As an "erudite collection," in the words of the magazine's director and founder, Joaquim Veríssimo, the introductory pages outline the audience it sought to reach: "an ever-increasing number of Lusophiles" ( Arquivos ..., 1969, p. 9). Therefore, it was a publication aimed at researchers in higher education with a particular interest in the humanities. This journal emerged at a time when Portugal saw a proliferation of history journals, mainly published by universities and research centres. Supported by researchers, these publications underscored a shift toward restricting culture and academic discourse to a specialised elite. As a focused, interdisciplinary cultural publication, the journal operated within a relatively closed circuit.

During its first 24 years, it was led by the four directors of the Centro Cultural Português [Portuguese Cultural Centre] who were in office over the same period. The journal’s founder and first director, Joaquim Veríssimo Serrão, held the position from 1969 to 1972, representing the 1st series of the publication. José de Pina Martins succeeded Serrão and remained at the helm for a decade, from 1973 to 1983, overseeing the 2nd and 3rd series. From 1983 to 1988, José Augusto França directed the periodical, covering the 4th series of volumes. Finally, from 1989 to 1993, Maria de Lourdes Belchior took charge, directing the 6th and 7th series. The need for a doctrinal and scholarly platform to facilitate Luso-French cultural exchange had, however, been recognised long before the publication of the Arquivos do Centro Cultural Português [Archives of the Portuguese Cultural Centre]. A precursor in this field was the Bulletin des Etudes Portugaises , first published in 1931 through a partnership between the University of Coimbra, which coordinated it, and the Institut Français en Portugal, which contributed content. In its early years, this journal was published triannually— in January, May, and November— featuring original and previously unpublished articles in French, translations of Portuguese works less accessible to foreign researchers, and critical reviews of significant recent works related to Portuguese culture.

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