Launch Book "The Secret of the Lady of Paço:The Story of an Investigation" Presentation
Launch of José Carlos Soares Machado's book: A journey to the 18th century in Portugal through genealogical and historical research
On 19th September, the Universidade Lusófona - Porto University Centre will host the launch of the book "The Secret of the Lady of the Paço: The Story of an Investigation" by José Carlos Soares Machado.
The event will feature a presentation by Professor Doctor Nuno Gonçalo Monteiro.
Programme
- Opening
- Book Presentation
- Author's Remarks
Key Speakers
- Professor Doctor Nuno Gonçalo Monteiro
- José Carlos Soares Machado
Synopsis
In this work, the author provides a detailed portrait of life in 18th century Portugal, based on a thorough collection of facts and an impressive array of clues, left for the reader's consideration. The book recounts the story of a three-century-old oral tradition, the rediscovery of a lost document, and a secret that sparks a profound investigation. It also narrates the personal, professional, and familial history of the man who recorded the secret and passed it on to subsequent generations. The narrative involves a Court Lady and a mysterious character who conceal two births. The book describes, step by step, the research that unveils the secret and seeks its confirmation, explores methods of concealment, and identifies connections between the involved characters. Furthermore, it presents the most comprehensive genealogical and biographical study of the Counts of Santiago de Beduído family, as well as an unprecedented study on the social ascent of bourgeois families and minor nobility at Court. It also addresses the drama of illegitimacy and the falsifications in baptismal parish records, as well as the impact of illegitimacy on marriage alliances and the future of subsequent generations. Finally, it discusses the intervention of a king who changed the rules of the game, altering the processes of concealing births and irrevocably changing the fate of the illegitimate.
Author
José Carlos Soares Machado
José Carlos Soares Machado has been a Partner at SRS Advogados since 2010, leading the Civil and Commercial Litigation Department, which received the "Dispute Resolution Law Firm of the Year – Portugal" award in 2011, granted by InterContinental Finance Magazine. He was a founding partner of Soares Machado & Associados – Sociedade de Advogados, RL. He is an Adjunct Professor at the Faculty of Law of Universidade Nova de Lisboa and author of several publications in the fields of Constitutional Law, Commercial Law, and Urban Lease Law.
