The Pena Palace in Sintra, Portugal

The Pena Palace in Sintra, Portugal

© Andre Vicente Goncalves/Alamy

The Pena Palace in Sintra, Portugal

The city of Sintra will likely host parades and revelry today in celebration of Portugal’s National Day. The 10 June holiday commemorates the death of Luís de Camões, a literary icon in Portugal who is revered for his adventurous spirit. It’s said the one-eyed poet (he lost the other eye in a fight) saved his most famous work – titled Os Lusiadas – from destruction during a shipwreck by holding the manuscript above water while he swam with one arm.

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