Book launch: ‘The Secret of the Lady of Paço’

Lusófona University - Porto University Centre hosted, on the 19th of September, the launch of the book "The Secret of the Lady of the Palace: History of an Investigation", authored by José Carlos Soares Machado. The session, organised by the Faculty of Law, was attended by distinguished speakers, such as Nuno Gonçalo Monteiro, Rui Albuquerque, and the author himself, providing an afternoon full of emotion and knowledge sharing.

José Carlos Soares Machado, professor at Universidade Nova de Lisboa and partner at SRS Advogados, enthusiastically presented his latest work. Recognised for his vast experience in Law and for leading the award-winning Civil and Commercial Litigation Department, the author described this book as a life project that took over 20 years to complete: a decade dedicated to historical research and another to the writing process.

During the event, the audience had the opportunity to delve deeper into the contents of the work, which reveals a narrative about 18th-century Portugal. The book, resulting from extensive genealogical research, explores the story of a lady of the court and a mysterious figure, unveiling two hidden births. Through the rediscovery of documents and an oral tradition spanning more than three centuries, the author brings to light secrets associated with the family of the Counts of Santiago de Beduído, offering a reflection on the legitimacy and genealogy of the nobility, and how illegitimate filiations were treated during that period.

The work also explores the social context of the time, highlighting the rise of bourgeois families and the lower nobility, the concealment of illegitimate births, and the intervention of a king who changed the rules surrounding the hiding of these filiations. With a captivating style, the author guides the reader through an investigation full of discoveries and mysteries, almost like a detective story, supported by historical documents, parish records, and other archival materials.

The book goes beyond a mere collection of hypothetical stories, involving the reader in a rigorous investigative process, where hypotheses are formulated, and new characters and secrets are uncovered throughout the narrative.

Throughout his career, José Carlos Soares Machado demonstrated, from a young age, a passion for history, complemented by his interest in geology, always maintaining a neutral and factual approach in his investigations. Interestingly, the first legal case he encountered in his career was related to legitimacy, the central theme of this work.

It was an afternoon celebrating history and investigation, marked by a deep connection between the author and the audience, and by the revelation of secrets that continue to resonate today.

Check out the Event Photos on Lusófona University’s Facebook

Production
Catarina Machado

Editing
Catarina Machado

Text
Sofia Pereira