Os Grandes Portugueses () was a public poll contest organized by the Portuguese public broadcasting station RTP and hosted by Maria Elisa. Based on BBC's 100 Greatest Britons, it featured individual documentaries advocating the top ten candidates. The final vote took place on 25 March 2007, the winner being António de Oliveira Salazar, Portugal's dictator from 1932 to 1968.
Format The series started in October 2006, with each episode featuring small groups of candidates considered amongst the Greatest Portuguese. Based on voting results, the list of 10 most voted-for personalities were revealed on 14 January 2007, in alphabetical order. All of the 10 finalists were deceased. The ten finalists were then featured in individual documentary episodes, followed by a second round of voting within these top ten. On 25 March the voting results for the final 10, and the full list of 100, was announced.
Results There are 19 women in the final list of the top 100 Greatest Portuguese, with singer and actress Amália Rodrigues rating the highest, at number 14. The list included 33 then-living persons, with former president and prime minister Mário Soares rating the highest, at number 12. A total of 66 on the list (including the 33 then-living) are predominantly 20th century figures. Of the 100 candidates presented in the opening programs, the only (likely) fictional person was Brites de Almeida, a baker who legend says killed six Castilian soldiers during the 1335 Battle of Aljubarrota, a battle in which Portuguese independence was confirmed; she appeared at number 51 when the final list was released.
The Top-10 Prime Minister António de Oliveira Salazar, whose episode was presented by Jaime Nogueira Pinto, polled the most (41%); his lifelong communist political opponent Álvaro Cunhal was second (19%), and the diplomat Aristides de Sousa Mendes third (13%).
A simultaneous opinion poll conducted by Marktest showed that, given the choice of the finalists, Salazar was the favourite of only 11%. RTP itself commissioned a simultaneous poll, conducted by Eurosondagem, which ranked Salazar 7th, with 6.6% of the vote, and Afonso I 1st with 21%. The difference of these statistically conducted polls to the final result of the Os Grandes Portugueses program suggest that the voting for the program, consisting of voluntary telephone calls, may have been skewed by repeat voters in general or organized groups of repeat voters with vested interests.
Name Share ofTop 10 votes Birth Death Occupation António de Oliveira Salazar 41.0% 1889 1970 President of the Council of Ministers for 36 years during the authoritarian period of the Estado Novo Álvaro Cunhal 19.1% 1913 2005 Communist leader during the Estado Novo regime and during the post-Carnation Revolution political scene Aristides de Sousa Mendes 13.0% 1885 1954 Diplomat who fought against his own government for the safety of Jews living in Europe, during World War II, saving thousands of people. Afonso I 12.4% 1109 1185 Founder and first king of Portugal Luís de Camões 4.0% 1524 1580 Epic and lyrical poet, author of the national epic Os Lusíadas John II 3.0% 1455 1495 Thirteenth king of Portugal and restorer of the Atlantic Ocean and African-coast explorations Henry the Navigator 2.7% 1394 1460 Infante and fomenter of the Portuguese discoveries Fernando Pessoa 2.4% 1888 1935 Modernist poet and writer widely known for the employment of multiple heteronyms Marquês de Pombal 1.7% 1699 1782 Minister of Kingdom of José I and responsible for the reconstruction of Lisbon after the 1755 earthquake Vasco da Gama 0.7% 1469 1524 First explorer to discover the sea route from Europe to India
The other 90 Position Name Lived 11Cristiano Ronaldoborn 1985football player12Salgueiro Maia1944–1992soldier, a key figure in the Carnation Revolution of 197413Mário Soares1924–2017former President of the Republic14Saint Anthony of Lisbon1195–1231saint15Eusébio1942–2014football player16Francisco Sá Carneiro1934–1980politician17Jorge Nuno Pinto da Costaborn 1937president of Futebol Clube do Porto18Nuno Álvares Pereira1360–1431strategist and general19João Ferreira Annes de Almeida1628–1691missionary20José Mourinhoborn 1963football team manager21Agostinho da Silva1906–1994philosopher22Eça de Queiroz1845–1900realist writer23Egas Moniz1874–1955doctor, first Portuguese to win a Nobel Prize24Denis of Portugal1261–13256th king of Portugal25Fernando Nobreborn 1951president of the AMI foundation26José Hermano Saraiva1919–2012historian, TV host27Aníbal Cavaco Silvaborn 1939President of the Portuguese Republic, former Prime Minister28Humberto Delgado1906–1965military officer and politician29Zeca Afonso1929–1987singer-songwriter30Luís Figoborn 1972football player31Marcelo Caetano1906–1980politician and professor32Pedro Nunes1502–1578scientist and mathematician33Father António Vieira1608–1697writer and preacher34Florbela Espanca1894–1930poet35Ferdinand Magellanc. 1480–1521navigator36Maria de Lurdes Pintasilgo1930–2004the only female prime-minister of Portugal37John I of Portugal1357–143310th king of Portugal38Sophia de Mello Breyner1919–2004writer and poet39Antonia Ferreira1811–1896businesswoman40Father Américo1887–1953philanthroper41António Damásioborn 1944scientist42Afonso de Albuquerque1462–1515military strategist and governor of India43Manuel I of Portugal1469–152114th king of Portugal44José Saramago1922–2010*Nobel-laureate writer45Elizabeth of Portugal1271–1336The Saint Queen, queen consort of Portugal46Catarina Eufémia1928–1954popular heroine47Carlos Paredes1925–2004Portuguese guitarra player and composer48José Sócratesborn 1957former Prime Minister of Portugal49Pedro Álvares Cabral1467–1520navigator who discovered Brazil50Ruy de Carvalhoborn 1927actor51Brites de Almeida, The Baker of Aljubarrota14th centurypopular heroine52Alberto João Jardimborn 1943president of the Autonomous Region of Madeira53Almada Negreiros1893–1970modern painter and writer54Vasco Gonçalves1921–2005military officer and politician55Álvaro Siza Vieiraborn 1933architect56Belmiro de Azevedo1938–2017businessman57Sousa Martins1843–1897doctor58Maria do Carmo Seabraborn 1955former minister of Education59Father António Andrade1580–1624missionary explorer60Charles I of Portugal1860–190832nd king of Portugal61Marizaborn 1973fado singer62Eleanor of Portugal1458–1525queen consort of Portugal63Rosa Motaborn 1958athlete64António Teixeira Rebelo1748–1825founder of the military school65Afonso III of Portugal1210–12795th king of Portugal66Vítor Baíaborn 1969football goalkeeper67Bartolomeu Diasc. 1450–1500navigator68Otelo Saraiva de Carvalho1936–2021military officer and politician70Herman Joséborn 1954actor and comedian71Mary II of Portugal1819–1853queen of Portugal72Carlos Lopesborn 1947athlete73Afonso Costa1871–1937politician74Fontes Pereira de Melo1819–1887politician75Gago Coutinho1869–1959geographer – first to cross the South Atlantic by plane76Ricardo de Araújo Pereiraborn 1974comedian77Manuel Sobrinho Simõesborn 1947doctor and scientist78Bocage1765–1805poet79Hélio Pestanaborn 1985actor, teenage idol80Jorge Sampaio1939–2021former President of the Portuguese Republic81António Champalimaud1918–2004businessman82António Lobo Antunesborn 1942writer83Gil Vicentec. 1465–1536playwright84Maria Helena Vieira da Silva1908–1992painter85Miguel Torga1907–1995writer86Natália Correia1923–1993poet and writer87Edgar Cardoso1913–2000engineer88Fernão Mendes Pintoc. 1510–1583explorer and writer89Sister Lúcia1907–2005nun90Alfredo da Silva1871–1942industrialist91Pedro Hispanoc. 1205–1277Pope John XXI92Damião de Góis1502–1574humanist writer and humanist93John IV of Portugal1604–165620th king of Portugal94Joaquim Agostinho1943–1984cyclist95Adelaide Cabete1867–1935doctor96Almeida Garrett1799–1854romanticist writer97António Gentil Martinsborn 1930doctor98António Variações1944–1984singer-songwriter99Paula Rego1935-2022painter100Maria João Piresborn 1944pianist
Os Piores Portugueses The SIC Notícias programme Eixo do Mal (Axis of Evil) held a parallel vote for Os Piores Portugueses (The Worst Portuguese), also won by António de Oliveira Salazar.
Other editions
Other countries have produced similar shows; see Greatest Britons spin-offs
References