Padrão dos Descobrimentos
It was good that I have managed to visit what is Lisbon’s most important monument that afternoon. It was already towards the end of my trip and I came back to Lisbon so I don’t have drive for the next rest of my stay. Besides, you don’t really need a car to go around Lisbon. Their metro system already goes to the most popular places so you don’t have to worry about which bus to take. The Belém area is one of the most historic and most visited places in Lisbon, fortunately there is a lot of open space here so it never feels crowded apart from the actual sites themselves. Just opposite the Jerónimos Monastery is a promenade where most people continue their tour of the Belém area.
Statues on Padrão dos Descobrimentos
Perhaps what is most prominent here is a tall tower with statues at the base. This is the Padrão dos Descobrimentos or the Monument to Discovery. The tower isn’t really that new as it was completed in 1960. It is actually a replacement for a temporary structure which was built in 1940 for the Portuguese World Exhibition. The design is reminiscent of communist architecture with over the top figures prominently displayed. The figures here are people from the age of discovery which Portugal was a huge participant. There is this particular pride about Vasco da Gama in Portugal and I expected that it would be his statue right there in front, however, it is actually Henry the Navigator, someone who I have never heard of. Apparently, he is said to be the brains of Portugal’s push to discover other lands in the age of discovery. Looking at his resume, it really seems that he deserves the recognition.
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