The Portuguese  Discoveries Monument at
 Brenton  Point State Park is falling apart! Why?
 By Manuel Luciano da Silva, M. D.

  For more than 27 years I have been an active member of the Bristol Rotary Club.

 On Wednesday, February 2nd, 2000, at the regular meeting of the Bristol International Rotary Club, (12:15 noon)  held  at the Tweet Balzano's Restaurant, the Honorable Jan H. Reitsma, Director of the Department of Environmental Management  of the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, was our guest speaker.

He spoke eloquently describing the new objectives of the DEM.  His leadership  seems to be a new, fresh,  breeze to the Department of Environmental Management, which has  been, unfortunately, adrift  for several years! I certainly wish him great success on his endeavors. 

After his speech, there was a short  period of questions and answers, and I took the opportunity to ask  the Director  of Rhode Island DEM  if he knew that the Portuguese Discovery Monument at the Brenton  Point State Park in Newport,  a beautiful  gift from Portugal,  eleven years ago to the people Rhode Island, is falling a part! 

He said: "I am aware of the problem".

During my remarks, I promised to send  to him by Internet color photographs of the marble pillars of the said monument for him to see that  due to the phenomenon of capillarity the marble of the monument is cracking and therefore destroying all the pieces of the  monument.

Why is the monument being destroyed?

The answer is very simple. Because the individuals who  installed the pillars of the monument did not isolate them from the dirt soil and therefore  the humidity (or water of the soil) got into the porous composition of the marble pillars and then,  in New England,  with the cold  temperatures ( freezing ) the water that got inside of the marble  turned into ice,  distending  and cracking   the marble! 

Any Joe Blow knows that in New England when anyone builds a house has to isolate its  foundation from the rest of the building with some isolating material to prevent the humidity from going into the above structure  by the phenomenon of  capillarity.

Any carpenter in New England  knows that when he puts up  a wooden fence, he has to keep the lower tip of the wood above the ground so the wood will not absorb the water (humidity from the ground)  and therefore accelerate the rotten process of the wood!

Why were not  these simple tricks  applied to the installation of the pillars of the Portuguese Discovery Monument at Brenton  Point State Park? 

Somebody made a real booboo, somebody did a real lousy job, and this is the reason why the monument has been dying  of cancer!

What do you do  in medicine when  a  cancer  is diagnosed?  You treated  it surgically! Get it  out quickly!  You do not procrastinate the treatment!  You do not refer the matter  to a committee! You take care of it right way! 

You do like they do in bull fighting in  Portugal: "They do not kill the bull, instead they get  the bull by the horns!".

That's  was  what I ask the Commissioner Jan Reitsma  at the end of my remarks at the Bristol Rotary Club: "Do not refer the matter to any more studies or committees.  Take the matter into your hands."

I  further stated on my remarks that "the Portuguese Discovery Monument  at the Brenton State Park was a gift from Portugal. Now, it is an American Monument!  It does not belong to Portugal any more!  Its  conservation  is the responsibility of  the  Rhode Island officials ."

The general public and even the officials in Rhode Island have forgotten that the land of the Brenton State Park was  for many years  destined to house a Museum for the American  Outer Space Exploration. Instead it became a park for displaying kites! 

At least the Discovery Monument is the best tribute to the comparison of the Portuguese explorations of unknown seas  five hundred years ago  with  the explorations  of Outer Space by of the courageous  American Astronauts! 

 Photographic Evidence: I think the time as arrived for me to show photos to confirming my words stated above.  First,  we should see a photograph  of today's  Nautical School of Navigation at Sagres Portugal, started by Prince Henry the Navigator, in 1419. This School was the scientific center of the world  for the exploration of the  unknown seas,  almost six hundred years ago.

Please pay attention to the pillars of the Compass Rose at the Portuguese School of Navigation.  It is from this structure  that the inspiration came from for the Portuguese Discovery Monument at Brenton State Park. Beautiful comparison if you know the History of Navigation!

 

 

Portuguese School of Navigation at Sagres, southern most promontory of Portugal, with Compass Rose on its campus. Please note the pillars around the huge  circle.

 

 

 

 

 

Compass Rose with my wife, Silvia,  at the epicenter , as human figure for a better idea of the size of the Compass Rose. Again, note the pillars around it.

 

 

 

 

 

Here is the Monument at the Brenton Point State Park 

 

 

 

Note the bottom of the  these three pillars at the Brenton  Point State Park cracking because of the force of capillary or humidity.  No isolation  whatsoever from the soil! They should have been installed on a cement base!

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is the only pillar that is intact. Do you know why? Because it was lucky!   It was  NOT placed in the soil, but over a hard surface of cement  which  prevented  it from absorbing the humidity from the ground. With the evidence of these two photos is there any need for more studies?!…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is the tallest pillar with the  names of  the Portuguese  navigators. Look at its  big "cancerous  mouth".  The letters should be painted in black because this way nobody is able to read them.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Interpretative Plaque and the World Sphere of  the Monument at Brenton  Point State Park. This Interpretive Plaque  was inaugurated on Sunday, June 8th, 1997, at 2PM, sponsored by  The Portuguese American Federation, Inc. and the Division of Parks and Recreation  of Rhode Island.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The main  speakers at this event were: President of the U. N. Committee on the Oceans: Dr. Mário Soares, Former President of Portugal  And by the Vice-President of United Nations World  Committee on the Oceans: Honorable  Congressman Patrick J. Kennedy

 

 

 

 

At the inauguration of the Interpretative Plaque: Aida Sousa, Executive Secretary of the Federation, Dr. Luciano da Silva and Dr. Mário Soares, President of Portugal.

 

 

 

History of the Portuguese Discovery Monument
 Arthur Raposo’s Dream
By Manuel Luciano da Silva, M. D. 
  (Published on the booklet given to the public at the inauguration ceremony)

This monument is the realization of Arthur Raposo's dream. This Portuguese-American was born in Fall River, but has been living for many years in Middletown, Rhode Island.

  In his great desire to pay homage to the great navigator, Miguel Corte Real, he organized the Miguel Corte Real Committee. Composed of ten Portuguese-American leaders, this committee was created for the purpose of erecting a statue in honor of Miguel Corte Real somewhere in Newport,  "the City by the Sea".

  With enthusiasm and persistence he negotiated with Rhode Island officials until he secured the best spot in the State of Rhode Island - the Brenton Point State Park - to place the monument honoring the famous Miguel Corte Real. Raposo first presented his plan to Attorney Robert M. Silva, president of the Portuguese Cultural Foundation. Together with Portuguese Cultural Foundation Executive Secretary, Peter Calvet de Magalhães, they obtained the cooperation of the National Committee of the Commemorations of the Discoveries of Portugal. From this agreement they developed such mutual cooperation between Portuguese and American officials, which eventually flowered to the point where Portugal offered the Portuguese Discovery Monument as a gift to the American people.

  Meanwhile, through the joint cooperation of Governor Edward DiPrete, Portuguese-American Legislators, and the Environmental Department of Rhode Island, over $110,000 was allocated to landscape Brenton Point State Park to ready it to receive all the pieces of the Monument. This amount of money was matched by the Portuguese Government, which expended over $110,000 to build and transport the monument to Rhode Island. Adding the cost of the Interpretive Plaque, the total expense for this Monument reached a quarter of a million dollars.

  The Portuguese Discovery Monument was inaugurated in 1988. Arthur Raposo always felt the monument was not complete without its Interpretive Plaque. With this official inauguration, Arthur Raposo and his many fellow Portuguese Americans can finally say that the realization of their dream is now complete!

 

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 Portuguese Navigators: Pioneers in Maritime Exploration

Information contained on the Interpretive Plaque : “The monument before you honors the Portuguese navigators of the Golden Age of Maritime Exploration, which spanned from the early 1400’s to the late 1500’s. During this era, Portugal was the forerunner in maritime exploration -- both coasts of the United States  were discovered and colonized by the Portuguese.

  Brenton Point  was chosen as the site for this monument because it is very reminiscent of Sagres, the point in southern Portugal where Prince Henry founded his School of Navigation in 1419. It was here that the maritime era emanated from the minds of the foremost scholars in mathematics, astronomy, cartography and those that were  experts regarding the compass, the astrolabe, water currents and the winds.

  There are eighteen elements in the Portuguese Navigators Monument: the sixteen elements placed in a semicircle are an abstraction of the circular compass rose at Sagres, which is all that remains of Prince Henry’s School of Navigation today. The elements are placed in a three-quarter sphere, which symbolizes the three-quarters of the world discovered by the Portuguese navigators  in the fifteenth century.

  The large multifaceted stone marker has been designed to evoke the tradition of explorers leaving behind a marker of their presence. The final element represents an armillary sphere, a navigational instrument which is one of Portugal’s most significant and enduring symbols. The sphere was added to the Portuguese flag in 1522 to commemorate Magellan’s circumnavigation of the globe, and is still included on the country’s present flag.”

  The words engraved on the Portuguese Discovery Monument

On the 3/4 of world sphere: THIS MONUMENT IS A GIFT TO THE PEOPLE OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, FROM THE RHODE ISLAND GENERAL ASSEMBLY IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE NATIONAL COMMITTEE OF THE COMMEMORATION OF THE DISCOVERIES OF PORTUGAL AND COMMISSIONED UNDER THE AUSPICES OF THE PORTUGUESE CULTURAL FOUNDATION OF RHODE ISLAND. EDWARD D. DIPRETE, GOVERNOR; RICHARD A. LICHT, LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR. THE MIGUEL CORTE-REAL MONUMENT COMMITTEE. PROJECT: SCULPTOR, CHARLES DE ALMEIDA; ARCHITECT JOÃO SANTA-RITA. DEDICATED JUNE 10, 1988

 On the tall pillar:  TO THE MEMORY OF THE NAVIGATORS, MAPMAKERS, EXPLORERS, FLEET COMMANDERS AND THOSE OTHERS WHO ENABLED THE DISCOVERY BY THE PORTUGUESE OF TWO-THIRDS OF THE WORLD.

 On the small pillar: MONUMENT COMMITTEE:

 The Geographical Meaning of the Portuguese Discoveries Monument
By Manuel Luciano da Silva, M. D.

 The Compass Rose here at Brenton Point is a modern replica of the one at the Portuguese Nautical School, at Sagres, southern Portugal, founded by Prince Henry the Navigator in 1419. The Portuguese Nautical School became the scientific center of the world for discoveries during XV and XVI centuries.

  Brenton Point is the most oriental spot of the Continental United States of America and  therefore the closest to Cabo da Roca,  (north of Lisbon) in Portugal, which is the most occidental point of the European continent.  The three-quarter sphere represents the three-quarters of the World discovered by the Portuguese navigators in the XV century.  The tall obelisk or landmarker has inscribed the names of several Portuguese pioneer navigators.

  Portuguese Caravel, with Lateen (triangular) sails, was used by the Portuguese navigators in a zigzag manner, enabling them to navigate in the unknown high seas. We may compare caravels with rockets in the challenge of discoveries.  The Portuguese explored the unknown seas. The Americans are exploring the outer space. With the exploration of outer space the Americans have taken over where the Portuguese left off.

  American rockets and capsules became the vehicles that took the American astronauts into outer space, enabling them to go to the moon and return to earth safely. On July 20, 1969, Neil A. Armstrong and Edward E. Aldrich Jr. became the first persons to set foot on the moon.

  The Meaning of the Portuguese Discovery Monument 
Prince Henry’s School of Navigation, Comparison of Portuguese Navigators  with American Astronauts
 By Manuel Luciano da Silva, M. D.  This article was published on  the Celebration Booklet and copies of it are in the public libraries in the State of Rhode Island.

What kind of marble is the Portuguese Discovery Monument at Brenton Point Park made of? 
The Portuguese  marble sent from Portugal is considered one of the best kind  in the  entire world!  It is Marble from  Alentejo  also called the "White Gold of Portugal".

 Here is a direct citation from the popular book on Portugal of the series ""Eye witness to Portugal". On page 300 we  can read:  Marble: Alentejo's White Gold  "Portugal is the world's second largest exporter of marble, and even Italy, the biggest producer, buys from Portugal's quality stone. Around 90 per cent -- over  500,000 tonnes a year -- is quarried around Estremoz. The marble from Estremoz and nearby Borba is white, while the quarries at Viana do Alentejo yield green stone. Marble has been used for construction since Roman times and in towns such as Évora and Vila Viçosa. Palaces and humbles doorsteps alike gleam with the stone often referred to as Portugal's "white gold". "

 

 

 

Palace of Vila Viçosa, built  entirely  with marble from Borba, nearby  Estremoz, the same quarry from where  the same marble  for the  Brenton Point State Park  Portuguese Discovery Monument came from!  The Palace of Vila Viçosa was where Catherine of Braganza was born and later  married Charles II  to become Queen of England. 

My  correspondence -- E-mail and letter -sent today  to:
Honorable Jan N. Reitsma 
Director of the Department of Environment Management
E-mail www.state.ri.us/dem
Address : 235 Promenade Street. Suite 425
Providence, RI 02908
Tel (401) 222-2771. Fax (401) 222-6802 

Dear Director Reitsma:
  Once again many thanks for coming to speak  yesterday at our Bristol Rotary Club. Your speech was excellent   and with your pleasant personality and  knowledge  you are going to succeed  in Rhode Island. I certainly wish you the best of luck!  As I promised  you on my remarks at the end of your talk,  concerning the sad situation of the Portuguese  Discovery Monument at the Brenton State Park. 

I am asking you,  by this E-mail,  to take a look at my website  and  review the historical and photographic evidence I am displaying there  for the general public all over the world.  www.apol.net/dightonrock/, American Edition --> The Portuguese Monument at Brenton Point  Park...

By first class I am sending you a copy of the booklet  distributed at the time of the inauguration of the Interpretative Plaque, because it will give you  a more detailed  information concerning the historical meaning of the Discovery Monument at the Brenton Point State Park.

With my best regards, thanking you very much for your attention, I remain,

Respectfully,
(a) Manuel Luciano da Silva, M. D.

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