Wars of Memory and Identity Narratives in a Post-colonial World: The Case of the Monument to the Discoveries in Lisbon

In 1940, the Monument to the Discoveries was erected in the Belém area of Lisbon. It was an ephemeral structure, an integral part of the Portuguese World Exhibition. It represented a stylised caravel with Prince Henry the Navigator at the prow, considered the greatest patron of the voyages by sea, undertaken by the Portuguese from the fifteenth century onwards. The sculpture did not just celebrate the Infante, who led a procession of navigators, cartographers, warriors, colonisers, evangelisers and chroniclers, regarded to be the heroes of the Discoveries. The ephemeral structure stood by the Tagus River until 1943, when it was removed from the site. However, in 1959, there was a decision to rebuild it, this time with durable materials. Throughout this period, the monument was a symbol of the Estado Novo dictatorship (1933–1974), presenting an ideologically and politically conditioned nationalist interpretation of part of Portugal’s historical past. In 1985, with an already consolidated democracy, brought about by the revolution of April 1974, the monument’s interior was renovated, and the Cultural Centre of Discoveries inaugurated, now being one of the most visited monuments in the country. In these times of post-coloniality, it has come under great popular scrutiny, becoming a contested heritage site, with some even advocating its destruction, because it symbolises a colonial and oppressive past and represents a historical and collective memory that is only partially told in the public space. This essay focuses on the history of this sculptural and architectural ensemble, seeking to show how it forms part of a heritage of memory, which can and should have various readings, and how it continues to contribute to the construction of Portuguese national identity.