On his father's side, he is a descendant of the traditional Monteiro de Barros family, representative of the Brazilian nobility and with great prominence in the country's politics and administration since its colonial era.

[1] Távola adopted his well-known pseudonym "Artur da Tavola," which was a reference to King Arthur.

[1] Távola was a founding member of the Brazilian Social Democracy Party (PSDB), which governed the country from 1995 until 2002.

[1] Távola accused Cardoso, who was another founder of the PSDB, of abandoning the party's social democracy ideals for more conservative policies.

[1] Artur da Távola died of heart disease in Copacabana, Rio de Janeiro, at the age of 72 on May 9, 2008.