Prince Henry the Navigator: Myth and Reality of Portugal's Patron of Discovery

The History of Portugal: The Small Nation That Built a Global Empire — Fexingo History · Aug 5, 2026 · 6m · transcript

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the real story behind Prince Henry the Navigator, the man often credited as the mastermind of Portugal's early maritime expansion. They separate the man from the legend, examining his role as a patron, not a sailor, and the political, religious, and economic motivations that drove the Portuguese down the African coast. Along the way, they touch on the caravel, the nautical school at Sagres, the capture of Ceuta in 1415, the discovery of Madeira and the Azores, the brutal trade in enslaved people, the rise of the cartaz system, and how Henry's…