In fact, this “Portuguese Golden Age” is known worldwide as the Age of Portuguese Discoveries. The Jerónimos Monastery benefited from substantial funding from King Manuel I, since the monarch lived during the period of the greatest expansion of the Portuguese Empire, promoting the discovery of the maritime route to India (by Vasco da Gama) and the discovery of Brazil (by Pedro Álvares Cabral). After choosing the location, on the north bank of the Tagus River and in front of the old Restelo Beach, the works began around 1501-02. In 1496, the then King Manuel I asked the Holy See for authorization to found a large monastery dedicated to the Virgin Mary and destined for the Order of Saint Jerome, on the outskirts of Lisbon.
