Mystery of the Sintra Road

Ortigao, Ramalho: - Ramalho Ortiga£o (1836 --1915) studied law at Coimbra University, but failed to complete his degree. He then became a teacher of French in a school run by his father, and among his pupils was Eça de Queiroz. From 1862 on, he worked as a journalist and literary critic, contributing to various literary magazines, and in 1870, he and Eça decided to write a spoof romantic novel, purportedly based on a genuine murder case, and which appeared in instalments in the Lisbon daily newspaper Dia¡rio de Nota-cias. The serial proved extremely popular and was subsequently published in book form.