Shows / The History of Portugal: The Small Nation That Built a Global Empire — Fexingo History
The History of Portugal: The Small Nation That Built a Global Empire — Fexingo History
How did a small, sun-scorched nation on the edge of Europe become the continent's first global empire? From the reconquest of Lisbon in 1147 to the Carnation Revolution of 1974, Portugal's story is one of improbable ambition, breathtaking discovery, and profound cultural fusion. Join hosts Lucas and Luna as they trace the rise of the Kingdom of Portugal under the Burgundian dynasty, the Age of Discoveries that sent explorers like Vasco da Gama around Africa to India, and the creation of a…
Episodes
The History of Portugal: The Small Nation That Built a Global Empire — Fexingo HistoryThe Battle of Diu That Sealed Portuguese Supremacy in the Indian Ocean
In February 1509, off the coast of Diu in modern-day Gujarat, a Portuguese fleet of about 18 ships faced a combined force of Mamluks, Ottomans, Gujaratis, and…
- The History of Portugal: The Small Nation That Built a Global Empire — Fexingo History
The Portuguese Discovery of Brazil and the Pau-Brasil Trade
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the early Portuguese encounters with the land that would become Brazil. They focus on the first contact by Pedro…
- The History of Portugal: The Small Nation That Built a Global Empire — Fexingo History
The Portuguese Inquisition's Secret Weapon: The Mesa da Consciência e Ordens
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the shadowy bureaucracy behind the Portuguese Inquisition. Beyond the auto-da-fé and the tribunals, they uncover the…
- The History of Portugal: The Small Nation That Built a Global Empire — Fexingo History
Portugal's Maritime Legacy: The Caravel That Changed the World
In this episode of The History of Portugal, Lucas and Luna explore the humble caravel, the small but revolutionary ship that enabled Portugal's global…
- The History of Portugal: The Small Nation That Built a Global Empire — Fexingo History
The Forgotten Portuguese Utopia of El Rei D. Sebastião
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the strange and powerful myth of Sebastianism — the belief that Portugal's young King Sebastião, who vanished at…
- The History of Portugal: The Small Nation That Built a Global Empire — Fexingo History
The Portuguese Restoration War: How Portugal Broke Free from Spain
In 1640, a group of Portuguese nobles stormed the royal palace in Lisbon, ending sixty years of Spanish rule under the Iberian Union. This episode follows the…
- The History of Portugal: The Small Nation That Built a Global Empire — Fexingo History
The Portuguese Discovery of Brazil and the Pau-Brasil Trade
In this episode of The History of Portugal: The Small Nation That Built a Global Empire, Lucas and Luna explore the early Portuguese encounters with Brazil…
- The History of Portugal: The Small Nation That Built a Global Empire — Fexingo History
Fernão de Magalhães: The Portuguese Navigator Who Sailed for Spain
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the extraordinary life of Fernão de Magalhães—better known as Ferdinand Magellan—the Portuguese navigator who, after…
- The History of Portugal: The Small Nation That Built a Global Empire — Fexingo History
Prince Henry the Navigator and the School of Sagres Myth
For centuries, stories have told of Prince Henry the Navigator founding a grand school of navigation at Sagres, a cutting-edge institute where the finest minds…
- The History of Portugal: The Small Nation That Built a Global Empire — Fexingo History
Portugal's Pilgrim Port: The Flemish Connection at Cabo de São Vicente
Lucas and Luna explore a surprising chapter of Portuguese maritime history: the role of the Cabo de São Vicente and its lighthouse-monastery in the 15th and…
- The History of Portugal: The Small Nation That Built a Global Empire — Fexingo History
Portuguese Traders in Japan: The Nanban Trade
In the mid-16th century, Portuguese traders and missionaries reached Japan, sparking a vibrant exchange known as the Nanban trade. This episode explores how…
- The History of Portugal: The Small Nation That Built a Global Empire — Fexingo History
The Portuguese Empire's Forgotten General: Matias de Albuquerque
In 1630, the Dutch West India Company launched an invasion of Brazil's northeast, capturing Recife and Olinda. The Portuguese crown, then under the…
- The History of Portugal: The Small Nation That Built a Global Empire — Fexingo History
Portugal's Forgotten Jewish Legacy: The Rise and Fall of the Lisbon Synagogue
This episode explores the little-known history of Portugal's Jewish community, from the golden age of the Lisbon synagogue to the forced conversions and…
- The History of Portugal: The Small Nation That Built a Global Empire — Fexingo History
Portugal's Trade Empire: The Cartaz System that Ruled the Indian Ocean
In Episode 84 of The History of Portugal, Lucas and Luna explore the ingenious and controversial 'cartaz' system — a naval licensing strategy that…
- The History of Portugal: The Small Nation That Built a Global Empire — Fexingo History
The Portuguese Discovery of Ceylon: Spice, War, and Empire
In 1505, a Portuguese fleet under Lourenço de Almeida was blown off course and stumbled upon the island of Ceylon, modern-day Sri Lanka. This episode explores…
- The History of Portugal: The Small Nation That Built a Global Empire — Fexingo History
Portugal's Monopoly on the Spice Trade and Its Collapse
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore how Portugal built and then lost its monopoly on the spice trade, the economic backbone of its empire for over a…
- The History of Portugal: The Small Nation That Built a Global Empire — Fexingo History
The Last Stand of the Portuguese Empire in Africa: The Battle of Mbwila
In 1665, the Portuguese Empire faced its most devastating defeat in Africa at the Battle of Mbwila in present-day Angola. This episode explores the rise and…
- The History of Portugal: The Small Nation That Built a Global Empire — Fexingo History
The Portuguese Empire's Lost Explorer: Diogo Cão and the Congo
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the largely overlooked story of Diogo Cão, the Portuguese explorer who in the 1480s pushed down the west coast of…
- The History of Portugal: The Small Nation That Built a Global Empire — Fexingo History
The Portuguese Slave Trade: From Arguim to Brazil
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the origins and evolution of Portugal's involvement in the transatlantic slave trade. Starting with the capture of…
- The History of Portugal: The Small Nation That Built a Global Empire — Fexingo History
The Portuguese Empire's African Fortresses: Slaves, Gold, and Ivory
This episode of The History of Portugal takes listeners to the West African coast, where the Portuguese built a chain of stone fortresses—Elmina, São Jorge da…
- The History of Portugal: The Small Nation That Built a Global Empire — Fexingo History
The Portuguese Crown Jewels Lost in the 1755 Earthquake
When the Great Lisbon Earthquake struck on November 1, 1755, it didn't just level buildings—it swallowed the crown jewels of Portugal. In this episode…
- The History of Portugal: The Small Nation That Built a Global Empire — Fexingo History
Portugal's African Queen: Nzinga's War Against the Portuguese
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the extraordinary story of Queen Nzinga of Ndongo and Matamba, who led a decades-long resistance against Portuguese…
- The History of Portugal: The Small Nation That Built a Global Empire — Fexingo History
The Portuguese Inquisition in Goa: Faith, Fear and Empire in Asia
In the 16th century, the Portuguese Inquisition established a tribunal in Goa, India, that would operate for over 250 years. This episode explores how the Holy…
- The History of Portugal: The Small Nation That Built a Global Empire — Fexingo History
The Portuguese Fortress of Diu: Siege, Spice, and Survival
In 1538, a massive Ottoman fleet besieged the tiny Portuguese fortress of Diu on India's Gujarat coast. How did a few hundred defenders hold out against…
- The History of Portugal: The Small Nation That Built a Global Empire — Fexingo History
Portugal's Forgotten Pirate: Fernão Mendes Pinto's Asian Adventures
In this episode of The History of Portugal, Lucas and Luna dive into the incredible true story of Fernão Mendes Pinto, a 16th-century Portuguese adventurer…
- The History of Portugal: The Small Nation That Built a Global Empire — Fexingo History
Portugal's First Embassy to China: The Tomé Pires Disaster
In 1517, Portugal dispatched its first official embassy to Ming China, led by the apothecary-turned-diplomat Tomé Pires. This episode follows the ill-fated…
- The History of Portugal: The Small Nation That Built a Global Empire — Fexingo History
Portugal's Wine Empire: The Treaty of Methuen and Port
How did a small European nation build a global empire fueled by wine? In this episode of The History of Portugal, we uncork the story of the Treaty of Methuen…
- The History of Portugal: The Small Nation That Built a Global Empire — Fexingo History
The Lisbon Earthquake of 1755
On November 1, 1755, All Saints' Day, Lisbon was devastated by a massive earthquake, followed by a tsunami and fires that destroyed much of the city. This…
- The History of Portugal: The Small Nation That Built a Global Empire — Fexingo History
The Portuguese Discovery of Brazil: Cabral's Accidental Empire
In 1500, Pedro Álvares Cabral set sail for India but ended up bumping into a landmass that would become Brazil. This episode explores the curious circumstances…
- The History of Portugal: The Small Nation That Built a Global Empire — Fexingo History
The Portuguese Empire's Chinese Puzzle: Macau 1557
In 1557, Portugal secured a permanent foothold in China through Macau, a territory that would remain under Portuguese administration until 1999. This episode…
- The History of Portugal: The Small Nation That Built a Global Empire — Fexingo History
Portugal's Forgotten African Empire: The Bandeirantes of São Paulo
While Portugal's maritime empire is well-known, a different kind of expansion was happening inland in South America. This episode explores the…
- The History of Portugal: The Small Nation That Built a Global Empire — Fexingo History
Portugal's Forgotten Colony: The Battle for Brazil's Northeast
In 1630, the Dutch West India Company launched a massive invasion of Brazil's northeast, seizing Recife and Olinda from the Portuguese. This episode tells…
- The History of Portugal: The Small Nation That Built a Global Empire — Fexingo History
Portugal's Forgotten Asian Capital: The Rise and Fall of Goa
Goa, seized by Afonso de Albuquerque in 1510, became the heart of Portugal's Estado da Índia—a dazzling city of churches, palaces, and markets that…
- The History of Portugal: The Small Nation That Built a Global Empire — Fexingo History
Portugal's Secret Map: The Cantino Planisphere of 1502
In 1502, an Italian spy smuggled a stolen Portuguese map out of Lisbon — one of the earliest maps to show the newly discovered coast of Brazil and the precise…
- The History of Portugal: The Small Nation That Built a Global Empire — Fexingo History
The Forgotten Treaty: Portugal's Tordesillas Line and Its Global Legacy
In this episode of The History of Portugal, Lucas and Luna explore the Treaty of Tordesillas of 1494—the papal-brokered agreement that divided the non-European…
- The History of Portugal: The Small Nation That Built a Global Empire — Fexingo History
Portugal's Jewish Legacy: The Rise and Fall of the Lisbon Synagogue
In this episode of The History of Portugal, Lucas and Luna explore the rich but often overlooked history of Portugal's Jewish community, focusing on the…
- The History of Portugal: The Small Nation That Built a Global Empire — Fexingo History
Portugal's Secret Weapon: The Carreira da Índia and the Spice Trade
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the Carreira da Índia, Portugal's legendary annual voyage between Lisbon and Goa that for over two centuries was…
- The History of Portugal: The Small Nation That Built a Global Empire — Fexingo History
Portugal's Spice Monopoly: How Pepper Built an Empire
In the early 16th century, Portugal held a monopoly on the global spice trade, controlling the flow of pepper, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg from Asia to…
- The History of Portugal: The Small Nation That Built a Global Empire — Fexingo History
Portugal's African Queen: Nzinga of Ndongo and Matamba
In this episode of The History of Portugal, Lucas and Luna delve into the remarkable life of Queen Nzinga of Ndongo and Matamba, a 17th-century African ruler…
- The History of Portugal: The Small Nation That Built a Global Empire — Fexingo History
The Portuguese Restoration War: 1640 Rebellion and Independence
In 1640, Portugal rose against sixty years of Spanish rule under the Habsburgs, sparking the Restoration War that would last nearly three decades. This episode…
- The History of Portugal: The Small Nation That Built a Global Empire — Fexingo History
Portugal's Maritime Code: The Regimento and Empire
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the Regimento, Portugal's groundbreaking maritime code that governed every aspect of long-distance voyages during…
- The History of Portugal: The Small Nation That Built a Global Empire — Fexingo History
Portugal's Forgotten Royal Refuge: The Island of Terceira
When the heirless King Sebastião fell at Alcácer Quibir in 1578, Portugal faced a succession crisis that would lead to 60 years of Spanish rule. But not…
- The History of Portugal: The Small Nation That Built a Global Empire — Fexingo History
The Portuguese Inquisition: Faith, Power and Persecution in the Empire
In the wake of the Iberian Union and the crisis of Alcácer Quibir, the Portuguese Inquisition tightened its grip on the empire. Established in 1536, this…
- The History of Portugal: The Small Nation That Built a Global Empire — Fexingo History
Portugal's First Voyage to India Vasco da Gama's Lost Logbook
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the pivotal first voyage of Vasco da Gama (1497–1499) that opened the sea route to India around Africa. They delve into…
- The History of Portugal: The Small Nation That Built a Global Empire — Fexingo History
Portugal's African Fortresses: Elmina, Mombasa and the Slave Trade
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the Portuguese network of African fortresses, focusing on São Jorge da Mina (Elmina) in present-day Ghana and Fort…
- The History of Portugal: The Small Nation That Built a Global Empire — Fexingo History
Portugal's Japanese Christian Martyrs and the Shimabara Aftermath
In 1597, twenty-six Christians were crucified in Nagasaki, the first mass martyrdom of the persecutions that would culminate in the Shimabara Rebellion. This…
- The History of Portugal: The Small Nation That Built a Global Empire — Fexingo History
The Portuguese and the Dutch East India Company Rivalry in Asia
In the early 17th century, the Portuguese Estado da Índia faced a new threat: the Dutch East India Company (VOC). This episode explores the rivalry that…
- The History of Portugal: The Small Nation That Built a Global Empire — Fexingo History
The Battle of Alcácer Quibir: Portugal's Lost King and the Birth of the Iberian Union
In 1578, young King Sebastião of Portugal launched a crusade into Morocco that ended in disaster at the Battle of Alcácer Quibir. The king vanished, leaving no…
- The History of Portugal: The Small Nation That Built a Global Empire — Fexingo History
Portugal's Lost Colony: The Battle for Colonia del Sacramento
In 1680, a tiny Portuguese settlement on the Rio de la Plata nearly sparked a war between two fading empires. Colonia del Sacramento, founded by Dom Manuel…
- The History of Portugal: The Small Nation That Built a Global Empire — Fexingo History
The Portuguese-Timorese Sandalwood Trade and Colonial Conflict
In this episode of The History of Portugal, Lucas and Luna explore the Portuguese presence on Timor, focusing on the sandalwood trade that drew them to the…
- The History of Portugal: The Small Nation That Built a Global Empire — Fexingo History
Portugal's Lost Empire: The Fall of the Estado da Índia
In the 17th century, Portugal's once-mighty Estado da Índia crumbled under pressure from the Dutch and English East India Companies, local rebellions, and…
- The History of Portugal: The Small Nation That Built a Global Empire — Fexingo History
Portugal's Forgotten African Queen: Nzinga of Ndongo
This episode of The History of Portugal turns away from the familiar narratives of Goa, Malacca, and Brazil to explore a figure who outmaneuvered Portuguese…
- The History of Portugal: The Small Nation That Built a Global Empire — Fexingo History
The Portuguese and the Samurai: Mercenaries in the Shimabara Rebellion
In 1637, thousands of Japanese Christians and peasants rose up against the Tokugawa shogunate in the Shimabara Rebellion. Among the defenders of Hara Castle…
- The History of Portugal: The Small Nation That Built a Global Empire — Fexingo History
The Portuguese in Japan: Samurai, Jesuits and the Nanban Trade
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore Portugal's unexpected encounter with Japan in the 1540s. They begin with the arrival of three Portuguese merchants…
- The History of Portugal: The Small Nation That Built a Global Empire — Fexingo History
Portugal's African Fortresses: Elmina, Mombasa and the Slave Trade
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore Portugal's fortified trading posts along the African coast, focusing on São Jorge da Mina (Elmina) in Ghana and…
- The History of Portugal: The Small Nation That Built a Global Empire — Fexingo History
Bandeirantes and the Sertão: Inside Brazil's Paulista Expansion
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the world of the bandeirantes, the mixed-race explorers and slavers from São Paulo who pushed deep into Brazil's…
- The History of Portugal: The Small Nation That Built a Global Empire — Fexingo History
The Portuguese-Brazilian Bandeirantes: Slavers and Explorers
In this episode, Lucas and Luna dive into the world of the bandeirantes, the mixed-race frontiersmen from São Paulo who pushed deep into the South American…
- The History of Portugal: The Small Nation That Built a Global Empire — Fexingo History
The Portuguese in Brazil: Pau-Brasil to Bandeirantes
In this episode, Lucas and Luna trace Portugal's earliest foothold in South America, from the accidental 1500 landing of Pedro Álvares Cabral to the…
- The History of Portugal: The Small Nation That Built a Global Empire — Fexingo History
The Portuguese Conquest of Malacca 1511
In 1511, Afonso de Albuquerque led a Portuguese fleet to conquer the wealthy sultanate of Malacca, a strategic chokehold on the spice trade. This episode dives…
- The History of Portugal: The Small Nation That Built a Global Empire — Fexingo History
The Portuguese-Malacca War 1511 Albuquerque's Conquest
In 1511, Afonso de Albuquerque led a Portuguese fleet to conquer the wealthy Sultanate of Malacca, a strategic port controlling the spice trade of Southeast…