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padrão
EntityQ1463776· pop 23· linked from 51 articles

thumb|Replica of a placed by Diogo Cão on Cape Cross, Namibia.

Wikidata facts

Instance of
sculpture
Subclass of
memorial
Country
Portugal
Country of origin
Portugal
Image
Dubtrix Padrão, Nazaré.jpg
Show 2 more facts
Commons category
Padrões
Sources (1)

via Wikidata · CC0

~4 min read

Encyclopedic overview

5 sections
Contents
  • History
  • List of padrões
  • See also
  • References
  • Sources

thumb|Replica of a placed by Diogo Cão on Cape Cross, Namibia.

A padrão (, ; plural: ) is a stone pillar left by Portuguese maritime explorers in the 15th and 16th centuries to record significant landfalls and thereby establish primacy and possession. They were often placed on promontories and capes or at the mouths of major rivers. Early markers were simple wooden pillars or crosses but they deteriorated quickly in the tropical climate where they were often erected. Later, padrões were carved from stone in the form of a pillar surmounted by a cross and the royal coat of arms.

Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “padrão” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.

Gallery (3)

On the map

18 mapped locations