a statue by Lagoa Henriques depicts Camões in a contemplative pose, observing the Zêzere river, in homage to his possible connection to the village.

Along the path, there is a tile panel illustrating Camões' long journeys across continents, from Lisbon to Macau, passing through Africa and India. There is also the Macau Garden, which commemorates the Portuguese presence in the East. In the open-air auditorium, a reproduction of Ptolemy's Planetarium refers to the astronomical knowledge of the Age of Discoveries. Other elements of interest include an imposing armillary sphere, considered the largest in Portugal, symbolizing the universality of Portuguese culture and language, and a 17th-century anchor, recovered from the Tagus river and classified by the Maritime Museum.

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