In search of Virgínia Quaresma

While working remotely from Lisbon a few months ago, I researched and wrote an article about Virgínia Quaresma, which has just been published. Virgínia Quaresma was Portugal's first female reporter, she was mixed-race and a lesbian.

Virgínia Quaresma, Wikimedia Commons

She lived from 1882 to 1973. There are very few pictures of her, so while working on the article in my hotel, I suddenly thought I could literally go to visit some places connected to her.

I knew there was a street named after her and the address of her last apartment. The street was a bus ride away in Caselas, which felt very suburban, and the apartment was in the centre of Lisbon.

Rua do Salitre 106

The next day, I thought of going to the cemetery where she is buried. That's a bit morbid, but so little exists about her (at least online), I thought it would be nice to pay homage to a remarkable woman.

It took me two attempts to go because of very large rainstorms, but when I arrived, it was a sunny and clear autumn morning.

I went with no plan. Looking around, I realise the cemetery is huge. It would take ages to find anything. 

Then I notice the secretario. In this little office, two ladies were working. They only spoke Portuguese, so I explained in my limited language skills what I was looking for. The office radio was playing Ed Sheeran and Camilo Cabello's song Bam Bam, which was a cheerfully-weird-surreal touch.

One of the women took out a huge book, a volume from 1973 when Virgínia died. 

Scanning page after page, she eventually finds the records for Virgínia Quaresma. Sadly, her grave had been exhumed in 1986. Her last partner, her wife, had died before her. I guess she had no children, and nobody paid for the upkeep. It's pretty sad. 

As the song goes: Así es la vida, sí, Yeah, that's just life, baby. I'm glad I went to find out this information, and was able in my own way to mark the life of Virgínia Quaresma.