Monument of Discoveries,
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Portugal might be small now, but the Portuguese have been masters of the world centuries ago. It is the motherland of famous discoverers like Vasco da Gama and Magellan names which still now inspire people anywhere. They were the daring characters who did not mind to sail unknown seas to unknown destinations.
Even though they discovered lands that were often already inhabited, they had the courage to set out on trips without knowing anything of what they could expect. They enabled the world to become mapped and charted, and their voyages would have both very powerful impulses for some people, while at the same time they had detrimental effects on others.
To honour its heroes, Portugal decided to erect a monument for the 500th birthday of one of them, Henry the Navigator. It takes the shape of the prow of a 15th-century boat, points directly to the river Tago, with people looking forward to the future. Right at the bow of the ship is a Henry the Navigator himself, holding a model of one of the caravelas which the Portuguese used to sail the oceans. There is a huge map of the world with the names of some of the main Portuguese discoveries, which can be seen especially good from the top of the monument.

