Lisbon under the Aviz Dynasty

Timeline

1. 1385–1438Lisbon · LisbonAfter his victory at Aljubarrota, John I consolidated the Aviz dynasty, strengthening Lisbon's status as the kingdom's political and economic center. The royal family expanded palaces and administrative institutions in the castle district and lower city, transforming the city from a medieval trading port into an Atlantic-facing one.
2. c. 1440–1460Tagus estuary, Lisbon · LisbonPrince Henry established a navigation school and shipbuilding facilities near Lisbon, and the Tagus estuary became a base for caravel construction and ocean resupply. The city's merchant class cooperated with the royal family to advance gradual exploration along the African coast.
3. 1461–1470Lisbon · LisbonIn the early years of Afonso V's reign, Lisbon's port trade was active, with frequent dealings with Flemish and Genoese merchants. The city's population was about thirty to forty thousand, handicrafts and shipbuilding flourished, and African gold and the slave trade were distributed through it, accumulating capital for later expansion.
4. 1471–1520Lisbon · LisbonAfter Vasco da Gama opened the route to India, Lisbon leapt to become Europe's spice trade center. Buildings such as the Belém Tower were constructed, transforming the city's appearance, and the Aviz dynasty's late maritime legacy reached its peak under Manuel I.