Pedro Castro e Silva was once again the only Portuguese invited by the Grémio de Libreros de Madrid who holds every two years the Madrid Old Book Fair. He brought 105 books, including some precious gems. "We come more to be present than to do business," says the third generation Castro e Silva, whose bookshop was founded by his grandfather in Lisbon in 1957.

It is in the further visit of buyers to the Portuguese capital that resides Pedro Castro e Silva’s bet,  and that makes him hold a table and a showcase in the thirteenth Madrid Old Book Fair - which brings together booksellers from Spain, France, Netherlands, Germany and Argentina – and that ends tomorrow.

The three volumes edition of Manuel Faria e Sousa’s  Asia Portuguesa - the work of the historian and linguist who died in Madrid in 1649 - is the most expensive offer from the Portuguese bookseller in the Spanish capital.

Also an interesting item is the translation, into Castilian, of the eighteenth century testament of King João II from Portugal, an affidavit of Madrid dated November 22, 1730. "Like other documents, the testament was then sent out of Portugal for reasons of security," said Castro e Silva. Thus, according to the bookseller, it could be interpreted as legitimizing the claims to the throne of the houses of the Aveiro and Tavora families which were eventually eliminated by the Marquis of Pombal.

Related to this theme there is an eighteenth century manuscript on the “Tragic Story of January 13, 1759 in the town square of Belém in Lisbon”, describes the ordeal of the 11 lords of the houses of Aveiro, Tavora and Athoguia sentenced to death and executed.

Also on sale were the Regimento do Santo Officio da Inquisição dos Reinos de Portugal (Rules of the Holy Office of the Inquisition in the Kingdoms of Portugal), an edition of 1744. Also curious is the Portuguese translation of a work from the Abbot of Beuy, dated 1830: Manual das Revoluções, seguido do parallelo das Revoluções dos séculos precedentes com as do século actual (Guide of the Revolution, followed by the parallel of Revolutions of preceding centuries to the current century), at the time said to be "useful work to the sovereigns, the clergy, the nobility and every honorable resident of cities and fields". Letterpress printed by Bulhões and "offered to all true Portuguese." Also a French translation of Miguel de Cervantes’ Don Quixote in six volumes  dated 1754, and the French 1735 edition of Camoens’ Lusiadas [Portuguese national poem].

"As we always do we did send the catalog of this exhibition to the National Heritage", declares Pedro Castro e Silva - one of 40 booksellers in Portugal dedicated to the old books - an activity that does not benefit from the crisis. "The old book is worth money, but is not a subject of immediate sale, it must be sold in due course" - said Castro e Silva - "who has these books does not sell them out of necessity, rather prefers to stay with them”. Therefore, he concludes, the works that were brought in to the Madrid Book Fair are mainly bought from "suppliers, auctions and colleagues."