Prince Henry the Navigator

Prince Henry of Portugal, Duke of Viseu, better known in English as Prince Henry the Navigator, was a Portuguese prince and a key figure in the early days of the Portuguese Empire. He played a central role in the beginning of what is called the Age of Discovery. Henry was the third child of King John I of Portugal, who founded the House of Aviz.

After helping to create the new caravel ship, Henry led the effort to explore and trade with other parts of the world. He focused on exploring Western Africa, the islands of the Atlantic Ocean, and searching for new trade routes. Henry encouraged his father to capture Ceuta, a Muslim port on the coast of North Africa across the Straits of Gibraltar from the Iberian Peninsula. He was very interested in learning about the Saharan trade routes and was fascinated by stories of Prester John. Because of his support and guidance, he is often called the patron of Portuguese exploration. Prince Henry passed away on 13 November 1460 in Vila do Bispo, in the region of Algarve.

Early life

The Casa do Infante, in Porto, is traditionally considered Prince Henry's birthplace.

Prince Henry the Navigator was the third son of King John I and Philippa, sister of King Henry IV of England. He grew up in or near Porto. As a young man, Henry helped lead an expedition to capture the city of Ceuta in northern Morocco in 1415. Ceuta was a base for pirates who attacked Portuguese villages. Henry helped plan and lead the group that took Ceuta, and for his success he was made Duke of Viseu and given important responsibilities.

After Ceuta was captured, Henry learned more about lands to the south from people they met. This information inspired him to explore further by sea. In 1419, he became the governor of the Algarve, a region in southern Portugal.

Resources and income

On May 25, 1420, Henry became the administrator of the Order of Christ, which provided important funds for his plans, including attempts to conquer the Canary Islands. In 1431, he donated houses for teaching various sciences, which later became part of the University of Lisbon.

Henry also gained rights to profits from trading in areas he discovered and a monopoly on tuna fishing in the Algarve. He played a key role in promoting Portuguese exploration in the Atlantic Ocean and Africa.

Vila do Infante and Portuguese exploration

The Fortress of Sagres, near Cape St. Vincent in the Algarve, is said to have been the seat of the legendary Sagres school.

Prince Henry the Navigator repopulated a village in Algarve that he called Terçanabal. This village was later named Vila do Infante, meaning "Estate or Town of the Prince." It was in a good location for his sea adventures.

People used to think that Henry had a special school for sailors and map-makers at a place called Sagres. But historians now say this was not true. Henry did hire map-makers to help chart the coast of Mauritania, but there was no big science center or organized group for navigation like some stories say. Even so, a famous Portuguese mathematician, Pedro Nunes, said that sailors from Sagres were well-prepared with tools and knowledge for their journeys.

Henry's explorations

Map depicting Atlantic winds (green), currents (blue) and approximate Portuguese sailing routes (red) utilizing the Volta do mar technique, perfected under Prince Henry.

Prince Henry began exploring the coast of Africa, which was mostly unknown to Europeans at the time. He wanted to find the source of West African gold and a legendary Christian kingdom, as well as stop pirate attacks on Portugal’s coast. To help with these voyages, a new type of ship called the caravel was developed. This ship was lighter, faster, and could sail better against the wind than older ships. It used a special sail called the lateen sail, which helped sailors travel far into the Atlantic Ocean.

Henry supported many voyages and took a tax of 20% from any profits made. These trips often used small ships that followed the coast, stopping to rest on shore each night. Portuguese sailors learned how to use the patterns of wind to travel efficiently across the ocean, a skill that later helped explorers reach new parts of the world. Some of these early voyages led to the discovery of islands like Madeira and the Azores, and slowly, explorers moved down the west coast of Africa, passing old barriers like Cape Bojador and reaching places such as the Senegal River and the Cape Verde islands.

Expedition to Alcácer-Ceguer

Late in his life, Prince Henry joined an expedition led by King Afonso V against the north-African town of Kasr es-Seghir. This town was used by pirates from the Marinid sultanate, with whom Portugal was at war.

After the Ottomans captured Constantinople in 1453, Pope Calixtus III called for a Crusade, and Portugal answered the call. Although Pope Calixtus III passed away in August 1458, King Afonso V decided to attack Tangier in Morocco but was persuaded to target Ksar es-Seghir instead. The Portuguese fleet, consisting of around 200 to 220 ships and about 25,000 to 26,000 warriors, gathered in Lagos before setting sail for Alcácer-Ceguer in October 1458. Prince Henry led the Algarve detachment during this campaign.

Origin of the "Navigator" nickname

No one called Prince Henry "the Navigator" during his lifetime or for many years after. The name was created by two German historians in the 1800s. Later, British authors used it in their books about him.

At the time, Prince Henry was not known for being very smart. It was much later that writers said he was very interested in maps and learning about faraway places. The idea that he started a special school for explorers called the "Sagres school" was made up even later. Over time, people began to see him as a big helper in exploring new places.

Main article: Sagres school

Death and legacy

Prince Henry the Navigator died on November 13, 1460. He was first buried in the Church of Saint Mary of Lagos and later moved to the Monastery of Batalha, where his tomb can still be visited today. He is also shown in the Monument of the Discoveries in Lisbon.

In 1994, the Prince Henry Society and the Portuguese government gave Prince Henry the Navigator Park to New Bedford, Massachusetts. Before Portugal started using the euro in 2002, his picture appeared on the largest banknote of the Portuguese escudo.

Monuments to Prince Henry can be found in many places around the world, including: