Monument to the Discoveries

The final stop on our bus tour was a monument to remember the age of the discoveries in Portugal. It was built in 1960 to commemorate the 500th anniversary of the death of one of Portugal's most famous discoverers, Henry the Navigator. It stands right next to the River Tejo, and is easy for all to see. It is made in the shape of a massive sword on the front, and on either side are enormous statues of many of those that were involved in the age of discoveries, including Vasco da Gama, with Henry the Navigator standing at the front as if he were guiding his ship. I was most amazed by the enormity of these statues and how detailed they were. In front of the monument is a map of the globe, with the journeys and voyages drawn out that Portugal made as it discovered the majority of the world.