Da Bibliotheca Lusitana (1747) à Trilogia das barcas (1970): a invenção moderna de Gil Vicente

Abstract:Gil Vicente (1465?–1536?) is a foundational playwright in Portuguese theatre history. The rediscovery of his work over the years elevated him to the status of “father of Portuguese drama,” while his growing stature was politically celebrated with great enthusiasm throughout the 19th and 20th centuries. His presence remains today, despite the lack of critical studies on his theatre and legacy. In response to that lack, this article proposes a panoramic approach to the different “Gis Vicentes” that have been formulated from the Bibliotheca Lusitana—Barbosa Machado’s 1747 bio-bibliographic project—to the première of the Trilogia das barcas (1970), an opera in two acts by Joly Braga Santos. This study seeks to contribute not only to a better understanding of the contexts in which the Vincentian phenomenon developed, but also to a more accurate awareness of how much contemporary Portuguese theatre continues to prolong Vicente’s artistic legacy.