The square in front of the Discoveries Monument depicts an enormous Rosa dos Ventos (a large compass), artistically and cleverly designed to pay homage to the Portuguese navigators of olden times. The image can be seen in all its glory from the top of the Discoveries monument or better still from an airplane. Also on the ground, you can see the outlined routes of the conquests and discoveries that contributed to Portugal’s historical golden age.

Chronology of Portuguese expansion found in the Wind Rose. (in italics are the names and dates that historians today have doubts about)

1418 Madeira – 1427 Azores – 1434 Cape Bojador – 1444 Cape Verde
1460 Guinea – 1471 Mina – 1475 São Tomé and Príncipe – 1483 Congo
1483 Angola – 1488 Cape of Good Hope – 1497 Natal – 1498 Quelimane
1498 India Calicut – 1498 Malindi – 1500 Madagascar – 1500 Newfoundland
1500 Brazil Porto Seguro – 1502 Cananea – 1505 Ceylon – 1507 Hormuz
1509 Daman – 1509 Malacca – 1511 Pegu – 1512 Moluccas – 1512 Timor
1514 Rio da Prata – 1514 Rio de Cantão – 1516 Ganges River – 1525 Palau Islands