The Portuguese discoveries are considered some of the most important in history. They began after the conquest of Ceuta in Africa in 1415 and ended in 1543, more than a century!
The discoveries led to the expansion of Portugal and played a key role in shaping the world map, driven by the Reconquest and the search for alternatives to the Mediterranean trade routes.
With them, the Portuguese launched the era of European discovery, which lasted from the 15th to the 17th century. They were responsible for major advances in nautical science and technology, cartography and astronomy, and developed the first ships capable of sailing safely in the Atlantic.
Who was responsible for these discoveries?
The Infant D. Henrique is very often the reference when we think of Portuguese discoveries. Son of King João I and Filipa de Lencastre, he was born in the city of Porto on the 4th of March 1394 and died on the 13th of November 1460.
He remains known as the Navigator, a name that derives from the way he launched and supervised the first expansionist voyages, becoming forever linked to this glorious period of Portuguese history.
But why were the discoveries important?
The Portuguese were responsible for many inventions that greatly helped the maritime discoveries. They were the originators of the caravels, large wooden boats capable of carrying hundreds of men and tons of goods. They had one or more large, high sails, usually rectangular in shape, which allowed them to reach high speeds while being very safe on voyages on international seas.
One of the most emblematic symbols is the armillary sphere, an object representing a model of the universe, made up of rings or armillaries representing locations on the celestial sphere. This object was used by astronomers to describe the night sky and the locations on the globe, especially during the great discoveries. This sphere is so symbolic that it is present on the Portuguese flag.
Many monuments were also built to commemorate this critical period in Portuguese history. The most famous is undoubtedly the monument to the Discoveries – O Padrão dos Descobrimentos – created to celebrate the Era of the Discoveries in Lisbon. The work represents a caravel led by the figure of Prince Henry the Navigator, followed by 32 historical figures who all contributed to this era.
And what did they discover?
The initial movement of discoveries led the navigators to travel along the entire west coast of Africa, making contact with the respective populations and establishing trading posts and other points of support for intercontinental trade, for example in Guinea, Cape Verde and many others.
But it was the entry into the Indian Ocean at the end of the 15th century, with the passage of the Cape of Good Hope by Bartolomeu Dias between 1487 and 1488, and Vasco da Gama’s voyage to India in 1498, in a voyage of discovery, but also a diplomatic venture with clear political and commercial objectives, that further broadened horizons, paving the way for Portuguese influence and domination in a vast world that stretched from the coast of Mozambique to Japan.
Shortly after Vasco da Gama’s return, an armada found or discovered the coast of Brazil (Easter, in the year 1500), giving a greater dimension of grandeur to an empire that, from then on, extended over three continents.
What does the 10th of June represent?
Os Lusíadas, Portugal’s epic poem, written by the country’s poet laureate, Luis de Camões, recounts the voyage of Vasco da Gama, the great Portuguese explorer, to India and the adventure of the Portuguese since the founding of the nation.
After his death on 10 June 1580, this day was transformed into a bank holiday: Portugal Day, to pay tribute to him and to celebrate Portuguese achievements and progress, as well as the people.
And so the Portuguese Discoveries will always be remembered as a symbol of a great people and a prosperous era.
