Padrao dos Descobrimentos (Monument to the Discoveries)
Padrao dos Descobrimentos is an icon of Portugal and its history of navigation in the 15th and 16th centuries. The cement and stone monument was constructed in the 1960s.
The monumental Padrão dos Descobrimentos is a tribute to the Age of Discoveries and the Portuguese explorers who played a pivotal role in global maritime expansion during the 15th and 16th centuries. Designed by architect Cottinelli Telmo and sculptor Leopoldo de Almeida, the monument was originally conceived in 1940 for the Portuguese World Exhibition but was later rebuilt in 1960 to mark the 500th anniversary of Henry the Navigator's death.
The structure, resembling a ship's prow, features 33 figures led by Henry the Navigator, and key historical mariners such as Vasco da Gama and Ferdinand Magellan. The monument not only commemorates the explorers but also represents Portugal's national pride and its contributions to global navigation and trade. It is located along the Tagus River in Belém, close to the Belém Tower and Jerónimos Monastery.
