There are very few Portuguese periodicals that—by combining journalistic configurations with "literary" and "scientific" complexions— are able to match the longevity and magnitude of the scrolls of a periodical like O Instituto , Jornal Scientifico e Litterario [The Institute, Scientific and Literary Newspaper] (1852-1981). Dating back to the first moments of the Regeneration and influenced by Romanticism, this periodical has honoured generations of men and women of Letters and Sciences linked in some way to the University of Coimbra. It was an excellent barometer of Coimbra's scientific and academic synergies until the early 1980s. In fact, it's virtually impossible to separate O Instituto from the heart of the University of Coimbra, with which it was unavoidably associated throughout its existence.

The foundation of this literary and scientific periodical was the result of the will of the Instituto de Coimbra [Coimbra Institute] (1849), the successor to the Academia Dramática [Dramatic Academy]. This was made up of readers and academicians from the University and other higher education establishments, including members of the Academia Real das Ciências [Royal Academy of Sciences] and the Conservatório Real de Lisboa [Royal Conservatory of Lisbon]. Consisting of four academic classes—Theatrical Declamation, Literature, Music, and Painting—the Academy's literary and artistic work was relegated to the Instituto de Coimbra , which was transformed into an independent organisation with the approval of its Estatutos [Articles of Association] (1852). This happened during the presidency of the main promoter of the Instituto de Coimbra , Adrião Pereira Forjaz de Sampaio (1810-1874), who was also the first director of O Instituto . He was a decisive personality in this first publishing phase.

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