ESSA Lisbon: Padrão dos Descobrimentos

 

If I had a nickel for every time I saw a piece of monumental sculpture that I loved only to find out that it was dedicated to fascism, I would have two nickels. It isn't a lot but it's definitely weird that it happened twice.

This is the Padrão dos Descobrimentos, in English the Monument to Discovery or Monument to the Navigators. This colossal sculpture was commissioned by Portuguese dictator António de Oliveira Salazar and executed by Cottinelli Telmo and Leopoldo de Almeida (https://pt.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Padr%C3%A3o_dos_Descobrimentos). It's a 100- to 150-foot-tall tower with larger-than-life depictions on either side of prominent explorers, inventors, and other prominent Portuguese figures who contributed to the Portuguese Age of Exploration. At the point of this line of figures is Prince Henry the Navigator, often heralded as the father of the Age of Exploration. The whole structure is made of concrete and white stone that shone brightly in the sun. It is an impressive display, to be sure. 

Why build a monument in the fascist style? Usually, it seems to come down to power. Portugal was once a dominant colonial force throughout the world with colonies in the Americas, Africa, and Asia. When Spain expelled the Jews from their country Portugal followed suit to drive Jews from the whole peninsula. While it's a Jewish stereotype that Jews are always involved in banking and are wealthy, to some extent this was accurate because the centuries following their expulsion were marked by bankruptcy and economic strife for Spain and Portugal. By the time Salazar came to power, Portugal had lost most of its colonies. This monument was likely propaganda seeking to revitalize Portugal's status as a colonial power, at least in the minds of its citizens, even if it wasn't true anymore. 

But why keep it? It's in many ways a monument to a dictator's ego and political midlife crisis. It honors and commemorates Portugal's past prowess as colonialists and slavers. However, I think they keep it, love it, and put it on their postcards because it is, for better or for worse, a monument to history. Whitewashed history is not a great place for culture to take root and grow. This monument, however, is at least honest. It’s a monument to Portugal's unpleasant origins written in the language of their recent, fascist past. In this way, I think a monument like this can actually contribute to a cultural capital because it fosters a more intimate and truthful interaction with the history of Portugal.