They are called
false friends
and they are the headache of anyone who learns a second language because they are very similar to known terms, but they have
a very different meaning
.
Some examples are
exit
in English, which means exit and not success;
rise
in French and
uploade
in Italian, which mean to suffer and not rise, or
nombre
, also in French, which means number and not name.
The
closer a language is
, the more disconcerting these false friends are.
But this is the story of a confusion that
is not such
.
The royal crown.
© ATL – Lisbon Tourism Association
The
Royal Treasure Museum of Lisbon
occupies a palace that never was.
The construction of the
Ajuda Palace
took 226 years and in reality it is just a part of that monumental residence that the Portuguese Royal Family designed after the destruction of the Ribeira Palace due to the
devastating earthquake of 1755
.
First, the flight of the kings to Brazil in 1807, stalked by Napoleon Bonaparte
's troops
, left the work unfinished.
And then, upon his return, the anorexic finances of the monarchy did the rest.
When the monarchy was dethroned by the
Portuguese Republic
in 1910, the Ajuda Palace (or the half that had been completed)
became a historical museum
that today can be visited both to learn about the lifestyle of the Portuguese royal family at the end of the 19th century, to visit the exhibition that displays its riches: the
Crown Jewels
.
Nuggets, stones and crowns
The exhibition is impressive: in a sequence of specially illuminated rooms sealed with two
bank vault doors,
it permanently displays a collection of
jewelry, medals, clothing and silverware
from the heritage of different members of local royalty.
The entire "Crown Jewels" were property of the State, and their usufruct was reserved for the sovereigns in office.
Bodice ornament: Spain, 18th century (mid);
Portugal, 1944-1951 (tassel).
Hexagonal emeralds of 47.91 carats, remaining diamonds of 253.53 carats, silver, silver gilt 19.0 cm x 4.0 cm (total size);
452.9 g© ATL – Lisbon Tourism Association
The tour begins with the
gold
and
diamonds
arrived
from Brazil
: there are muscular nuggets that the exhibition script boasts of and diamonds of elephantine dimensions.
Later, the metals became
coins and medals
of the Crown.
The
precious stones
are brought together in
exuberant jewels
: an ornament made up of "hexagonal emeralds of 47.91 carats, remaining diamonds of 253.53 carats, silver and silver gilt";
a diadem of moving stars displays "diamonds, gold and silver" and so on...
There are also
honorific orders, royal insignia, ritual objects
of the monarchy such as the royal
crown
, scepters and two mantles that embraced monarchs throughout history.
And a
silver tableware made
by the goldsmith François-Thomas Germain after the 1755 earthquake that has hundreds of pieces.
Armored doors at the exit and entrance.
© ATL – Lisbon Tourism Association
The only thing missing from the extensive tour is a mention (even just one) of
the thousands and thousands of slave lives that this treasure claimed
.
In the script of the tour, inflamed with
pride for the lost empire
, everything smells of mothballs.
While European countries look for a way to honor the
victims of their colonizing advances
and reintegrate stolen goods, Portugal boasts of a wealth stolen with blood and death.
In Portuguese, collection is called
espólio
.
And there are no false friends here.