Maria João Almeida
School of Arts and Humanities of the University of Lisbon

Our interest in the study of Goldoni and his work in Portugal has its earliest origins in the teaching activity that, under the guidance of Prof Costa Miranda, we had been developing in the subject of Italian Literature. The subject of our work often fell on Goldoni, for two reasons. On the one hand, several studies were being published in Italy in the mid-1990s following the commemorations of the bicentenary of the Venetian’s death. On the other hand, Costa Miranda noticed that there were new perspectives and updated views of texts and contexts that complemented what had already been done in previous decades.

With his many years of attention paid to Goldoni, both in Italy and Portugal, outlining his profile and fortunes as a comedian on the stages and presses of our country in the 18th century, Costa Miranda recognised that the time was ripe to revisit the author. Not only did he suggest studying Goldoni for these reasons, but above all, he believed that this study could be a very promising field of research, at the same time as being necessary for a better understanding of Goldoni in Portugal, especially if it were to have the scope of a doctoral thesis.