Editing History of Portugal (1415–1578) (section)

====Cartography====
[[File:Fernão Vaz Dourado 1571-1.jpg|thumb|200px|right|Pre-mercator navigation chart of the Coast of Africa (1571), by Fernão Vaz Dourado (Torre do Tombo, Lisbon)]]
It is thought that [[Jehuda Cresques]], son of the Catalan cartographer Abraham Cresques have been one of the notable [[cartographers]] at the service of Prince Henry. However the oldest signed Portuguese sea chart is a [[Portolan chart|Portolan]] made by [[Pedro Reinel]] in 1485 representing the Western Europe and parts of Africa, reflecting the explorations made by [[Diogo Cão]]. Reinel was also author of the first nautical chart known with an indication of [[latitude]]s in 1504 and the first representation of a [[Wind rose]].

With his son, cartographer [[Jorge Reinel]] and [[Lopo Homem]], they participated in the making of the atlas known as "Lopo Homem-Reinés Atlas" or "[[Miller Atlas]]", in 1519. They were considered the best cartographers of their time, with Emperor Charles V wanting them to work for him. In 1517 King [[Manuel I of Portugal]] handed Lopo Homem a charter giving him the privilege to certify and amend all [[compass]] needles in vessels.

In the third phase of the former Portuguese nautical cartography, characterized by the abandonment of the influence of [[Ptolemy]]'s representation of the East and more accuracy in the representation of lands and continents, stands out [[Fernão Vaz Dourado]] (Goa ~ 1520 – ~ 1580), whose work has extraordinary quality and beauty, giving him a reputation as one of the best cartographers of the time. Many of his charts are large scale.