Raised by his aunts, along with his sibling twins, Vergílio Ferreira soon learned the meaning of solitude and inner quests.
He completed primary school at the former boys’ school in Melo. At the age of twelve, after a pilgrimage to Lourdes, he entered the Minor Seminary of Fundão, where he studied for six years. This experience caused him great suffering and later became the central theme of his novel Manhã Submersa.
In 1932 he left the seminary, and in 1933 he enrolled at the Afonso de Albuquerque Secondary School in Guarda. Later, he entered the Faculty of Arts at the University of Coimbra to study Classical Philology, while continuing to dedicate himself to poetry.
In 1939 he wrote his first novel, O Caminho Fica Longe. He graduated in Classical Philology in 1940 and completed his teaching internship at D. João III Secondary School in Coimbra. In 1942 he began teaching in Faro and published the article “Did Camões Read Plato?” in the journal Biblos. In 1944 he started teaching in Bragança.
In 1946 he married Regina Kasprzykowski, a Visual Education teacher of Polish ascent, in Évora. Among many novels and essays, he published Manhã Submersa in 1954 and Aparição in 1959, the same year he began teaching at Camões Secondary School in Lisbon.
Professional Activity
He worked as a Portuguese and Latin teacher in several schools across the country. On September 3, 1979, he was awarded the rank of Grand Officer of the Military Order of Saint James of the Sword.
In 1980 his novel Manhã Submersa was adapted into a film, in which Vergílio Ferreira himself played one of the main roles, the Rector of the Seminary.
In 1991 he received the Europalia Prize in Brussels for his overall literary work. In 1992 he was elected to the Lisbon Academy of Sciences and received the Camões Prize, the most important literary award in the Portuguese-speaking world.
He also won the Femina Prize in France with the novel Manhã Submersa and twice received the Grand Prize for the Novel and Short Story from the Portuguese Writers Association. He was awarded an honorary doctorate by the Faculty of Arts of the University of Coimbra.
Vergílio Ferreira died on March 1, 1996, at his home in Lisbon. According to his wishes, his funeral was held in his hometown, at the Nabainhos Cemetery in Melo.
A remarkable character
Vergílio Ferreira often claimed that although he may not appear physically like a typical person from the Beira region, he shares some of their characteristics, especially determination and persistence. He also felt deeply connected to the landscape of the Serra da Estrela, whose solitude and snow influenced his inner world.
He regarded writing as his destiny, something very serious for him, that became his mission in life. On the other hand, de disliked being recognised in public, as well as the more mundane ways of the world. He also preferred to write by hand.
