On March 27 and 28, the Catholic University of Braga hosted the international colloquium “Camilo Castelo Branco: From Research to Teaching,” an initiative organized by the Department of Portuguese Studies at the Faculty of Philosophy and Social Sciences (FFCS), which brought together national and international experts to discuss the works of Camilo Castelo Branco.

The event began on the morning of March 27 with the opening session, followed by a diverse range of presentations that highlighted the relevance and richness of Camilo Castelo Branco’s literary work. Throughout the first day, researchers from institutions such as the University of Leeds, the University of Naples, the University of Porto, UNESP, and the University of California, Santa Barbara, addressed topics ranging from literary analysis and translation to pedagogy and the relationship between Camilo’s work and the contemporary world. Notable contributions included reflections on Camilo’s international reception and his discursive strategies, as well as innovative proposals for teaching his work, which incorporated the context of new technologies.

The afternoon sessions delved deeper into specific texts and explored dialogues between Camilo and other authors and literary traditions, while also addressing themes such as melancholy, intertextuality, and the enduring relevance of his themes today.

On the second day, at the Isidro Alves Auditorium, the colloquium continued with presentations focusing on depictions of Braga in Camilo’s works and on concrete pedagogical proposals for teaching. One of the highlights was the roundtable discussion dedicated to teaching Camilo in elementary and secondary schools, which brought together teachers from different schools and fostered a broad debate on challenges and strategies in today’s educational context.

The symposium concluded in the early afternoon of March 28 and achieved its goal of bridging the gap between academic research and teaching practices, as well as symbolically marking the end of the celebrations commemorating the 200th anniversary of Camilo Castelo Branco’s birth. The initiative thus reinforced the enduring relevance of one of the greatest figures in Portuguese literature, highlighting his vitality in the contemporary cultural and educational landscape.