Appreciating the Monument to the Discoveries
Were there any metro station nearby, Belem district is the place I would visit everyday. At first I wasn't crazy about it, to be honest. However, the more passionate I got about Portuguese history, the more exciting and even mesmerizing I found it. Among all the must-sees in the Belem district, one of my favorites is the Monument to the Discoveries( Monumento aos Descobrimentos ). To commemorate Henry the Navigator, it was reconstructed after 500 years of his death. The first on the monument is Henry the Navigator. From the left, there are Henry on top, King Alfonso V and then Vasco Da Gama. Since they stand side by side majestically, some may think they belong to the same period. Not true. King Alfonso V, nephew of Henry, was succeeded by João II , then followed by Manuel I. Vasco Da Gama served Manuel I and the next king João III . Vasco Da Gama, the famous navigator António Manuel da Fonseca - Suid-Afrikaanse Geskiedenis in Beeld (1...