It was within this context that, in 1940, the Anais da Academia Portuguesa da História [Annals of the Portuguese Academy of History] were established as a periodical under the Academic Council’s supervision, with the aim of advancing historical knowledge through research and its dissemination to the educated public. The Anais represent an endeavour to launch new research on topics of national historical interest, organised incrementally in volumes. These volumes are divided into two series, each with its own specific focus and themes: the first series centres on the centenaries of the founding of the Kingdom of Portugal and the Restoration of Independence, while the second covers more diverse topics spanning from the medieval to contemporary periods. To this end, authors employed characters, episodes, and phenomena from these eras to shape and diversify their narratives.

The works in the first series converge on two major historical themes— the formation of the Kingdom of Portugal in the 12th century and the restoration of independence from Spain in the 17th century— which were celebrated in a double centenary in the 1940s. To commemorate these events, the APH, with state sponsorship, engaged a range of historians to construct these narratives, including Damião Peres, Alfredo Pimenta, António Baião, Gastão de Melo de Matos, António Rodrigues Cavalheiro, and Paulo Merêa— almost all appointed by government order (Luís Reis Torgal, História da História em Portugal , 1996, 252-54). These historians aimed to produce works on subjects that were revived with fresh perspectives and served as foundations for future analyses. It should be noted that the publishing schedule for this cycle was irregular: the 14 volumes, published between 1940 and 1959, appeared annually, biannually, or at even shorter intervals— on occasion, more than one volume was released in a single year.

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