EPISODE · May 28, 2026 · 5 MIN
Portugal's Secret Map: The Cantino Planisphere of 1502
from The History of Portugal: The Small Nation That Built a Global Empire — Fexingo History · host Fexingo
In 1502, an Italian spy smuggled a stolen Portuguese map out of Lisbon — one of the earliest maps to show the newly discovered coast of Brazil and the precise route to India. The Cantino Planisphere, named after the spy Alberto Cantino, captures a moment when Portugal tried to guard its oceanic knowledge like a state secret, yet the map itself reveals how leaky that secrecy really was. In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the creation of the map, its covert journey to Italy, and what it tells us about Portuguese cartography, exploration, and the early global spy network. They discuss the role of the Casa da Índia, the padrão system of markers, and how the Treaty of Tordesillas boundaries were drawn on this very map. A story of spies, sailors, and the birth of modern cartography. #CantinoPlanisphere #AlbertoCantino #PortugueseCartography #AgeOfDiscovery #CasaDaIndia #TreatyOfTordesillas #EstadoDaIndia #CarreiraDaIndia #Padrao #SpyHistory #MapHistory #BrazilDiscovery #1502 #RenaissanceMaps #History #FexingoHistory #Portugal #Exploration Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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Portugal's Secret Map: The Cantino Planisphere of 1502
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