In the 17th century, the guitar became so popular in England that it dethroned the English cittern and eventually replaced it as the instrument in the barber shops. The Lusitanian court moved its traditions to England with the marriage of Catharina of Bragança, daughter of Don Joao IV of Portugal, to Charles II.

This craze spread so rapidly that the English luthiers increased their production of this foreign guitar and even began exporting it.

However, the Portugueses continued to perfect this instrument and its structure has remained unchanged since the 18th century, having reached the peek of perfection, following centuries of development.

Violai, viola or guitarra ?

In Portugal, the instrument known elsewhere as guitar or Spanish guitar, is called « violaõ »or « viola
francesa ». Even if these terms mean large guitar or love viol, their precise meaning is twelve strings guitar, a term which is virtually unknown outside Portugal. The instrument is shaped like a reverse heart (to quote Hilario, one of the most famous troubadours of the last century), the short and narrow neck leads to a marvelously sculped head which fascinates all observers and is precious to all Lusitanians. According to Jean Witold, a famous French musicologist, the Moors introduced a string instrument, the cittern, during the Middle Ages invasions and it evolved eventually into the Portuguese guitar as we now know it.

Portuguese troubadours adopted this instrument and it quickly became the preferred instrument for entertainment for the Portuguese Court in Coimbra.

Generations of luthiers improved and perfected the
« guitarra portuguesa ».