The Age of Discoveries
The 15th and 16th centuries were Portugal's golden era — and Lisbon was the center of the world. From here, explorers set sail who redrew the world map:
- 1415: Conquest of Ceuta (Morocco) — the beginning of expansion.
- 1488: Bartolomeu Dias rounds the Cape of Good Hope.
- 1498: Vasco da Gama reaches India — the sea route to Asia is found. He set sail from Belém.
- 1500: Pedro Álvares Cabral discovers Brazil.
- 1519–1522: Fernão de Magalhães (Magellan, a Portuguese in Spanish service) circumnavigates the globe.
The spice route made Portugal immensely wealthy: pepper, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg from India and Southeast Asia. King Manuel I used this wealth to build the Jerónimos Monastery and the Tower of Belém — in the unique Manueline style, which integrated maritime and exotic motifs into architecture. Lisbon became the richest and most cosmopolitan city in Europe.
The downside: Portugal began the transatlantic slave trade. In the 15th and 16th centuries, Lisbon was the largest slave market in Europe — a dark chapter that is increasingly being addressed.
