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Afonso Gonçalves Baldaia

Type Figure Region Portugal Time c. 1415–1460 Also known as Afonso Gonçalves Baldaia、Afonso Goncalves Baldaia

15th-century Portuguese explorer in Prince Henry's service who helped round Cape Bojador in 1434 and reached the Rio de Ouro coast in 1436.

Timeline

  1. c. 1430–1433Lagos · LagosBaldaia joined Prince Henry's maritime enterprise around Lagos, serving as a young squire in fitting out fleets and early probing voyages southward, preparing him to command expeditions.
  2. 1434Cape Bojador · Cape BojadorBaldaia sailed with Gil Eanes's fleet in its successful rounding of Cape Bojador, witnessing the landmark voyage that broke a navigational taboo and becoming a core member of Portuguese exploration along the African coast.
  3. 1436Rio de Ouro · Rio de Ouro regionBaldaia led two ships to the Rio de Ouro coast, where he clashed with local people and captured a Moor. The voyage pushed the Portuguese frontier farther south in the western Sahara and gathered geographical intelligence for later searches for Saharan trade and gold routes.

Sources