SARDINHA, Antônio, - Portuguese writer and political figure, born in Monforte (Alentejo) in 1888, died in Elvas on 19 January 1925.
With the fall of the monarchy (1910), he founded (1914) and led the movement known as "Imperialismo Lusitano," which espoused monarchist ideas and had as its organ the important journal *A Nação Portuguesa*. This movement marked the beginning of a return to traditional politics in the country, inspired by Catholic principles and corporatist tendencies, which can be recognized in many respects in the political regime of Portugal today. His poetic works (about half a dozen volumes, including *A epopeia da planície* [1915] and *Na corte de saudade* [1922]) are characterized by an archaizing flavor that well suits the emotional and traditional themes that inspire them. His prose works (about a dozen volumes, including *O valor da raça* [1915] and *A questão ibérica; A aliança peninsular, antecedentes e possibilidades* [1924]) remain lively due to the reliability of their historical information on one hand and the fervor of their polemics and political struggle on the other.