600 Years of the Discovery of Porto Santo

The Discovery of Porto Santo, in 1418, and of Madeira, in 1419,constituted the rst act that profoundly marked the epic ofPortuguese Maritime Expansion, as these islands, thereafter, constituted an Atlantic base, which allowed Portugal to attainthe position it occupies in World History, for, in the tting wordsof Portugal's greatest poet, having given new worlds to the World. Such a signi cant historical event, which now happened 600years ago, is more than a good enough reason to celebrate this secular collective journey, which honours the memory of a people who, within and outside of the archipelago, have succeeded in maintaining the most outstanding features of an ‘Atlantic lusitanity’, that lends it its own cultural identity.Because Porto Santo was, of the discoveries, the rst island, it will be the speci c focus of this year's celebrations, which willinclude several popular and cultural initiatives, ranging from publications and exhibitions to conferences, shows and many other events in the public sphere in which the population and the school community will participate.