The head of the great Portuguese writer Fernando Pessoa is intriguing. His gaze seems hypnotised by the ground. His glasses hide his eyes. Only his hair inspires movement. On the base, in Portuguese, a quote from the poet: “My homeland is the Portuguese language.” In 1988, to mark the 100th anniversary of Pessoa’s birth, a Foundation commissioned the sculptor Irène Vilar to create this portrait of the writer, which does not go unnoticed. Why here? Because the Portuguese community has played a key role in Ixelles since the 1960s. So, in a way, Pessoa is in his homeland.
The true homeland
Location: The true homeland, 1050 Ixelles
