Padrão dos Descobrimentos

The Padrão dos Descobrimentos, or Monument to the Discoveries, rises 56 metres above the riverbank in Belém. It began as a temporary structure for the Portuguese World Exhibition of 1940 and was rebuilt in concrete and stone between 1958 and 1960 for the 500th anniversary of the death of Prince Henry the Navigator. The design was conceived by the architect José Ângelo Cottinelli Telmo, completed by António Pardal Monteiro, with sculpture by Leopoldo de Almeida.

The monument takes the form of a caravel's prow pointing towards the river. Henry stands at the front holding a model ship, and behind him, on both sides of the ramp, are sculpted figures of navigators, missionaries, cartographers, writers and royals from the period of maritime expansion, among them Vasco da Gama, Pedro Álvares Cabral, Ferdinand Magellan and Luís de Camões. The monument was created during the Estado Novo dictatorship, and its exhibitions today also invite reflection on how that history is told.

In front of the monument, the pavement holds a compass rose 50 metres in diameter, a gift from South Africa, made from different types of limestone. At its centre is a mappa mundi showing the routes and dates of Portuguese voyages, and walking across it to find the dates is a simple activity that children tend to enjoy. It is free and open at all times.

Inside, a lift and stairs take you up to the viewing terrace at the top, which looks down on the compass rose and across to the Jerónimos Monastery, Belém Tower, the marina and the 25 de Abril Bridge. The lower levels house an auditorium and exhibition rooms with changing shows. The monument opens daily from 10:00, closing at 18:00 from October to February and at 19:00 from March to September, with last entry half an hour before closing, and it is closed on a few holidays in January, May and December.

A visit to the top takes 30 to 45 minutes. The terrace is exposed, so it can be windy and hot in summer. The monument sits on the riverside between MAAT and Belém Tower, with the Jerónimos Monastery directly inland across the gardens and the railway line, reached by an underpass. Take tram 15E or the Cascais line train to Belém.