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Portugal and Spain claimed the world for themselves. This happened today, 523 years ago, an important fact of Portuguese History! 

[/vc_column_text][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”5/6″][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1504781331229{margin-top: 0px !important;margin-right: 0px !important;margin-bottom: 0px !important;margin-left: 0px !important;border-top-width: 0px !important;border-right-width: 0px !important;border-bottom-width: 0px !important;border-left-width: 0px !important;padding-top: 0px !important;padding-right: 0px !important;padding-bottom: 0px !important;padding-left: 0px !important;}”]Did you know that 523 years ago Portugal and Spain signed the Treaty of Tordesillas, recognized by the Catholic Church, and all the new discovered world would be divided between them? On September 5th 1494, King D. João II signed the final document of the famous Treaty of Tordesillas, at the Jesus Convent in Setúbal.

But why divide the world and the seas with the Spanish if the world already belonged to the Portuguese?

According to the Treaty of Alcáçovas, signed years before, Portugal already had the agreement of the Catholic Church that recognized the efforts of the Discoveries of the Portuguese and stated that all the land discovered by the Portuguese (except the Canaries that were given to the Spanish) would belong to the Portuguese – the Mare Clausum.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/6″][vc_single_image image=”4683″ img_size=”medium” alignment=”center”][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner][vc_column_text]However, on March 4th,1493 a world famous figure arrives in Lisbon claiming a discovery that questions this agreement – Columbus. Portuguese King D.João II is the first to receive Columbus and learns of his belief that he had discovered Índia on an expedition for the Spanish King (today we know that the Columbus was wrong and he had in fact discovered America). And a dispute began over who the land belonged to… To the Portuguese that had a previous claim to all lands Discovered or to the Spanish that had sponsored Columbus voyage?[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][vc_single_image image=”4623″ img_size=”large”][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][vc_column_text]From 1493 to 1495 follows a intense period of inegotiations that lead to the signature of the Tordesillas Treaty on July 7th 1494. Why did the negotiations take so long? Because nobody understood why the Portuguese was adamant is changing the line that divided the Spanish and Portuguese areas of territories to be claimed further to the Orient that had previously been discussed.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_column_text]But why this strong position and unmovable position when, at the time, no territories were known to exist in the area?

Today everything suggests that Portugal, with more marine knowledge than the Spanish and many more years of maritime explorations, were already aware of the existence of some territories where later Portugal claimed the discovery of Brazil. This would justify the persistence in setting the boundary line 370 leagues of Cabo Verde Islands.

Had the Portuguese arrived to the American continent before the Spanish? The doubt still persists…

[/vc_column_text][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][vc_column_text]Only 4 years after the Treaty of Tordesillas was signed, in an expedition led by Vasco da Gama, the Portuguese discovered the sea route to India, by the Cape of Good Hope, claiming the discovery on March 4th, 1498. At a time when Columbus was later known to be exploring Cuba and Haiti expecting to be near China.

And officially, 6 years after the Treaty on April 22nd, 1500, Pedro Álvares Cabral on his way to India officially claimed the discovered of  Brazil when he anchored in Porto Seguro and declared the lands of Vera Cruz as belonging to the Kingdom of Portugal. A territory that if King D. JoãoII had not insisted on the new boundary line further to the West he had not been able to claim.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][vc_single_image image=”4685″ img_size=”large”][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_column_text]5 Fun facts about the Treaty of Tordesillas:

1: The original Treaty of Tordesillas written in Portuguese is now archived at Torre do Tombo in Lisbon, the original document can be seen at the digital archive of Torre do Tombo click here to see this secular document.

2: The Jesus Conventry in Setúbal dates back to 1490, was the place where the Portuguese king signed the last version of the most imported treaty of Portuguese history. The Convetry was close for 20 years and reopened in 2015 so now you can visit this national monument and one of the first Manueline buildings.

3: The village of Tordesillas in Spain is located near Valladolid there you can visit the House of the Treaty, where the original Treaty was signed and you can also visit the Treaty Museum. 

4: A well known Portuguese expression “sem pés, nem cabeça” (without heads or feet) meaning that it makes no sense emerged and became popular during the discussion of the Treaty of Tordesillas by the king D. João II, when he used it to describe the Spanish Ambassadors, because one of the ambassadors of Spain was lame and according to him, the other lacked common sense.

5: What is a Légua (League)? From the several ancient measuring units, before the standardization of the metric system, the league is the one that presents more variation. For example, the maritime league used by the Portuguese in the Age of Discovery could measure between 4.5 to 6 km. Interesting to know is that the Légua or League is always a long distance measure that could measure something between 2 and 7km.[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]

Want to find out more about the Tordesilhas Treaty and the discovery of Brasil? Come along in your historical tour

Sale through the streets of Lisbon with our Caravel on Wheels and get to know many more secrets about Lisbon, on a unique Lisbon tour that shows you Lisbon top attractions and many more videos about Lisbon history.[/vc_column_text][vc_btn title=”Book your tour here!” color=”primary” size=”lg” align=”center” link=”url:http%3A%2F%2Fwww.caravelonwheels.com%2Fbuy-tickets|||”][vc_message]Recommended book

The First Global Village – How Portugal Changed the World, Martin Page[/vc_message][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_column_text]

Are you planning a trip to Lisbon, Portugal?

Learn more about our Caravel on Wheels Lisbon city tour, a unique bus tour guided by video where you will learn more about Prince Henry the Navigator and many more Portuguese heroes while sightseeing in Lisbon. Book our Best of Lisbon city tour on the caravel touristic bus for sightseeing in Lisbon.

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And when in Lisbon… learn history while sightseeing with our Caravel on Wheels historical tour![/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_gallery interval=”3″ images=”9962,9972,9982,6269″ img_size=”large”][/vc_column][/vc_row]