The Portuguese king Manuel I, known as “the Fortunate”, was notable for continuing his predecessor’s legacy of investing in maritime expansion.

The mariners Pedro Álvares Cabral and Vasco da Gama charted the maritime routes to territories that led to an increase in trade.

Mindful of what the nation required, Manuel I implemented the administrative and legal reforms the Portuguese Empire needed, establishing the first public postal service in Portugal in 1520.

More than 500 years after the creation of the Office of Postmaster General by Manuel I, this exhibition highlights crucial moments in his reign, such as Vasco da Gama’s journey to India, Pedro Álvares Cabral’s arrival in Brazil and the ships and nautical instruments of the era, through original stamps and drawings.

In addition to the maritime campaigns, the stamps celebrate outstanding figures from Portuguese science and culture in the 16th century, such as Pedro Nunes, Gil Vicente and Damião de Góis. They also illustrate how the Manueline style, which introduced naturalist and national motifs, such as the cross of the Order of Christ, inspired the architecture of this period.

This was an era in which Manueline emblems were adopted and perpetuated in time as national symbols, representing the conquest of a new world and Portugal’s growing affirmation on the oceans and in the continents beyond the Cape of Good Hope.

The exhibition will be open until 31 December 2024 in the Stamp Gallery.