Information
Landmark: Monument to the DiscoveriesCity: Lisbon
Country: Portugal
Continent: Europe
Monument to the Discoveries, Lisbon, Portugal, Europe
Overview
Rising over the Tagus River, the Monument to the Discoveries stands as one of Lisbon’s most iconic sights, honoring the golden age of Portuguese exploration and its storied seafaring past.Set on the banks of the Tagus in Belém, it honors the Portuguese explorers who helped launch Europe’s great age of discovery in the 15th century, when ships first pushed into unknown waters.The monument honors the bold spirit of sailors, cartographers, and navigators who once traced unknown coastlines, charting paths that linked Europe to Africa, Asia, and the Americas.First.The current structure, completed in 1960, was unveiled to honor the 500th anniversary of Prince Henry the Navigator’s death-Infante Dom Henrique, a key force in Portugal’s Age of Exploration-its pale stone catching the sunlight along the waterfront that day.Architect José Ângelo Cottinelli Telmo designed the monument, while sculptor Leopoldo de Almeida created its bold, gleaming stone figures; the first version rose in 1940 for the Portuguese World Exhibition, celebrating the nation’s history and heritage.After the exhibition, workers tore down the monument, but it later rose again-this time built to last-at its spot on the banks of the Tagus.It stands in Belém, the historic Lisbon neighborhood where ships once set sail toward uncharted seas.It overlooks the wide, glinting Tagus River, a reminder of the sea routes charted by Portuguese explorers during the Age of Exploration, and its sweeping stone form rises like a caravel, the slender, wind-ready ship they once sailed into the unknown.The monument rises as a massive stone prow, like the front of a ship slicing through the river’s current.The monument rises 52 meters-about 170 feet-its vertical lines evoking a ship’s prow slicing through time and space, with explorers poised at the helm, gazing out over the bright sweep of the Lisbon waterfront.The monument’s grand size reflects the explorers’ bold ambitions and the weight of their accomplishments.Crafted from pale limestone, it feels cool and solid beneath your hand, built to stand for centuries.The stone, paired with bold geometric lines, gives the monument a look that feels modern yet rooted in history.Among its most striking details are the figures of explorers, their windswept cloaks carved with sharp precision.More than 30 statues of notable figures from the Age of Discovery line the monument’s side, arranged so they seem to crowd the prow of a great stone ship.At the very front, Prince Henry the Navigator stands tall as its figurehead, gazing ahead like he’s charting the next horizon.He’s remembered as the driving force behind Portugal’s push into uncharted seas in the early 1400s.Vasco da Gama, towering on the monument with a cross in hand, recalls his voyages to India and the sea route he opened to Asia.Nearby stands Ferdinand Magellan, honored for leading the first circumnavigation of the globe, though he didn’t live to see its end.Pedro Álvares Cabral, who reached Brazil in 1500, is there too.Around them cluster other notable sailors-Gil Eanes, Afonso de Albuquerque, Tristão Vaz Teixeira, and more-etched in stone as if ready to set sail again.João II and José de Anchieta, side by side like names etched into an old stone wall.They honor a diverse cast of figures-navigators steering by starlight, missionaries, kings, and scientists-who helped build Portugal’s maritime empire, and the monument’s caravel-shaped design stands as a striking emblem of that seafaring past.The caravel was a compact, quick-turning ship the Portuguese sailed across distant seas, its curved sails catching the wind like a swallow’s wings.This link highlights Portugal’s leading role in the Age of Discovery, and the monument’s bold, forward-leaning form captures that spirit-like a ship’s prow slicing through the wind, it mirrors the relentless drive of explorers who ventured beyond the edge of any map.The monument stands facing the river, a silent nod to the era’s seafaring spirit.At its base, a wide stone compass rose is set into the ground, its sharp lines recalling the navigational skill that guided Portuguese ships across uncharted waters.The design captures both the sweeping routes ships once traced across the oceans and the fine art of guiding them by wind, current, and the glint of stars on a dark horizon.At the monument’s peak, a broad viewing platform opens to breathtaking sights-the Tagus shimmering below, Belém’s rooftops, and Lisbon stretching into the distance.From the top, you can spot the Jerónimos Monastery, the red sweep of the 25th of April Bridge, and the Christ the King Statue standing tall on the far bank.The viewpoint lets you take in the monument’s full scale while feeling the weight of the history beneath your feet.It offers a fresh look at Lisbon’s seafaring past and the epic voyages that helped define the city, and you’ll find it in Belém-the historic, culture-rich district where the creamy scent of pastéis de nata drifts from bakeries.Here, the soaring Jerónimos Monastery, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, stands as proof of Portugal’s power in the Age of Discovery, while the riverside Belém Tower, once a fortress guarding the Tagus, still keeps watch over the harbor.Rooted in Portugal’s seafaring past, the Padrão dos Descobrimentos stands as the centerpiece of the Belém waterfront, its carved stone figures staring out toward the Tagus.Just a short walk away, the sleek curves of the MAAT-Museum of Art, Architecture, and Technology-offer a striking modern counterpoint to the historic monuments around it.You’ll find the Monument to the Discoveries right on the river’s edge in Lisbon’s Belém district.You can get there easily by tram, bus, or a short walk from nearby sights, like the bustling market down the street.Opening hours: The monume
