CfP | International Congress “500th anniversary of the birth of Fr. Manuel Álvares, S.J.”

We are pleased to announce that proposals are now being accepted for the International Conference ‘500 Years since the Birth of Fr. Manuel Álvares, S.J. (1526–1583): Teacher, Grammarian and Humanist’, which will take place in Ribeira Brava (Madeira Island) from 2 to 5 June 2026, at the Padre Manuel Álvares Primary and Secondary School (https://pe-manuel-alvares-500.utad.pt/).

This international meeting aims to mark the half-millennium since the birth of one of the most influential figures in the history of grammar writing and humanistic education, whose work had a profound impact on educational and cultural contexts around the world.

The conference will bring together researchers from various fields and institutions, providing an interdisciplinary space for reflection and sharing around the pedagogical, linguistic and cultural legacy of Manuel Álvares, with the following thematic lines possible:

• Manuel Álvares, S.J., Jesuit from Ribeira Brava: the man, his work, and the culture of his time;
• Manuel Álvares S. J., the humanist, the professor, the rector (in Lisbon, Coimbra, and Évora), and the priest;
• The literary production of Manuel Álvares S.J.: linguistic, didactic, poetic, and oratorical works;
• The work of Manuel Álvares and the educational policy of the Society of Jesus in the first century of its existence;
• De institutione grammatica libri tres (1572, 1573) and its global impact from the 16th to the 21st centuries;
• Controversial aspects of the Alvaresian grammar and the Jesuit teaching.

We invite all interested parties to submit proposals for papers and to share this call with your contacts and institutions.