author
João Bautista de Castro
1700–1775
An 18th-century Portuguese priest and writer, he is best remembered for turning geography, history, and religion into vivid guides to Portugal. His most famous work, Mapa de Portugal, helped readers see the country in both its ancient and modern dimensions.
1 Audiobook
Mappa de Portugal antigo, e moderno, tomo 1 (of 3): Parte I, II
by João Bautista de Castro
About the author
A secular Catholic priest from Portugal, João Baptista de Castro lived between 1700 and 1775 and spent time in Lisbon and Rome. He wrote religious, moral, and geographical works, showing an unusual range for his time.
He is best known for Mapa de Portugal antigo e moderno, a large-scale work that brings together geography, history, and description. The book was designed to give a fuller picture of Portugal and to correct mistaken ideas repeated by some foreign writers.
Today, he is remembered less as a novelist or poet than as a careful compiler of knowledge: a writer who tried to map a country’s past and present for ordinary readers. That makes his work especially interesting for listeners who enjoy older books that connect places, ideas, and history.