In the Portuguese speaking world, this sentiment has continually reappeared throughout popular culture as well as in political agendas, especially during the 'estado novo' (The New State) dictatorship in which Salazar idealized the maternal figure as part of his plan for the reconstruction of the Portuguese nation. The myth of motherhood claims that any woman who chooses not to mother is a failure as a woman and a traitor to her very own femininity. (De)scribed and travelled) abundantly (above) the Douro João Pina de Morais, born in Lamego and consecrated in the literature with one of the most popular books of war memories, 'To the Parapet' of 1919 and not forgetting Agustina Bessa-Luís, born in Amarante and author of the novel 'A Sibila', written in 1954.Many critics, such as Kristeva, Luce Irigaray and Adrienne Rich have argued that throughout the Western tradition patriarchal institutions have used the myth of motherhood as one of the principle mechanisms to preserve traditional gender roles and the distribution of power. We point out Camilo Castelo Branco, one of the most prolific Portuguese authors, who, although born in Lisbon, spent his life in the North of Portugal and created notable romantic novels, among them the 'Amor de Perdição', adapted to cinema on different occasions Eça de Queiroz, born in Póvoa do Varzim and considered one of the most important Portuguese novelists of the 19th century Aquilino Ribeiro, considered by many to be 'the greatest prose writer of the 20th century' (Regional Directorate of Culture of the North) who immortalized with his novel 'The Great House of Romarigães' in Paredes de Coura Ferreira de Castro who, as a result of his experience of emigration to Brazil, wrote the emblematic work 'Emigrants' Graça Pina de Morais, author of 'A Origem', in 1958, under the pseudonym of Bárbara Gomes The poet Guerra Junqueiro that Eça de Queiroz described as 'the greatest modern poet of the Peninsula' José Régio, from Vila do Conde Lisa Pina de Morais, born in Porto Miguel Torga, born in Sabrosa. The literature also finds sources of inspiration and guides.

Its cultural tour cannot put aside the Soares dos Reis National Museum, a museum of fine arts, decorative arts and archaeology founded in 1833 and the Serralves Museum of Contemporary Art, which building was designed by Álvaro Siza Vieira.

A Sibila by Agustina Bessa-Luís