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Secondary sourceArtifactBegun 1501

Jerónimos Monastery

Diogo de Boitaca · Begun 1501

A grand monastery near Lisbon's harbour, built with spice-trade wealth near where da Gama prayed before his 1497 voyage; it now holds his tomb.

Da Gama prayed here before his 1497 voyage, and his remains were later moved to a tomb inside.

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Exterior view of the Jerónimos Monastery in Lisbon: a long, ornate white limestone Gothic building with a tall bell tower on the left, arched windows, and a red-tiled roof, under a clear blue sky. A palm tree and a few people stand in the foreground.
Jerónimos Monastery, Belém, Lisbon. Begun 1501.

About this source

What it is

The Jerónimos Monastery is a large former monastery in Belém, near Lisbon, built in the ornate Manueline style. Construction began in 1501 under King Manuel I, funded by taxes on the spice trade with Africa and Asia. It stands near the spot where Vasco da Gama and his crew spent the night in prayer before setting off for India in 1497.

Why it matters

The monastery shows how closely Portugal's royal power, religion and overseas trade were tied together. It was built to thank God for the riches of the India voyages and to serve as a resting place for Portuguese kings. In 1880 da Gama's remains were placed here, near those of Manuel I and John III, the kings he served, turning the building into a monument to the age of exploration.

Look closer

  • Why would a king fund a monastery with money from the spice trade?
  • What does placing da Gama's tomb among royal tombs tell you about how he was remembered?
  • What does the building leave out about the people and places affected by these voyages?

This artifact is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Vasco da Gama on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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