In many 19th century Brazilian cities, including the capital, the Portuguese founded associations of various profiles. Considering that we can understand these initiatives as a strategy of statement and shaping of the Lusitanian community in Brazil, this article analyzes the trajectory of the Clube Ginástico Português and the Congresso Ginástico Português, and discusses their articulation with the political context of the Second Empire and the conflicts and tensions among the Portuguese who settled in Rio's society. The available statutes of the two clubs, and newspapers published in the city between 1868, when the Clube Ginástico Português was founded, and 1889, when the two associations were reconciled, after more than a decade of conflict, were used as sources.
associativism; polítics; Second Empire; Portugueses; gymnastics.