THE Sagres School it would have been an institution founded by Infante Dom Henrique, in the 15th century, with the aim of stimulating Portuguese navigations.
The existence of the school, however, is doubtful and was called into question in the 19th and 20th centuries.
Background
After the Conquest of Ceuta, navigation across the Atlantic became part of the Portuguese State's policy.
Infante Dom Henrique, Duke of Viseu, without the right to inherit the throne, shows interest in sea travel.
So he asked his brother, the regent Dom Pedro (1392-1449), for permission to found a village in the Algarve, in 1443. With this, he obtained a monopoly on travel across the Atlantic.
The foundation letter, dated September 19, 1460, states that the site would be used as a base to assist seamen who were passing through.
They would have access to supplies and could wait for favorable conditions for navigation to continue on their way.
The School of Sagres did not exist as an institution as we know it today. However, infant Dom Henrique's role in sponsoring several expeditions that will advance along the African coast until reaching the Indies is undeniable.
With the Infante's death in 1460, his great-nephew and King Dom João II (1455-1495) continued to protect nautical studies.
The Construction of the Myth
The “legend” surrounding the Escola de Sagres began in the 16th century, when several chroniclers praised Dom Henrique's performance.
In 1660, the Portuguese writer Dom Francisco Manoel (1608-1666), recounts the Infante's effort to found the village, something that was soon transformed into a "school".
Among the subjects taught at the School of Sagres would be astronomy, geography and cartography, taught by professors from all over Europe. However, there is no historical evidence that these people came, nor that they would have taught there.
The objective would be the preparation and teaching of technique to the navigators who provided services to the Infante.
Later accounts and works on the life of Dom Henrique support the existence of the school where the navigator Christopher Columbus would have studied.
Although without documents proving whether it existed or not, the Escola de Sagres was registered in the narratives about the discoveries.
Deconstruction
Only in the 19th century, Portuguese historians refuted the existence of the place, considering that the nautical activity of the time was governed by empirical knowledge.
Therefore, there was no need for in-depth studies on the part of sailors on navigation techniques.
Later, in the 20th century, the thesis was that the school was a scientific academy, which was also deconstructed.
Whether it existed or not, the Escola de Sagres was the motivator for the nautical revolution promoted by the Portuguese in the 15th century.
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