Padrão
Encyclopedia
A padrão was a large stone cross inscribed with the coat of arms
of Portugal
that was placed as part of a land claim by numerous Portuguese explorers during the Portuguese
Age of Discovery
. Notable explorers known to have erected padrões were Diogo Cão
, Bartolomeu Dias
and Vasco da Gama
.
The Lisbon Geographic Society
managed to restore in the 20th century three padrões erected by Diogo Cão and one by Bartolomeu Dias.
At the Dias Cross Memorial
on the coast of South Africa
's Eastern Cape
province, there is a replica padrão on a spectacular outcrop (False Island - Kwaaihoek
in Afrikaans
, meaning "Nasty corner"); it marks the site of Dias' most easterly landfall after becoming the first European navigator to round the Cape of Good Hope
. The original padrão was discovered by Arthur Axelson in the 1930s - it had fallen, or was pushed, off the top of Kwaaihoek and was in pieces in the gullies below. Axelson recovered these pieces and was able to reconstruct the padrão and the reconstructed original now stands in the William Cullen Library of the University of the Witwatersrand
in Johannesburg
.
Indonesia National Museum hosts the Luso Sundanese padrão
erected by Henrique Leme in 1522 in Sunda Kalapa port (present day Tugu, sub-district of Jakarta
, Indonesia
).
Coat of arms of Portugal
The coat of arms of Portugal was officially adopted on 30 June 1911, along with the republican flag of Portugal. It is based on the coat of arms used by the Portuguese Kingdom since the Middle Ages.-History and meaning:...
of Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
that was placed as part of a land claim by numerous Portuguese explorers during the Portuguese
Portugal in the Age of Discovery
During the history of Portugal between 1415 and 1578, Portugal discovered an eastern route to India that rounded the Cape of Good Hope, discovered Brazil, established trading routes throughout most of southern Asia, colonized selected areas of Africa, and sent the first direct European maritime...
Age of Discovery
Age of Discovery
The Age of Discovery, also known as the Age of Exploration and the Great Navigations , was a period in history starting in the early 15th century and continuing into the early 17th century during which Europeans engaged in intensive exploration of the world, establishing direct contacts with...
. Notable explorers known to have erected padrões were Diogo Cão
Diogo Cão
Diogo Cão was a Portuguese explorer and one of the most remarkable navigators of the Age of Discovery, who made two voyages sailing along the west coast of Africa to Namibia in the 1480s.-Early life and family:...
, Bartolomeu Dias
Bartolomeu Dias
Bartolomeu Dias , a nobleman of the Portuguese royal household, was a Portuguese explorer who sailed around the southernmost tip of Africa in 1488, the first European known to have done so.-Purposes of the Dias expedition:...
and Vasco da Gama
Vasco da Gama
Vasco da Gama, 1st Count of Vidigueira was a Portuguese explorer, one of the most successful in the Age of Discovery and the commander of the first ships to sail directly from Europe to India...
.
The Lisbon Geographic Society
Lisbon Geographic Society
The Lisbon Geographic Society is a Portuguese scientific society created in Lisbon in the year of 1875, aiming to "promote and assist the study and progress of geography and related sciences in Portugal."...
managed to restore in the 20th century three padrões erected by Diogo Cão and one by Bartolomeu Dias.
At the Dias Cross Memorial
Dias Cross Memorial
The Dias Cross Memorial is a provincial heritage site in Alexandria in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. It can be seen from miles away from its distinctive colors.In 1945 it was described in the Government Gazette as-References:*...
on the coast of South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
's Eastern Cape
Eastern Cape
The Eastern Cape is a province of South Africa. Its capital is Bhisho, but its two largest cities are Port Elizabeth and East London. It was formed in 1994 out of the "independent" Xhosa homelands of Transkei and Ciskei, together with the eastern portion of the Cape Province...
province, there is a replica padrão on a spectacular outcrop (False Island - Kwaaihoek
Kwaaihoek
Kwaaihoek is a rocky headland on the coast of Algoa Bay, near Bushman's River Mouth in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. It is here that the Portuguese navigator Bartholomeu Dias erected the Padrão de São Gregório, his first padrão, or stone cross on 12 March 1488...
in Afrikaans
Afrikaans
Afrikaans is a West Germanic language, spoken natively in South Africa and Namibia. It is a daughter language of Dutch, originating in its 17th century dialects, collectively referred to as Cape Dutch .Afrikaans is a daughter language of Dutch; see , , , , , .Afrikaans was historically called Cape...
, meaning "Nasty corner"); it marks the site of Dias' most easterly landfall after becoming the first European navigator to round the Cape of Good Hope
Cape of Good Hope
The Cape of Good Hope is a rocky headland on the Atlantic coast of the Cape Peninsula, South Africa.There is a misconception that the Cape of Good Hope is the southern tip of Africa, because it was once believed to be the dividing point between the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. In fact, the...
. The original padrão was discovered by Arthur Axelson in the 1930s - it had fallen, or was pushed, off the top of Kwaaihoek and was in pieces in the gullies below. Axelson recovered these pieces and was able to reconstruct the padrão and the reconstructed original now stands in the William Cullen Library of the University of the Witwatersrand
University of the Witwatersrand
The University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg is a South African university situated in the northern areas of central Johannesburg. It is more commonly known as Wits University...
in Johannesburg
Johannesburg
Johannesburg also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli, is the largest city in South Africa, by population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa...
.
Indonesia National Museum hosts the Luso Sundanese padrão
Luso Sundanese padrão
The Luso Sundanese padrão is a stone pillar commemorating the Sunda–Portuguese treaty, better known as the Luso-Sundanese Treaty of Sunda Kalapa.-History:...
erected by Henrique Leme in 1522 in Sunda Kalapa port (present day Tugu, sub-district of Jakarta
Jakarta
Jakarta is the capital and largest city of Indonesia. Officially known as the Special Capital Territory of Jakarta, it is located on the northwest coast of Java, has an area of , and a population of 9,580,000. Jakarta is the country's economic, cultural and political centre...
, Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
).