Coins of Portugal 500 Escudos Silver Coin 1983 XVII European Art Exhibition
Obverse: Cross and globe divides date.
Reverse: Styilized castle within 1/2 beaded circle.
Composition: Silver 0.835.
Weight: 7 g.
ASW: 0.1879 oz.
Lisbon, Spring – Summer 1983
By 1500, the great voyages of discovery initiated by Portugal’s seafarers in the mid-fifteenth century had made Lisbon the capital of an empire stretching from the Indies to Brazil, and had played a major part in giving Europe a window on the rest of the world. Bearing witness to this age of wealth and growth, the great buildings constructed under Manuel I (1495-1521) housed this massive historical exhibition, covering art, science, technology and ideas. Its ship-building and map-making skills, and above all the astrolabe which enabled its ships to steer by the stars, were the instruments of Portugal’s expansion.
The story was told in the exhibition’s main section, for which the Jerónimos Monastery – a masterpiece of Manueline architecture, blending late Gothic and oriental influences – provided a sumptuous setting. From botany to zoology, all the sciences gained from the great voyages of discovery, while a new sense of the world’s immensity and contacts with unknown peoples did much to shake Europe’s old certainties. All of this is reflected in the exotic beasts and landscapes featured in the Portuguese art of the time, which absorbs these elements and the influence of other European countries without losing its own character. The exhibition also included an extensive display of weapons (in the Belem Tower) and traced the history of the Aviz dynasty, which dominated this great period, when Portugal was one of the world’s leading maritime powers.