Padrão dos Descobrimentos.
Standing tall on the banks of the Tagus River, the Monument to the Discoveries (Padrão dos Descobrimentos) in Lisbon is an iconic symbol of Portugal's rich maritime history and exploration legacy. This magnificent monument pays tribute to the Age of Discovery, the time when Portuguese navigators embarked on daring voyages to explore new lands and chart uncharted territories.
Constructed in 1960 to commemorate the 500th anniversary of the death of Henry the Navigator, the monument features larger-than-life statues of prominent figures from Portugal's Age of Discovery, including explorers, navigators, cartographers, and royalty. However, the first version was constructed for the Portuguese World Exhibition (Exposição do Mundo Português). It ran from the 23rd of June to the 2nd of December 1940). The distinctive design represents a ship ready to set sail with sculptures of those figures who took a crucial role in Portugal's age of discovery. At the forefront stands Henry the Navigator, the driving force behind Portugal's maritime expansion, flanked by other notable figures such as Vasco da Gama, Ferdinand Magellan, and Bartolomeu Dias.
From L to R...
Henry the Navigator
King Afonso V
Vasco da Gama
Afonso Baldaia
Pedro Alvaez Cabral
Fernão de Megalhães -- NOTE aka Ferdinand Magellan
Martim Afonso de Sousa
João de Barros
Estévão da Gama
Bartolomeu Dias
Diogo Cão
Antonio de Ábreu
Afonso de Albuquerque
St. Francis Xavier - (who died in Goa)
Note: There is also a set of sculptures on the west side of the monument too. Few princes and some scientists of the olden times.
eg: Pedro Nunes - one of the greatest mathematicians of the middle ages and is renown for his contributions in the nautical sciences. He was the first to apply mathematics to navigation and cartography.
------ Post added on Oct 25, 2025 at 9:57 AM
Standing tall on the banks of the Tagus River, the Monument to the Discoveries (Padrão dos Descobrimentos) in Lisbon is an iconic symbol of Portugal's rich maritime history and exploration legacy. This magnificent monument pays tribute to the Age of Discovery, the time when Portuguese navigators embarked on daring voyages to explore new lands and chart uncharted territories.
Constructed in 1960 to commemorate the 500th anniversary of the death of Henry the Navigator, the monument features larger-than-life statues of prominent figures from Portugal's Age of Discovery, including explorers, navigators, cartographers, and royalty. However, the first version was constructed for the Portuguese World Exhibition (Exposição do Mundo Português). It ran from the 23rd of June to the 2nd of December 1940). The distinctive design represents a ship ready to set sail with sculptures of those figures who took a crucial role in Portugal's age of discovery. At the forefront stands Henry the Navigator, the driving force behind Portugal's maritime expansion, flanked by other notable figures such as Vasco da Gama, Ferdinand Magellan, and Bartolomeu Dias.
From L to R...
Henry the Navigator
King Afonso V
Vasco da Gama
Afonso Baldaia
Pedro Alvaez Cabral
Fernão de Megalhães -- NOTE aka Ferdinand Magellan
Martim Afonso de Sousa
João de Barros
Estévão da Gama
Bartolomeu Dias
Diogo Cão
Antonio de Ábreu
Afonso de Albuquerque
St. Francis Xavier - (who died in Goa)
PS: Tomorrow will take the afternoon ferry to Morocco, will stay for 5 nights or so and return back to Spain. Las two nights in Seville - bit warmer than other parts.
Note: There is also a set of sculptures on the west side of the monument too. Few princes and some scientists of the olden times.
eg: Pedro Nunes - one of the greatest mathematicians of the middle ages and is renown for his contributions in the nautical sciences. He was the first to apply mathematics to navigation and cartography.
------ Post added on Oct 25, 2025 at 9:57 AM
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