Page 24 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Lisbon

22  INTRODUCING LISBON

The Age of Discovery

Portugal’s astonishing period of conquest and exploration
began in 1415 with the capture of the North African city of
Ceuta. Maritime expeditions into the Atlantic and along the
West African coast followed, motivated by conflict between
Christianity and Islam and the desire for commercial gain.
Great riches were earned from the gold and slaves taken from
the Guinea coast, but the real breakthrough for Portuguese Armillary Sphere
imperialism occurred in 1498 when Vasco da Gama (see p70) This celestial globe with the
reached India. Portugal soon controlled the Indian Ocean earth in its centre was used by
and the spice trade, and established an eastern capital navigators for measuring the
positions of the stars. It became
in Goa. With Pedro Álvares Cabral’s “discovery” of Brazil, the personal emblem of Manuel I.
Portugal became a mercantile super-power rivalled only
by her neighbour Spain.

Key
Discoverers’ route

1500–1501 Gaspar
Corte Real reaches
Newfoundland.

1427 Diogo de
Silves discovers
Magellan (c.1480–1521) the Azores.
With Spanish funding,
Portuguese sailor Fernão 1434 Gil Eanes rounds
de Magalhães, known as Cape Bojador
Magellan, led the first (Western Sahara).
circumnavigation of the
globe (1519–22). He was 1460 Diogo
killed in the Philippines Gomes discovers
the Cape Verde
before the voyage’s end. archipelago.
1470s Discovery
of island of São Tomé.
1482 Diogo
Cão reaches
1500 Pedro the mouth of
Álvares Cabral the Congo.
reaches Brazil.
1485 On his third
voyage Diogo Cão
reaches Cape Cross
(Namibia).
1488 Bartolomeu Dias
rounds the Cape
of Good Hope.

African Ivory Salt Cellar
This 16th-century
The Adoration of the Magi ivory carving shows
Painted for Viseu Cathedral shortly after Portuguese warriors
Cabral returned from Brazil in 1500, this supporting a globe and
panel is attributed to the artist Grão Vasco a ship. A sailor peers
(c.1475 –1540). King Baltazar is depicted as out from the crow’s
a Tupi Indian. nest at the top.

LS_022-023.indd 22 17/10/14 5:48 pm
Eyewitness Travel LAYERS PRINTED:
Starsight history template “UK” LAYER
(Source v1.2)
Date 7th January 2013
Size 125mm x 217mm