Curated category
16th-century Portuguese explorers
- Ferdinand MagellanIn 1495, a young man named Ferdinand Magellan entered the service of King John II of Portugal. He served as a page to Queen Eleanor, consort of that monarch.
- António GalvãoAntónio Galvão entered the world around 1490 as the son of Duarte Galvão. His father served as chief diplomat and chronicler to King Afonso V of Portugal.
- Duarte BarbosaDiogo Barbosa served Álvaro of Braganza in 1501 when the third Portuguese India Armada set sail under João da Nova. Young Duarte stayed behind in Kochi while…
- Estêvão GomesEstêvão Gomes was born in the northern Portuguese city of Porto. His family background included African ancestry, a detail that shaped his early life and…
- Tomé PiresTomé Pires was born around 1468 in the Portuguese town of Leiria. His father served as apothecary to King João II of Portugal.
- Fernão Mendes PintoFernão Mendes Pinto was born in about 1509 within the quiet town of Montemor-o-Velho, Portugal. He emerged from a family that struggled financially or…
- João de CastroD. João de Castro was born on the 27th of February 1500 to Álvaro de Castro, the civil governor of Lisbon. As the second son in his family, he was originally…