This issue commemorates the birth in 1845 of José Maria de Eça de Queiroz, one of Portugal’s greatest writers.
One of my favourite books is his posthumously published novel “The City and the Mountains” (A Cidade e as Serras). The novel tells the story of Jacinto Galião, who leads a boring life in Paris and decides to return to his family’s ancestral home in Tormes, where his mood vastly improves due to the scenery, the invigorating pure air and healthy food, and the peaceful and simple life he leads. A very amusing back-to-nature book that I wholeheartedly recommend (a good English translation is available). Interestingly, Eça wrote it while being Portugal’s consul-general in Paris, where he died.
The stamp was designed by João Abel Manta, lithographed by the Mint on enamelled paper sheets of 5×10 stamps with perforation 12×12½, and circulated from 27 October 1995 to 30 September 2001.
| Stamp | Print run | Afinsa | Gibbons | Michel | Scott | Yvert |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 135.00 | 500,000 | 2317 | 2480 | 2107 | 2081 | 2085 |