Lisbon, Age of Discovery

Overview

In 1499 Vasco da Gama returned to Lisbon from India, opening a sea route for the Portuguese spice trade. Within a generation Lisbon would be one of the wealthiest cities in Europe, its waterfront crowded with ships from West Africa, Brazil, and Asia.

Historical Context

The Age of Discovery transformed European knowledge of the world and inaugurated centuries of colonization, slavery, and global exchange of foods, peoples, and ideas.

What to Notice

• Three-masted caravels and naus at the quay.
• Barrels of pepper, ivory, and cinnamon being offloaded.
• Manueline-style stonework on the new tower of Belém.