Inês de Castro: a Portuguese theme in Europe

The story of the tragic love of D. Pedro I and Inês de Castro, which over the past seven centuries has continuously inspired works of all arts that are constantly renewed, often amazes those who assess the enduring interest in it. Our first chronicler, Fernão Lopes, must have understood the reasons for this fascination: "we speak of those loves that are recounted and read in histories whose foundation is based on truth. This true love King D. Pedro had for Dona Inês.” Imagination, the contamination of legends, countless experiences and variations have added more or less fanciful details that sometimes ended up being taken as authentic. But there are undeniable elements: two contemporary records of the date and manner of Inês' death, the war and peace treaty between D. Pedro and his father, the transfer to Alcobaça, and the reality of the tombs where the two lovers finally rested.