João Bautista de Castro

João Bautista de Castro was a Portuguese author and cleric who lived from 1700 to 1775. He is remembered today chiefly for Mappa de Portugal antigo, e moderno, a large-scale work published in the 1760s that brings together geography, history, and description in an ambitious survey of Portugal.

The project was designed as more than a simple map or gazetteer. In the opening of the work, he explains that he wanted to offer a more reliable account of Portugal and to correct mistakes repeated by other writers. That gives the book a clear purpose: it is careful, explanatory, and meant to help readers understand the country in a fuller way.

For modern readers, Castro stands out as one of those writers whose books preserve how a nation saw itself in the 18th century. His writing remains useful not only for its facts, but also for the sense of curiosity and civic pride behind it.