500th Anniversary of the Portuguese Missionary expedition to

The full index of our ship stamp archive
Post Reply
aukepalmhof
Posts: 7771
Joined: Thu Apr 02, 2009 1:28 am

500th Anniversary of the Portuguese Missionary expedition to

Post by aukepalmhof » Mon Apr 19, 2021 9:06 pm

This stamp issued by Portugal in 1991 for the 500th anniversary of the Portuguese missionary expedition to the Congo.

The two vessels depict on the stamp are caravels. The ship that truly launched the first phase of the Portuguese discoveries along the African coast was the caravel, a development based on existing fishing boats. They were agile and easier to navigate, with a tonnage of 50 to 160 tons and 1 to 3 masts, with lateen triangular sails allowing luffing. The caravel benefited from a greater capacity to tack. The caravel's limited capacity for cargo and crew were its main drawbacks, but these did not hinder its success.

CONGO MISSION - The journey carried out by Diogo Cão in 1483 was the first step towards a good understanding between Portugal and the Congo. In 1485, good relations with the King of Congo (Manicongo) opened the door to the later expeditions; so, in March 1491 the entourage under the command of Rui de Sousa, baptized on Easter Sunday (April 3, 1491) the Prince of Sonyos and his youngest son, who was named Afonso in honor of the son of João II of Portugal. A month later, the baptism of King “Manicongo” was celebrated, becoming evident the action of the Portuguese in the implantation of Christianity.

https://www.fep.up.pt/docentes/cpimenta ... d011_p.pdf
Portugal 1991 110e sg 2244, Scott 1865
Attachments
1991 5th anniversary of the Portuguese expedition to the Congo.jpg

Post Reply