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In times of high illiteracy rates, the results were modest, and the abbot of Tagilde mentions that he only knew of eleven municipalities where some work was done as a result of this governmental provision. In the Azores, the Anais do Município das Lajes das Flores [Annals of the Municipality of Lajes das Flores], initiated by João Augusto da Silveira and continued by his grandson of the same name, is an example of such work. Oliveira Martins himself, in the aforementioned preface, referenced the work of Father António de Macedo e Silva, Annaes do Municipio de Sanct-Yago de Cassem desde remotas eras até ao anno de 1853 [Annals of the Municipality of Santiago do Cacém from the earliest times to 1853](1866), as an example of a publication produced as a result of this government measure. A circular dated 1854, during the height of the Regeneration period, signed by Rodrigo da Fonseca Magalhães, ordered the Civil Governor of Lisbon to report on the extent to which the 1847 ordinance had been implemented. This clearly indicates that the directive had not been enforced in the capital. It is true that other coastal municipalities saw their local monographs published in the mid-19th century, such as Óbidos and Cadaval, both in editions dated 1856. Sintra was a precursor with its 1838 publication, as previously mentioned. Further south, Beja (1847) and Sines (1850) should be noted. In the central region, Coimbra and Castelo Branco (1853) published their own monographs. In the north, Caldas de Vizela and das Taipas (1853 and 1854), both within the municipality of Guimarães, and Póvoa de Varzim (1851) also produced monographs. However, the vast majority of local monographs published in Portugal in the 19th century date from after the 1860s (cf. bibliography by A. Santos Silva, 1995). The authors of these works were passionate about their homeland and its values, and did not hide their pride in belonging to it. In a romantic fashion, they viewed the local as the most genuine expression of the popular roots of national identity. It is therefore not surprising that many of these narratives are often apologetic towards their local homeland, or, not infrequently, express a dual patriotism—both local and national. This phenomenon occurred on a different scale and in different political contexts in Spanish regions such as Catalonia (J. Fradera, cited by J. Alvarez Junco, “Las historias de España”, in Historia de España, eds. J. Fontana and R. Villares, 2013, p. 308).
