About Us
Prince Henry Himself
Prince Henry, a member of the Portuguese royal family, was born in 1394 and died in 1460. Never in his lifetime did he personally command a ship, and only rarely did he sail the seas. But more than any other man, it was Henry who made long voyages into unkown waters a possibility. His work was the turning point in the history of discovery. He encouraged mapmakers to draw the maps and charts that sailors needed in order to know where they were and where they were going. And if sailing on the open seas was ever to be anything but guesswork, such knowledge was essential.
Prince Henry made navigation a science. He replaced wild fears and superstitions about geography with facts about the world as it really was.
Prince Henry also improved the instruments of navigation, such as the compass. He designed ships that were suited to long, dangerous journeys. He raised money to sponsor frequent voyages of discovery. He trained the crews and personally helped to plan each voyage.
To Henry, exploration was more than just a hobby. It was the central purpose of his life. He never married, seldom enjoyed luxuries, and had few friends other than the men with whom he worked. All of his energis were concentrated on gaining new knowledge. He gathered his information for his own sake, but also to win riches aand power for his nation, Portugal, and to help Christianity in its great struggle against the Muslim religion of the Arab peoples.
Prince Henry lived in a time of great change when European civilization stood ready to embark on great ocean voyages that would prove fateful in the history of the world. Inspirition for those journeys was born in the mind of Prince Henry of Portugal.