Maria Cavaco Silva

Maria Alves da Silva Cavaco Silva (born 19 March 1937) is the wife of Aníbal Cavaco Silva, the 19th President of the Portuguese Republic and, as such, was the First Lady of Portugal from 2006 until 2016.

A professor of Portuguese Language and Culture, she has been dedicating her attention to education and culture issues, but also to social solidarity and cohesion.

Biography Maria Cavaco Silva was born Maria Alves da Silva, to Francisco dos Santos Silva and Adelina de Jesus Pincho, on 19 March 1937 in São Bartolomeu de Messines, Silves (Algarve). Her mother died in her youth, and she ended up being raised by her uncle and aunt in Lisbon.

She Licentiated in Germanic Philology from the University of Lisbon in 1960. Her final thesis was about "Yearning (saudade) in Hölderlin's Poetry". She also has a degree in Pedagogical Sciences from that same university, and began working as a teacher in 1960, in the Colégio das Doroteias. She has also taught in the Liceu Passos Manuel, Liceu Rainha D. Leonor and Liceu D. João de Castro, all of them in Lisbon.

It was while holidaying in the Algarve that she met Aníbal Cavaco Silva, '' Grand Decoration of Honour in Gold with Sash of the Decoration of Honour for Services to the Republic of Austria (31 August 2009) Grand Cross of the Order of the Southern Cross (22 April 2008) Grand Cross of the Order of Bernardo O'Higgins (16 November 2010) Grand Cross of the Order of Boyacá (14 November 2012) Grand Cross 1st Class of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany (26 May 2009) Dame Grand Cross of the Order of St. Gregory the Great (30 August 2010) Grand Cordon with Brilliants (Special Class) of the Supreme Order of the Renaissance (10 December 2009) Grand Cordon of the Supreme Order of the Renaissance (28 May 2009) Grand Cross of the Order of Vytautas the Great (25 July 2007) Grand Cross of the Order of Adolphe of Nassau (9 September 2010) Honorary Member of the Xirka Ġieħ ir-Repubblika (11 December 2008) Sash of Special Category of the Order of the Aztec Eagle (2 June 2014) Grand Cross of the Royal Norwegian Order of Merit (5 November 2008) Grand Cross of the Order of Manuel Amador Guerrero (30 July 2013) Collar of the Order of Merit (10 December 2009) Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland (6 July 2012) Grand Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta (1 October 2008) Grand Cross of the Order pro Merito Melitensi (23 November 2010) Dame Grand Cross of the Order of Isabella the Catholic (24 September 2006) Member Grand Cross of the Order of the Polar Star (9 May 2008)