Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Sagres' most impressive sight—a circle on the ground, 100 feet across and outlined by
round pebbles—is a mystery. Some think it was a large
wind-compass
(rosa-dos-ventos)
.
A flag flying from the center could immediately announce the wind's direction. Others
speculate it's a large sundial. A pole in the center pointing toward the North Star (at a
37-degree angle, Sagres' latitude) would cast a shadow on the dial showing the time of
day.
Prince Henry the Navigator (1394-1460)
No swashbuckling sailor, Henry was a quiet scholar, an organizer, a religious man, and
the brains behind Portugal's daring sea voyages. The middle child of King John (João)
I of Portugal and Queen Philippa of England, he was one of what was dubbed “The
Marvelous Generation”
(Ínclita Geração)
that drove the Age of Discovery. While his
brothers and nephews became Portugal's kings, he worked behind the scenes.
At age 21, he planned the logistics for the large-scale ship invasion of the Muslim
city of Ceuta (1415) on the north coast of Morocco, taking the city and winning
knightly honors. Awed by the wealth of the city—a terminus of the caravan route—and
intrigued by the high-quality maps he found there, Henry decided to organize exped-
itions to explore the Muslim world. He hoped to spread Christianity, contain Islam,
