Lisbon and Portugal’s Maritime History

We set off for the historic center of Lisbon, to the Belém neighborhood, where Portuguese navigators set sail from here centuries ago on their expeditions and “discovery” of India. Until the Portuguese found a naval route to India, the spice trade was made by land, on the Silk Road. It was a long and expensive journey. The transport of spices by ship cut the end price of spices—needed for food preservation and medicines—nearly in half.

The Belém Tower is a 16th-century fortification at the mouth of the Tagus River in Lisbon, and it served as a point of embarkation and disembarkation for Portuguese explorers. The tower survived the 1755 earthquake due to being constructed on rock rather than the sandy bank of the river.

Also on the waterfront is a replica of the first seaplane to make the first crossing of the south Atlantic, from Lisbon to Rio de Janero. The flight was made in 1922, to coincide with the centennial celebration in Rio of Brazil's independence. They almost missed the party due to several breakdowns and near catastrophes.

An impressive monument on waterfront is called the Monument to the Discoveries. It shows a caravel ship setting out to sea, with Henry the Navigator at the prow and many significant figures from the Portuguese age of discovery all portrayed with symbols that refer to their identity: navigators, cartographers, warriors, missionaries, chroniclers and artists.

Next up was a bus trip to the National Tile Museum, housed in a former convent. There were some exhibits on the techniques of tile decoration over time, and many beautiful pieces on display. The museum is a repository for many, many tiles salvaged from buildings destroyed in the 1755 earthquake. Curators sort through the remnants and try to date them, determine their historical significance, and piece them together. Judging by the many boxes of tiles we saw, they have quite a backlog!Read more