Discoveries Monument

This monument was built in concrete and limestone in 1960 to stand as a reminder of the “Age of Discovery.”

It’s shaped like a ship, with 32 figures lined up on a stylized prow, representing personalities from the 15th and 16th centuries following Prince Henry -- only one of them is a woman, Queen Filipa de Lencastre, who was Prince Henry’s mother.

The prince is the tallest figure, measuring 9m, while those behind him are 7m tall. It stands on the waterfront, close to the Belém Tower, from where many of the explorers’ ships departed for their voyages.

The pavement surrounding the monument is a marble map inside a compass rose and was a gift from the nation of South Africa, recalling Portugal’s rounding of the Cape of Good Hope, which led to a new sea route to the East. The map shows the routes and dates of the Portuguese voyages, which essentially covered the entire globe. Surrounding the map and the compass rose is a traditional Portuguese wave-patterned cobblestone pavement.Read more