França Borges (1864–1912) was not merely a politician; he was a fierce intellectual force and a quintessential republican whose journalistic tenacity helped dismantle the foundations of the monarchy in Portugal.

As a founder of the influential newspaper O Mundo, Borges used the written word as a weapon against royalist power, skillfully shaping public opinion until the revolutionary tides of 1910 finally ushered in the new regime of Portugal.

Beyond the newspaper office, he was a tireless advocate for municipal improvement, believing that a healthy Republic required a physically healthy, accessible public space.

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His instrumental role in organising the city’s civic life was eventually honoured by renaming the Príncipe Real park after him. It goes to show what legacy and power the written word brings. Knowing this history, one can sit in his park differently.