Madeira’s Cultural Identity: Contributions of Horácio Bento de Gouveia’s Journalistic Chronicles

Abstract

Horácio Bento de Gouveia, a constant presence in Madeira press, has a wide collection of journalistic chronicles about Madeira island. Over six decades, the columnist analysed Madeira island during the 20^th century, approached some experiences, rituals and characteristic objects of the island, comparing them with other people and highlighting some of Madeira’s cultural identity characteristics. Understood as a free intervention, the chronicle, in the newspapers, gives predominance to the writer’s subjectivity, as we can see through Horácio Bento’s texts. In several moments, the chronicler expresses his opinion and his regionalist point of view particularly when he exalts some archaic traditions that can still be found in certain areas of Madeira and when he reveals traits inherent to his island.

Keywords

Journalistic Chronicle; Horácio Bento de Gouveia; Madeira’s Cultural Identity.