In more recent decades, particularly at the end of the 20th century, there has been a resurgence of new studies on the development and history of cartography, driven by research from Portuguese geographers. These studies have introduced different approaches and methodological perspectives on the development of Portuguese cartography, aligning more closely with trends seen in the monumental editions of History of Cartography. In 1991, Maria F. Alegria and João C. Garcia raised, among other issues, the academic training of cartography scholars, particularly Portuguese cartography and its history, noting that "among the individuals we identified, there were no historians: The Viscount of Santarém was a diplomat, Armando Cortesão an agronomist, A. Fontoura da Costa and A. Teixeira da Mota navy officers" (“Etapas de Evolução da Cartografia Portuguesa [Stages in the Evolution of Portuguese Cartography] […]”, 1991, p. 229). They also noted the “lack of continuity” in the studies of the História da Cartografia Portuguesa [History of Portuguese Cartography] following the passing of Armando Cortesão and Teixeira da Mota, emphasising that “regarding terrestrial cartography, particularly of metropolitan Portugal, there is no comprehensive work and very little of any other kind” (idem, ibidem, p. 229).

One of the most common criticisms directed at Armando Cortesão by geographers was his repeated efforts to establish "a chronological division of Portuguese cartography into epochs or stages." This approach was contentious, not only because of disagreements over the "nomenclature of Schools or Periods" but also because it was seen as downplaying or omitting terrestrial cartography in favour of nautical cartography ( História da Cartografia Portuguesa …, 2012, p. 19). For over a century, from the Viscount of Santarém’s early studies in the mid-19th century to the publication of Portvgaliae and Cortesão’s later works in the 1970s, the historiographical approach to cartography often served as a diplomatic tool or an instrument of official propaganda, integrated into the broader national project of celebrating the legacy of the great maritime discoveries.

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