Nadir Afonso, biography, bibliography, work

Abstract

Nadir Afonso, a son from the lands of Barroso, was born in Chaves on December 4, 1920. His ancestors were divided between the municipalities of Boticas, Chaves and Montalegre. His mother, Palmira Rodrigues Afonso (1891-1975), had ancestry in Chaves and Boticas, and his father, Artur Maria Afonso (1882-1961), in Montalegre. Nadir Afonso was destined to be called Orlando. But, as a result of an unexpected encounter with a gypsy, this suggests the name of Nadir. Indeed Nadir was destined to be called Nadir. "A lot of Orlando will be him," warned the gypsy. Thus "Nadir Afonso ... signed with a name dictated by the stars," as Rui Mário Gonçalves wrote, since the name Nadir may have both the meaning of rare and auspicious, and an astronomical reference point.