Today, we are thrilled to talk to Filipe Vieira Martins, a respected commentator and expert on European royal families. Filipe’s insightful analysis has made him a familiar face on television, where he shares his deep knowledge of monarchy, tradition, and European history. Beyond his media presence, Filipe is a historian and cultural tour guide, curating specialized itineraries that bring history to life for his clients. His passion for exploring the intersection of history, culture, and royalty offers a unique perspective, and we’re excited to dive into his expertise today.
1. Can you share with us the moment or event in your life that sparked your passion for European royal families and their history? How did this initial interest evolve into a career dedicated to this subject?
Disney and grandmothers. Like with most things in life there wasn’t a specific moment. I was born in the mid 80s which means I’m an 80s and 90s child, which in turn means I grew up watching Disney movies on my VHS player. I also had the good luck of having two grandmothers that were great storytellers. I believe until this day that love for History starts with love for stories. The combination of both in me evolved to this deep love for History in general and for the History of Royal Families in particular.
2. What are your favorite places in Lisbon and how do they fit into the broader context of European royal history?
I love gardens and Lisbon is filled with amazing, diverse gardens. In the same city you find a modern oasis such as Gulbenkian and a Belle Époque Garden such as Jardim da Estrela, and I find that endearing. Maybe I am commenting a faux-pas here, as this is a Lisbon hidden gem, but one of my absolute favourites is Tapada das Necessidades. It was once the extended garden of the Palace of the same name and that is right next to it. In the bigger part of the Portuguese XIXth century it was the official residence of the Portuguese Royal Family and here each child of D. Maria II and her Saxe-Coburg husband D. Fernando II had a plot they had to plant, much like the children of his first cousins Prince Albert and Queen Victoria had at Osborne House for their children. I always like to share small details like this in my tours that we all can relate to, somehow, and find interesting. Another favourite spot, especially for tours, is the Church of Saint Dominic in Rossio. It was the church used by the Portuguese Inquisition, but also in the XIXth century, as it is the biggest church in Lisbon, it was where we had royal weddings. And its interiors are truly unique. But I am not one to give spoilers.
3. As someone who specializes in European royal families, how do you weave their histories into the story of Europe? Can you share any fascinating connections between the Portuguese monarchy and other European dynasties that you highlight during your tours?
We have, as I mentioned above, Ferdinand of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, that married Mary II. In itself in my tours it is already a great point to share that in Portugal, contrary to so many places in Europe, women could ascend the throne in their own right and that we had two queen regnants, quite originally named Mary I and Mary II and that were Great-grandmother and Great-granddaughter. Also, Ferdinand was a first cousin to Victoria and Albert and all three were nephews and niece of Leopold I of the Belgians. So there alone there is a lot to talk about.
I would say the best know connection and one of the most fun to explore on the tours is that of Catherine of Braganza, the wife of Charles II of England, Scotland and Ireland and the only Portuguese woman to have been Queen of England. The Portuguese love to say she took tea to England. I’m sorry to disappoint, but tea is consumed in Europe broadly since the Portuguese arrived to China by sea in the XVIth century, and even before that. What Queen Catherine did was to make it aristocratic and fashionable, together withe queen’s marmalade. If further to that I’m with a group of Americans I will point out the neighbourhood of Queens in New York City is named after Queen Catherine. And just with these small bits of information, while touring the Portuguese capital, I connect Portugal to History, other countries and make all of it also relatable tp our everyday life. After all, a big part of us until today still loves a nice cup of tea.
4. What aspects of Portugal’s architecture, art, or interiors do you find particularly important for understanding Portugal’s aristocratic culture? How do you make these features resonate with international visitors?
The vast majority of European capitals, especially those of older countries, are royal and aristocratic cities. Take Portugal for example: if we round up the numbers out of 900 years of history 800 were as a monarchy. So these capitals are usually filled with palaces from different periods, and Lisbon is no exception. On my walking tours through Lisbon I usually highlight two points regarding this royal and aristocratic past: the old River Palace, Paço da Ribeira, and the Manueline style. Unlike the other European kingdoms from 1501 up until 1755 the main royal palace was in downtown Lisbon, right next to its main square, then Terreiro do Paço and that we call today, Praça do Comércio. This is because, once the Portuguese established the Cape Route for the spice trade the King was its biggest benefactor. Just this small point is enough, at a tour to establish several connections about how Lisbon developed as a city all the way up to the most relevant moment of its recent History, the earthquake of 1755. While several scholars accept today that Manueline, rather than a style, is the Portuguese version of late or flamboyant Gothic, it remains an architectural expression in the city of Lisbon that connects us to that moment of Portuguese History and that has the name of a Portuguese King. And while the Hieronymite Monastery, in Belém, is the best known example of Manueline in Lisbon, I love showing people the façade of the Church of Our Lady of Conception, close to Praça do Comércio. that has a remarkable Manuleine portal. Also, the king after whom we named this architectural form, Manuel I, is the one that will order the Paço da Ribera, back in 1501. And basically all these things are connected and I explore them and explain them depending on the flow of the tour.
5. European royal families often had strong connections across borders. How do you communicate the international relationships and alliances of Portuguese royalty to visitors, especially those unfamiliar with this complex network of European monarchies?
I start with the basics- at a tour the visitors are the focus. I get to know before hand where do they come from and at the start of each tour I try and get to know what do they do so to better understand their background. This helps me adapting my communication. I most usually have European visitors doing my tours, but that does not mean they are all History savvy.
I then put function before form- while I may personally enjoy listing royal names and titles, I feel that it is more important for visitors to understand why that information is relevant, why it matters.
For example, when showing people the Carmo Monastery and the statue of John I at Praça da Ribeira, I explain his need to marry a foreign princess from and established European Royal Family so to legitimise his power, as he was the illegitimate son of King Peter I. And then I can also explain why at the village Palace in Sintra at the main hall for the reign of John I what we find in the ceiling, the swan wearing a ducal crown as a colar, shows the importance of John I’s queen and hence the legitimacy she brought to him by marriage.
6. Can you tell us more about the route you take when guiding visitors. How do you structure the tour to offer a compelling narrative of both history and its significance within Lisbon’s aristocratic heritage?
Most of my walking tours are around downtown Lisbon. This remains the very heart of the city and where the biggest part of its history is concentrated. As pre-earthquake Lisbon was centered around the two hills in downtown Lisbon I often start my tours in Chiado, then go to Bairro Alto. Amongst other things it is perfect to show the contrast between this super busy central area of Lisbon and day time Bairro Alto that is calm and barely has any people. Both here and in Graça we can find examples of palaces and convents that were abandoned after 1755 and explain how these previously aristocratic neighbourhoods became later working-class neighbourhoods, namely in Graça with the creation of villas. Many of these were old aristocratic palaces bought by industrialists and transformed into living facilities for their workers. The best known is precisely in Graça, Villa Souza, that was previously the Palace of the Counts of Vale de Reis.
7. As a historian, how do you balance delivering accurate, well-researched information with engaging storytelling, especially for visitors who may not have a deep knowledge of European royal history?
Communication is always the most important thing on a tour. Both how to communicate with visitors and how to communicate the History of what you are showing them. It is important to spark people’s interest and also that they feel at least some of what we are talking about is relatable. For example, what I shared above about tea and Catherine of Braganza. Or, if I am doing a tour with French visitors pointing out small details they can relate to, like the fact that the founding King of Portugal, D. Afonso Henriques, was a Capetian, a direct descendent in the male line of Hugh Capet, King of the Franks. This helps people feel connected. I always search for this connection on my tours. People respond way better to things they are connected to.
Also, for more complex details, rather than deliver the information I try to explain why it happened like so and why it is relevant. People will show more interest in things they can understand.
8. You are essentially acting as a cultural ambassador when giving these tours. How do you ensure that visitors from different cultural backgrounds leave with a deeper understanding and appreciation of Portugal’s royal and aristocratic heritage?
As I shared I mostly have European visitors, meaning that many historical references are the same or at least known. In what comes to History in general, and royal families in particular, I avoid analogies and prefer to give, if needed, a brief explanation of how the monarchical or the aristocratic systems worked in Europe.I avoid going through the easy way like saying that a reigning Prince or Duke is like an Emir, or that an Emperor is like a Shah or a Khan. Because it isn’t. While there may be similarities these examples, I gave belong to specific chronological, geographical, cultural references and hence have their own identities.
9. How do you see your role in keeping the history of European royal families relevant and engaging for future generations?
Let’s look at what we call the Western World. Let us consider it is the heir of the Roman Empire and hence that it started at the beginning of the European Middle Ages, so about 1500 years ago, to put it in round numbers. The first republican system in the modern sense, meaning as we know Republics to be today in the Western World, dates to the American Constitution of 1787. Republics will only settle in Europe as the dominant system after the end of World War II, so after 1945. It is vital and relevant for the understanding of the History of Europe and of what we call the Western World the History of its most powerful families, its ruling families, during the bigger part of that same History. My goal is exactly that- to show this relevance and why it is relevant. How it is present and affecting our History until today.