Conan Doyle e Portugal: As Causas Políticas e Espirituais e as Viagens

Although Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (1859-1930) is widely renowned as the creator of Sherlock Holmes, he was much more than that: a prolific writer, a spiritualist, and a traveler. Thus, the main aim of this article is to discuss the major contributions of his travel writings about Portugal. From this viewpoint, it will be analyzed, firstly, the historical and cultural context, i.e. the Victorian and Edwardian traveling habits and their connection to the consequences of the Industrial Revolution, regarding mainly a new geographical mobility; secondly, the article deals with Doyle’s visits to Portugal, the representation of
the country in his writings and the complex relationships between the other and the self; and finally it is intended to demonstrate the influence of Portugal in Doyle’s fictional writings. Additionally, this article provides relevant material, such as news from periodicals and photographs of the time of his travels.