10 Inspirations for the Harry Potter saga that came out of Portugal

The idea of ​​writing about a boy who attends a wizarding school came to JK Rowling in 1990 as she traveled by train from Manchester to London. In December of the same year, the English author’s mother passed away and her writing was drastically affected by this difficult period.

Shortly afterwards, Rowling found a way to start over: teaching English in Porto, Portugal. It was there, between 1991 and 1992, that she married the journalist Jorge Arantes, that her daughter Jessica was born and that the project that would change her life took shape: the saga Harry Potter🇧🇷

The period in Porto may have been short, but it was enough to bring inspiration to the series of books that marked world literature. O awesome.club gathered 10 curious facts about Portugal that have similarities with the magical world created by JK Rowling. Follow!

In your twitterJ. K. Rowling confirmed that the name of Salazar Slytherin, the most cruel of the 4 founders of Hogwarts, was inspired by the dictator António de Oliveira Salazar, who led Portugal between 1932 and 1968. The Estado Novo political regime was marked by being authoritarian, anti-democratic , colonialist and conservative.

The author used to go to Café Majestic with her ex-husband, journalist Jorge Arantes. Legend has it that it was there, at one of the marble tables in the traditional coffee shop in Porto, that she would have finished the first draft of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone🇧🇷

The connection between JK Rowling and Livraria Lello became so well known that the establishment started to charge visitors entrance – unless they actually bought a book. The decision was taken because the place has become a tourist spot for fans of Harry Potter after the worldwide success of the saga.

But, after all, why is this bookshop, opened in 1906, so important for the book? The author used to frequent the place and the famous red stairs there served as an inspiration for the imposing staircase of Hogwarts.

The iconic Hogwarts uniform includes a long black cape and tie in the colors of one of the 4 houses: Gryffindor, Slytherin, Ravenclaw or Hufflepuff. To create the outfit, JK Rowling was inspired by the academic attire worn by Portuguese university students. The tradition of wearing the “cape and cassock”, as they say in academic slang, dates back to the 15th century and, even today, is synonymous with prestige.

The third book in the series, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, released in 1999, has the following dedication: “To Jill Prewett and Aine Kiely, the grandmothers of Swing”. This is a direct reference to the times when the author lived in Portugal, where the 3 friends, who were housemates, frequented a disco called Swing, in Porto.

During her time in Portugal, the author used to frequent the garden of the Palácio de Cristal, created by the German landscape architect Émile David. It is said that some passages of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone were written on the spot.

There is nothing confirmed, but fans speculate that the famous round glasses of Harry Potter may have been inspired by Fernando Pessoa, one of the most famous Portuguese authors. Although he was born in Lisbon, his iconic figure (with mustache, Fedora hat and round glasses) is marked all over the country in books, statues, tourist souvenirs, and so on. So, it is quite possible that JK Rowling was inspired by Pessoa, even if unconsciously, to give the witcher round glasses.

In the Harry Potter universe, the Gryffindor house — which has most of the protagonists of the saga — is symbolized by a lion. The animal is perfect for representing the two main characteristics of students in this house: companionship and courage. It could just be a coincidence, but we like to believe that the symbol was inspired, in part, by the Fountain of Lions. The majestic fountain, dating from 1882, which was built in front of the Rectory of the University of Porto.

The famous Diagon Alley may even have been inspired by Shambles Street, in York (England), but there is no denying the aesthetic similarities of the broom shops of the wizarding world with the Belomonte Brush Shop.

Located in Porto, the store founded in 1927 offers handcrafted brooms made from natural fibers and high quality wood. Even the font on the store sign looks like the lettering used in the books. It came to the ears of the owner of the place, Rui Rodrigues, that JK Rowling would have entered the store twice while living in Porto.

Harry Potter fans are familiar with the Astronomy Tower, the tallest at Hogwarts. They say that the place where students go to study stars and planets was inspired by the Clérigos Tower, which is next to the Clérigos church, dating from the 18th century. The architectural complex is one of Porto’s landmarks.

Some similarities to fiction are amazing, aren’t they? Which of these curiosities caught your attention the most? Do you know any others that you would like to tell us about? Tell us in the comments.