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This scholar's education was limited to the "secondary school course" and " and a brief period at university" (Grande Enciclopédia Portuguesa e Brasileira), but his activity in the city of Coimbra was extensive and varied: he was a technical education teacher, a drawing teacher at the university, founder of the Escola Livre das Artes do Desenho [Free School of Design Arts], a republican since the 1880s, creator and director of the Museu Machado de Castro [Machado de Castro Museum], restorer of the Sé Velha [Old Cathedral], a writer, sculptor and archaeologist. As an art historian, he published articles and pamphlets on the Conventos de Celas e de Santana [Convents of Celas and Santana] (1886 and 1891) and the Sé Velha (1895), as well as a Roteiro Ilustrado do Viajante em Coimbra [Illustrated Traveller's Guide to Coimbra] (1894). In the 20th century, his production expanded and was more geared towards inventory: Museu de Antiguidades do Instituto de Coimbra [Museum of Antiquities of the Institute of Coimbra] (1911), Notícia Histórica e Descritiva dos Principais Objectos de Ourivesaria Existentes no Tesouro da Sé de Coimbra [Historical and Descriptive Notes on the Principal Objects of Goldsmithery in the Treasury of the Cathedral of Coimbra] (1911), in collaboration with Eugénio de Castro, Museu Machado de Castro (1913; 2nd edition, 1916) and Estatuária Lapidar [Lapidary Statuary] (1923). It is also worth mentioning Augusto Mendes Simões de Castro (Coimbra, 1845 - 1932), a librarian at the Biblioteca da Universidade de Coimbra [ Coimbra University Library], where he graduated in Law. He dedicated himself to the history of this city and region, writing monographs and travel itineraries in which his interest in architecture and sculpture are clearly visible: Guia Histórico do Viajante em Coimbra e Arredores [Historical Traveller’s Guide to Coimbra and its Surroundings] (1867; 2nd ed., 1883; 3rd ed., 1896; 4th ed., 1907), Guia Histórico do Buçaco [Historical Guide to Buçaco] (1875) and Notícia Histórica e Descritiva da Sé Velha de Coimbra [Historical and Descriptive Notes on Coimbra's Sé Velha] (1881). In the first quarter of the 20th century these names were followed by university professors Joaquim Martins Teixeira de Carvalho (Lamego, 1861 - Coimbra, 1921), Vergílio Correia (Régua, 1888 - Coimbra, 1944) and António Nogueira Gonçalves (Sorgaçosa, Arganil, 1901 - Coimbra, 1998).
