Origin of the Portuguese Lyceum Clubs

The Lyceum Clube Internacional de Lisboa was founded in February 2002 and became member of the International Association of Lyceum Clubs on this date.

Previously there had been, in Lisbon, another Club named Clube Franco-Portugais founded by a group of Portuguese and French ladies. That Club had a very short life owing to its lack of identity as, in order to become a member of the International Association of Lyceum Clubs it had to be a representative of a city and not a representative of two countries.

 As the result of the great determination demonstrated by a group of Portuguese ladies who had belonged to the previous Club under the direction of Mrs. Sabine Larger, member of the Troyes Club, at that time living in Lisbon, the idea of founding a Club in Lisbon was now achieved. 

The new Club adopted Statutes similar to those of the Club of Troyes, though making some necessary adaptations. It started its activity in February 2002, with 20 members only.

 The Club has had its own dynamics and has added more and more cultural activities to its agenda including guided visits to museums, conferences, debates on widely different subjects, theatre going, trips, exhibition attendances, and social occasions such as lunches, tea parties and dinners.

 Since 2002, on the international level, the Lyceum Clube Internacional de Lisboa has been represented at the BCI Meetings in Limoges, Stockholm, Basle and Turku as well as at the Cultural Days in Paris. Some members of the Club have also responded to an invitation to the Troyes Club.

In Lisbon, our Club has hosted the Club from Limoges and a group of Lycéennes of the Club of Chaux–de-Fonds (Switzerland).

In May 2009 our Club, that now has 58 members, organized the BCI Meeting and the Cultural Days in Lisbon.