he end of the Middle Ages marked the beginning of a unique period in Santarém's role in Portuguese overseas expansion. Besides being the stage for important expansionist decisions as late as the 15th century regarding the military expeditions to northern Africa, Santarém was an active participant in the culmination of the Discoveries saga by contributing the human and material means for the discovery and future administration of the territories that were gradually incorporated into the Portuguese empire: the Atlantic Islands, Central and Southern Africa, Asia, and Brazil.
Graça Church, one of the most beautiful examples of gothic

architecture in the city and the country, is a reminder of Santarém's relationship with the expansionist movement: it contains the monumental tomb of Dom Pedro de Meneses, an important figure in the expansion to northern Africa, and, under a flat tombstone, the remains of Pedro Álvares Cabral.
Santarém is one of the places that furnished the largest number of illustrious figures in the expansionist saga. This is easily confirmed by the number of Scalabitan squires at the court of Prince Henry the Navigator in the 15th century, and by the numerous noble families involved in the wars against the Muslims in northern Africa during a considerable part of the 16th century. Among them were Dom Henrique de Meneses, who took part in the Azamor expedition (1513), and Dom Duarte de Meneses, who fought in the disastrous battle of Alcazarquivir (1578), where he served as General Commander.

Santarém was rich in illustrious nobles directly linked to the administration of northern Africa, being the birthplace of three governors of Ceuta (Dom Pedro de Meneses, Dom Fernando de Meneses, and his son Dom Pedro de Meneses) and two captains of Tangier (both named Dom Duarte de Meneses).
In regard to the West Coast of Africa, Santarém had a particularly close relationship with Mina. The region was discovered in 1471 by a native of the town (João de Santarém) and maintained deep family ties with the city (Pero Escobar). As late as 1548, the governor of Mina, Lopo de Sousa Coutinho, was from Santarém.
Regarding India, the presence of Santarém and Scalabitans is clearly visible. In May 1487, during the preparatory phase of Vasco da Gama's voyage, Dom João II commissioned scalabitans is clearly visible. In May 1487, during the

preparatory phase of Vasco da Gama's voyage, Dom João II commissioned Pero de Covilhã and Afonso de Paiva de irem por travel by land to India and Abyssinia in order to gather reliable information about the spice trade routes and the military power of Prester John's kingdom. . Many Portuguese who lived in India between 1500 and 1530 were also natives of Santarém.
Fernão Lopes de Castanheda, the most illustrious historian of the Discoveries (himself a native of Santarém), lists 21 Scalabitans, including captains (Rui de Brito, Vasco de Lima, Tristão de Paiva, and Lopo de Sousa Coutinho, among others), pilots (João Leite, Fernando de Lima, and Gonçalo Gil Barbosa), ship's clerks (Garcia Mendes, João Fernandes de Sal and the so-called Gonçalo Rui Barbosa - who was also a clerk in Pedro Álvares Cabral's armada), and soldiers (Antônio de Sá, Rui de Melo, João Guedes, etc.), many of whom owned

large properties in Santarém.
Finally, the importance of Santarém's relationship with India can be measured by the number of viceroys and governors of India who were natives of this town or had family relationships with it. Among the first is Dom Henrique de Meneses, a native of the city and Vasco da Gama's successor as governor of India (1524 - 1528), where he died at the early age of 30: Camões speaks of him in the 10th canto of "The Lusiads". Among the latter is Dom Garcia de Noronha, 3rd viceroy of India (1538 - 1542).