13 August 2014

Portuguese writers in the Plateau-Mont-Royal, Montréal, Québec

In 2009 twelve public benches were installed in the quartier portugais on the boulevard Saint-Laurent to acknowledge the fifty years of the presence of the Portuguese community in Montréal.

Each bench is inscribed with a quotation by a Portuguese writer and is decorated with ceramic tiles (or azulejos) by four Montréal artists of Portuguese origin.

Unfortunately, several of the benches have suffered from graffiti attacks. Below I show all of the benches, although I only mention the writers to whom the benches are dedicated and don't give the quotations.

Logically, the starting point for the benches is parc du Portugal, a small park where there are many tiles, such as in the example of this fountain. From here southwards the benches feature on both sides of the boulevard Saint-Laurent, although the sequence below is in no particular order.

Miguel Torga.

Natália Correia.

José Saramago.

Eça de Queirós.

Luis de Camões.

Père António Vieira.

Dom Dinan.

Fernando Pessoa.

Gil Vicente.

Manuel Maria Barbosa du Bocage.

Antero de Quental.

António Lobo Antunes.

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