This 23m vessel Vera Cruz can be seen on the Tagus River at Lisbon, Portugal.
It was locally made in 2000 and is constructed entirely of wood.
It is a replica of the caravel that discovered Brazil in 1500. The
voyage led by Pedro Álvares Carbal, with 15 ships (carracks and caravels), was
to sail to India around Africa – the route opened by Vasco Da Gama. However, on
the way (sailing far enough west in the Southern Atlantic to catch the ‘volta
do mar’ or ‘the turn of the sea’ - the winds to carry them around the horn of
Africa) Carbal sighted land, which he thought was an island.
After making landfall,
he exchanged gifts with the indigenous indians. Carbal claimed the land for the
Portuguese Crown and called it Ilha de Vera Cruz (Island of the True Cross). Once
it was realized that this land was not an island, the name was changed several
times before it was called Brazil (after the wood used for dying).
Carbal, who appears in the Momument to the Discoveries, standing next to Vasco da Gama, is recognized as
being the first European to discover the South American continent.
Located in Lisbon’s Benin district is
the Jeronimos Monastery. This magnificent building was constructed in 1502 to
commemorate Vasco Da Gama's voyage of discovery. Vasco da Gama's tomb is inside
by the entrance.
Note: Unfortunately my own picture of the tomb was poor. This one is courtesy
of Wiki Creative Commons.
