The Greatest Navigator Vasco da Gama, who paved the sea route from Europe to India, is considered a heroic figure for the Portuguese. The biography of the famous traveler is replete with not only discoveries, but also episodes of piracy and cynical murders.
The date of birth of Vasco is considered to be the interval from 1460 to 1469, since the exact information is still not known. The boy spent his childhood in the village of Sines, located on the sea coast. The boy was a descendant of a noble family and grew up in a wealthy family. Istevan da Gama compensated for his own guilt towards his son with money, so he did not refuse anything.
The boy's parents were in a sinful relationship and were not engaged at the time of his birth. Because of this, the baby was considered a bastard and had no right to claim an inheritance. This circumstance left a strong imprint on the formation of the character of Vasco, who youth I knew that I would have to make my way through life on my own.
In the 15th century, illegitimate boys were tonsured as monks to ensure a full education and upbringing. In 1480, Vasco and his brother entered the Order of Santiago, where they studied mathematics, astronomy and navigation. The boys' teacher is considered to be Abraham Zacuto, who spoke respectfully of his capable students. The next period of the young man’s life is noted by historians as “12 mysterious years.”
Swimming
New information about Vasco da Gama appears in 1492. At this moment, pirates under the French flag captured a Portuguese galleon that was transporting gold from Guinea to Portugal. The offended King Manuel I ordered the experienced navigator to seize all the ships moored along the coast of France. Vasco da Gama's foray was so successful that upon his return from the voyage, he became incredibly popular.
The French returned the loot in exchange for ships. The conflict was resolved successfully. The sailors released from captivity recalled with horror the merciless and evil Portuguese invader, who subjected the men to torture and abuse. According to the stories of the sailors, the ship led by da Gama appeared out of nowhere, and the capture took place with lightning speed.
First trip
King Juan (Manuel's predecessor) dreamed of conquering India and even equipped an expedition, but the raid was unsuccessful. In 1497, the court astrologer and mathematician Abraham Ben Zacuto predicted that the “land of spices” would be conquered by 2 brothers. Remembering the valor and cruelty of the da Gama brothers, the Portuguese monarch appoints young Vasco as head of the expedition. On July 8, a flotilla consisting of three warships (San Rafael, San Gabriel, Berriu) and one transport ship departed from Lisbon.
The squadron safely passed Cape Verde, where the sailors replenished food supplies, and headed towards Africa along Atlantic Ocean. The team saw the shore only 4 months after the start of the journey, having made a stop in St. Helena Bay. Local tribes met the sailors aggressively, starting an armed conflict. In the skirmish, Vasco was seriously wounded in the leg.
Having rounded the Cape of Good Hope, the sailors stopped in Mossel Bay, where they replenished supplies and sank the faulty transport ship. The sailors noticed that the natives wore woven clothes and understood the Arabic dialect. It becomes clear that Arabia is located nearby. The unknown lies ahead, since further territory has not been explored.
Map of Vasco Da Gama's first voyage Due to a lack of provisions and difficult traveling conditions, the sailors fell ill with scurvy, and 50 people died. The team started a riot demanding to return to their homeland. Vasco did not succumb to provocations, but shackled the rebels. As soon as the squadron reached the territory of the Arab merchants, the journey turned into a pirate raid. Vasco da Gama deceived experienced pilots from the Sultan of Malindi. The Sultan concluded an agreement with the Portuguese aimed at destroying the Sheikh of Mombasa. But, having received guides, the treacherous da Gama simply plundered passing ships and fired at the coast.
An Arab pilot suggested the way to India, and in May 1498 the travelers reached the shores fairyland. The ruler of Calicut treated the sailors kindly and hospitably. But the Arab merchants informed the Zamorin about the pirate raids of the Portuguese and pointed out that the gifts brought were small. Therefore, local authorities arrested hundreds of sailors walking around the city. Vasco da Gama was not at a loss and detained the noble townspeople who arrived on the ship to inspect the European equipment.
The ruler of Calicut, fearing the cunning corsair, released the detainees. This was also facilitated by local merchants who wanted to expand trade routes to Christendom. Having filled the bins with herbs and spices, the brilliant schemer did not let the captives go and set off on the return journey. After 20 days of travel, the Portuguese travelers met a ship with Admiral Goa on board. Vasco, through brutal torture, “convinced” the Jew to help in the attack on the islands.
On the admiral's deck, the corsairs came close to the coast and robbed the ships anchored along the coast. 30 people were captured and the rest were slaughtered. The journey home was difficult, as the sailors suffered from scurvy. Da Gama's brother also fell ill. 55 people returned from a long journey, the rest died from disease and battles with enemies. On September 18, 1499, Portuguese ships moored off the coast of Lisbon.
The goods and spices brought by the expedition covered the costs of their own preparations for the journey 60 times. The delighted king awarded Vasco a pension of 1,000 croisades and the title of “Admiral of the Indian Ocean.” But these gifts did not satisfy the demands of the ambitious Portuguese. The stigma of being a bastard haunted him, and the man sought to get rid of it, winning the respect of his fellow citizens and the title of count.
In 1500, the next expedition headed by Pedro Alvares set off for the shores of India. The man intended to build a trading settlement in Calicut, but Arab merchants prevented this. Under such incitement, the trading post was plundered and burned. Escaping from the city, Pedro fired at the coastal villages with cannons. War broke out between Portugal and India.
Second trip
Manuel I does not give up his dream of subjugating the “Golden Country” and sends the bloodthirsty Vasco da Gama on a second campaign. The company's goal is to enslave India and establish a Portuguese colony. In 1502, a navigator with 20 ships set off for the Indian Ocean. In October, the flotilla makes a stop in Kannanur, where the local rajah greets the conquerors with honors and generously rewards them.
On the way to Calicut, Vasco captured an Indian ship, ordered the prisoners to be locked in the hold and the ship to be set on fire. The despot spared neither women nor children. The survivors were finished off in the water. Approaching the city, the corsair fired at the coast with cannons. The thriving settlement turned into ruins. Da Gama's team captured 800 Indians. The prisoners were tied up, their hands, noses, ears were cut off, and their teeth were knocked out. After cruel abuse, people were executed by shooting from cannons.
This became a full-fledged act of intimidation and satisfaction sadistic tendencies Vasco da Gama. It is known that the corsair also used people as targets for crossbowmen. The Portuguese sent the severed limbs of those executed to the Zamorin of the city, but he escaped without waiting for the next bloodshed. The mothers and wives of those killed wandered along the shore, looking for the bodies of their relatives. With the tacit consent of Vasco, the Portuguese caught the women and raped them.
The sailors set up a trading post on the captured territory, turning part of the peninsula into a Portuguese colony. In 1503 the conquerors returned to their native shores. The monarch again generously gifted the talented Vasco da Gama, but did not confer the coveted title of count. Then the famous corsair threatened to leave Portugal, as he did. Manuel I agreed with the arguments and appointed him Count of Vidigueira.
Personal life
All that is known about the personal life of the bloody navigator is that he married a girl belonging to a noble family. The wife's name was Katarina di Ataidi. The noblewoman gave birth to Vasco six sons and a daughter.
Death
Before his death, Vasco da Gama made his last trip to India. By order of Juan III, the man went to the colony to restore order in the ranks of the administration, which was mired in corruption. But, having arrived at the place, he died of malaria in 1524. The son of the deceased brought the body to Portugal.
The ashes were placed in the family crypt. In the 19th century, looters plundered the burial place. After this, it turned out that the tomb contained the remains of another person. The bones of Vasco da Gama were moved to Lisbon.
- Da Gama was illegitimate.
- Surprisingly, there is a city in Goa named after the navigator.
- Considered a national hero of Portugal.
- Vasco da Gama took a dozen criminals on his campaigns, who were sent on reconnaissance.
- He used an astrolabe and a sextant.
- Drew a map of the Indian coast using meridians and parallels.
- The longest European bridge is named after the sailor.
- The natives exchanged red caps for ivory items.
- He advised the king to create a marine police force in India.
- Photographs of the traveler are printed on stamps and commemorative coins of Portugal.
One of the attractions of the city of Lisbon, Portugal, is the most long bridge in Europe - the Vasco da Gama Bridge, 17.2 km long.
A new highway across the Tagus River in Lisbon was created in 1998. The bridge was named after the famous Portuguese navigator 
Vasco da Gama (port. Vasco da Gama; 1469-1524) - Portuguese explorer, known as the first European to make a sea voyage to India.
Vasco da Gama was born in 1469 into the family of the Alcaida of the city of Sines and the Master of the Order of Santiago Estevan da Gama (1430--1497). Mother - Isabela Sodre.
There is a version according to which King Manuel I initially entrusted the expedition to India to Father Vasco da Gama, but due to his death in July 1497, Vasco da Gama took command of the expedition and set off from Lisbon on July 8, 1497, circumnavigating Africa from the south , rounding the Cape of Good Hope, and reached the southwestern coast of India on May 20, 1498.
Returning to Portugal in September 1499, Vasco da Gama was greeted with great honor, received a large monetary reward and the title "Admiral of the Indian Ocean", as well as the title of Don and the cities of Sines and Vila Nova de Milfontes. In 1519 he received the title of Count of Vidigueira.
Later I visited India twice more. He died in Cochin (India) on December 24, 1524. The ashes were transported to Portugal and buried in the small church of Quinta do Carmo in Alentejo. In 1880, the ashes were transferred to the Jeronimite Monastery in Lisbon.
Vasco da Gama was married to Catarina de Ataida and had 5 sons: Francisco, Estevan (1505-1576, governor of India), Paulo, Cristovan, Pedro.
In 1998, the 500th anniversary of Vasco da Gama's first voyage was widely celebrated. At the mouth of the Tagus (Lisbon), the longest bridge in Europe, named in honor of the great navigator, was inaugurated.
One of the strongest Brazilian regatta and football clubs, Vasco da Gama, founded in 1898, was named in honor of the traveler. In 1998, the club won the Copa Libertadores, one of several large-scale construction projects on the Iberian Peninsula to commemorate the 500th anniversary of the navigator's discovery of India.
The main purpose of the new bridge was to relieve traffic on the 25 April Bridge, which also crosses the Tagus River.
The bridge consists of three parts: an overwater section 12 km long and two viaducts-overpasses from the north and south with a length of 4.8 km and 600 m, respectively. The bridge itself over the navigable part of the river is a hanging rope structure 900 m long with three spans, the main one which has a width of 450 m.
The author of the project, Michel Verloger, was most concerned with the problem of earthquakes, which are not uncommon in this area. He designed a very lightweight deck, completely separate from the pylons, to minimize the potential risk of seismic vibrations. A similar system has already been tested in Portugal during the creation of the Arade Bridge, whose author was Armando Rito.
To ensure the isolation of the flooring from the pylons, M. Verloger carefully worked out their configuration.
The H-shaped reinforced concrete pylons reach a height of 160 m above the water surface; the two supports of each pylon are connected to each other by two crossbars: the first is located directly above the water in the widest area, and the second (90 m higher) is located in the place from where the supports go up parallel.
The bridge deck, 55 m high above the water level, runs between the pylon supports and is attached to them only with the help of cable traction. The deck has a combined structure: two longitudinal reinforced concrete beams support steel cross members, while the central part hangs entirely on cables. In the two side bays, each beam rests on three bulls, consisting of two parallel columns.
The very long Vasco de Gama Bridge goes south through a swampy area in shallow water. The deck is supported by bank piers similar to those supporting the side spans of the suspension section of the bridge.
The bridge was opened to traffic on April 4, 1998, 18 months after construction began, before Expo 98, which year celebrated the 500th anniversary of Vasco da Gama's discovery of the sea route from Europe to India.
Description
The bridge carries a six-lane highway with a speed limit of 120 km/h along most of the bridge and 100 km/h in one section. In windy, rainy weather, and also in fog, the speed is limited to 90 km/h. The number of lanes will be increased to eight if average daily traffic exceeds 52,000.
Bridge sections
1. Northern access road
2. Northern viaduct - 488 m
3. Expo Viaduct - 672 m; 12 sections
4. Main bridge - 420 m; side sections: 203 m each (total length: 829 m)
5. Central viaduct - 6.351 m; 80 sections 78 m long
6. South viaduct - 3.825 m; 84 sections of 45 m
7. Southern access roads - 3.895 m
Construction and cost
The project was divided into four parts, all of them were built by different companies, and an independent consortium managed the construction. 3,300 workers were directly involved in the construction of the bridge; construction took 18 months; before that, preparations for construction were carried out for another 18 months.
The bridge's design is designed to last for 120 years, must withstand winds of up to 250 km/h, which is close to the take-off speed of a passenger plane, and earthquakes 4.5 times stronger than the famous Lisbon earthquake of 1755 (8.7 on the Richter scale). The deepest piles are 2.2 m in diameter and are buried 95 m below sea level. What is called the main bridge, its highest part, is supported by ropes. It extends over the navigable waterway of the Tagus. The remaining extended sections are located lower - on pylons, reaching the most marshy and shallow places of the river. Due to the large length of the bridge, it was necessary to take into account the curvature of the Earth for the correct conduct of construction work, otherwise the error in the design in the height of the bridge between its opposite ends would have reached 80 cm. To reduce the impact of the bridge on the environment, the viaduct was built as far as possible to the second bank in order to , so that the natural environment remains underneath, in addition, the lighting was designed in such a way that the light of the lamps does not fall on the river.
The bridge was built with private funds; The Lusoponte consortium, which financed the construction, received a 40-year concession and has the right to collect tolls for both Lisbon bridges. Lusoponte's capital consists of 50.4% contributions from Portuguese companies, 24.8% from French and 24.8% from British capital.
The longest bridge in Europe is - Vasco da Gama Bridge, its length is 17.2 km, it is thrown across Tagus River northeast of Lisbon, Portugal. Although it was a very large-scale project, it took specialists only 3 years to bring the plan to life.
It was decided to build another bridge across the Tagus River after the load on the then only suspension bridge named after April 25 began to increase with the growing number of vehicles. Preparations for the construction of the Vasco da Gama Bridge began in 1995, and on March 29, 1998 it was opened. The construction itself lasted a year and a half, but before building it, engineers spent another year and a half carefully calculating every detail to make it stable and durable. When making calculations, they even had to take into account the spherical shape of our planet, since due to its length, when docking different parts bridge, the difference in height could be 80 centimeters!
Thanks to this approach, Vasco da Gama Bridge designed to operate for 120 years, can withstand wind forces of up to 250 km/h and withstand earthquakes that are 4.5 times stronger than the famous Lisbon earthquake of 1755, the force of which reached 8.7 points! The deepest piles are 2.2 m in diameter and are buried 95 m below sea level.
Traffic on the bridge was opened on March 29, 1998, as planned in the project, and this is not a simple date, on this day 500 years ago, namely in 1498, the world famous Portuguese navigator Vasco da Gama paved a new sea route from Europe to India. The bridge was named after him - Vasco da Gama Bridge. To be on time for this significant date, four different companies were assigned to build the bridge, and each of them was given its own task, which they successfully completed. And in the end, in just a year and a half they managed to build the longest bridge in Europe! In total, 3,300 workers worked on the construction of the bridge.
It was such an important and long-awaited day for Portugal and all of Europe that on the opening day of the bridge, a festive table with treats was laid along the entire length (17 km). Anyone who came to the opening of the Vasco da Gama Bridge could sit at this table.
Funding for the construction of the Vasco da Gama Bridge did not come from the state budget, but from private funds of the Lusoponte consortium, which thanks to this received the inalienable right to collect tolls from both Lisbon bridges for 40 years. Lusoponte's capital consists of 50.4% contributions from Portuguese companies, 24.8% from French and 24.8% from British capital.
With normal traffic load on the Vasco da Gama Bridge, car traffic is organized in six lanes, but when the load increases to 52 thousand vehicles per day, two additional lanes are opened. Travel on the bridge is paid and amounts to 2.5 - 5.85 euros (depending on the size) for a passenger car and up to 11.2 euros for trucks. Interestingly, a fee is charged for crossing the bridge only if you are moving towards Lisbon (north), while travel in the opposite direction (south) is free.
The bridge is a unique invention of mankind. It allows you to connect the necessary objects, organize transport traffic and connect remote areas with continents. Very often the bridge amazes with its external design. The Vasco da Gama Bridge is exactly such a structure.
This structure is one of Portugal's most memorable landmarks. The bridge stands out among other buildings with its amazing beauty and incredible length. It seems that this design has no end or edge. total length At 17.2 km, Vasco da Gama is the longest bridge in Europe. Looking around this building, you understand that the architects did not forget about the aesthetic orientation. Externally, the design is distinguished by its lightness and airiness. In addition, this bridge does not have a classical shape.
If we talk about the functional orientation of the structure, the meaning of the creation was to connect two remote areas of Lisbon. The construction of the bridge made it possible to establish transport links and provide unhindered access to objects. The bridge design is a combination of two engineering solutions - the cable-stayed structure gradually turns into a viaduct. That is why the bridge has a non-traditional shape: the cable-stayed structure is located perpendicular to the shore, and the viaduct is approximately parallel.
Thus, the Vasco de Gama Bridge is a harmonious combination of beauty and functionality. It simplifies life for residents and guests of the city and gives wonderful aesthetic pleasure from its contemplation. For everyone who is going to Portugal, this bridge must be included in the route schedule. Fog, night, dawn - it will be able to amaze the imagination in any weather conditions.
Vasco da Gama Bridge - PHOTO
You can safely add the Vasco da Gama Bridge to the list of modern wonders of the world. It is located in the northeastern part of Portugal near Lisbon.
Vasco da Gama was known as the Portuguese navigator of the Great Times. In 1497, the traveler and his expedition set out in search of a sea route to South Asia from Europe. The trip was a success: Vasco da Gama discovered the southeastern coast of Africa, from which the further route led to India through the Indian Ocean. In 1499, the expedition returned to its homeland with great triumph, led by the winner. For his great services to his fatherland, Vasco da Gama was appointed to the post of Viceroy of Portuguese India.
It was decided to name the bridge connecting the shores of Portugal across the Tagus River (or Spanish Tagus) after the discoverer. It is the largest in all. The river begins in Spain, passes through the whole of Portugal and flows into near the capital of the country - the city of Lisbon. The Vasco da Gama Bridge was conceived as a grandiose and large-scale target. The feasibility of constructing a bridge structure was dictated by the urgent need to relieve traffic flow in Lisbon on the 25 April Suspension Bridge.
The design of the new bridge was entrusted to the development of a group of architects led by Michel Verloger. They were faced with a difficult task - to connect the banks of the Tagus River, separated by a distance of more than tens of kilometers, taking into account the high seismic danger of the area.
Vasco da Gama Bridge: project features
The authors created a bridge project consisting of several sections that are structurally different from each other. The longest part, twelve kilometers long, looks like a cable-stayed or suspension bridge. Tall reinforced concrete pylons are connected to the road using cables - straight steel cables. The height of the pylons reaches one hundred and fifty meters. The largest span of the cable-stayed bridge is four hundred and twenty meters. In addition, the height of the road relative to sea level is forty-seven meters. Such parameters do not prevent the free passage of river vessels.
It is the cable-stayed bridge that ensures the immobility of the road surface. The lightweight road surface is attached separately from the pylons, which prevents the destruction of the bridge during seismic vibrations and storm winds. The design is resistant to forces of up to two hundred and fifty kilometers per hour. Vasco da Gama Bridge will withstand vibrations earth's crust, the strength of which is four times greater than the earthquake with a shaking force of up to nine points that occurred in Lisbon in the mid-eighteenth century.
In the initial and final parts, the bridge turns into a viaduct - a bridge structure on stilts. The distance between supports in different places ranges from forty to eighty meters. The piles go underwater to a depth of up to one hundred meters.
The total length of the Vasco da Gama Bridge is seventeen kilometers and two hundred meters. Taking into account the significant length of the overpass, when designing it, the roundness of the surface of the globe was taken into account in the calculations. Otherwise, there would be a difference of eighty centimeters between the heights of the northern and southern ends of the bridge. The developers determined the operation of the unique design - one hundred and twenty years.
Roads
A thirty-meter wide highway is laid across the bridge, along which traffic is organized in four lanes in each direction. Three lanes are constantly activated, the fourth is opened at moments of maximum intensity traffic flow. The maximum speed for vehicles is one hundred and twenty kilometers per hour. Only on one of the sections of the bridge is it not allowed to drive faster than one hundred kilometers per hour. In unfavorable weather conditions, it is necessary to reduce speed to ninety kilometers per hour.
To organize preventive measures to maintain the bridge in proper position, drivers moving towards the capital are charged a toll. The cost is determined depending on the type of vehicle and ranges from two and a half to eleven euros.
Aesthetic features of the bridge
The viaduct, located on the south side, was built at a considerable distance from the shore, so the coastal zone suffered minimal bottom destruction. The lighting is designed in such a way that the glare from the lamps at night does not reflect on the water surface.
Deadlines
The Vasco da Gama Bridge was created in record time. Only three years passed from the development of the project for the grandiose structure to its commissioning. Half of this period was spent on preparatory work. More than three thousand builders took part in the construction of the giant’s structure. Four largest construction companies ensured uninterrupted work with their own technical resources the latest developments. The construction of a powerful transport artery cost the state nine hundred million euros.
Opening
The grand opening of the large-scale structure took place on March 29, 1998, on the eve of the Expo-98 exhibition. The significant event was timed to coincide with the five hundredth anniversary of the opening of the sea route by the traveler Vasco da Gama, in whose honor the superbridge was named.
Looking at the elegant, huge structure, the viewer gets the impression of the airiness and weightlessness of the structure, beckoning into the endless distance. When traveling around Portugal, you should definitely visit such a famous place as the Vasco da Gama Bridge, a photo of which will forever leave in your memory the strongest and brightest emotions. The grandiose structure amazes with its beauty at any time of the year, equally impressive on a sunny day and dark night, cloudy morning and crimson evening.
Conclusion
The Vasco da Gama Bridge rightfully received the title of the longest European bridge. Portugal can deservedly be proud of the unique structure that the world community contributed to the treasury of the greatest architectural achievements of mankind of the late twentieth century.