Early times
Verissimo, Maxima and Julia according to tradition were the first three martyrs of Olisipo, considered native and later also as Romans in the city (3rd and 4th centuries AD) São Gens was a legendary bishop-martyr who, according to tradition, has been one of the first bishops of Lisbon, even during the Roman domination of Lusitania Fernando Martins de Bulhões, later Saint Anthony of Lisbon (c. 1195–1231) is a Catholic saint Pedro Julião, ordained Pope John XXI, (c. 1215–1277), was the only Portuguese-born Pope Fernão Lopes (c. 1385–after 1459), chronicler appointed by King Edward of Portugal. Fernão Lopes wrote the history of Portugal, but only a part of his work remained. His way of writing was based on oral discourse, and, on every page, it revealed his roots among the common people. He is one of the fathers of the European historiography, or a precursor of the scientific historiography, basing his works always on the documental proof, and, has he said, on his pages "one cannot find the beauty of words but the nudity of the truth." He was an autodidact
15 Century
Isaac Abrabanel, Isaac ben Judah Abrabanel (1437–1508), commonly referred to just as Isaac Abrabanel or Isaac Abravanel, was a Portuguese Jewish statesman, notable philosopher, Bible commentator, and financier. Francisco de Almeida (c. 1450–1510), nobleman, soldier and explorer, counsellor to King John II of Portugal and the first Viceroy of Portuguese India. Almeida is credited with establishing Portuguese hegemony in the Indian Ocean, with his decisive victory at the naval Battle of Diu in 1509 Duarte Pacheco Pereira (c. 1460–1533), called "the Great", was a 15th-century sea captain, soldier, explorer and cartographer. He travelled particularly in the central Atlantic Ocean west of the Cape Verde islands, around northern Brazil, in 1498 and before; also along the coast of West Africa and to India. His accomplishments in strategic warfare, exploration, mathematics and astronomy were of an exceptional level. With the anticipation of more than two centuries, he was responsible for calculating the value of the degree of the meridian arc with a margin of error of only 4% Duarte Barbosa (c. 1480–1521), writer and navigator; embarked on the first expedition to circumnavigate the world, led by his brother-in-law Ferdinand Magellan. João da Nova, Xoán de Novoa or Joam de Nôvoa (c. 1460 in Maceda, Ourense, Galicia (Spain) – 1509 in Kochi, India) was a Galician explorer of the Atlantic and Indian Oceans at the service of Portugal. His skills earned him the appointment by King Manuel I of Portugal as Alcaide menor (mayor) of Lisbon in 1496. He is credited as the discoverer of Ascension and Saint Helena islands. The Juan de Nova Island, in the Mozambique Channel, is named after him. The Farquhar atoll (in the Seychelles) was, for a long time, known as the João da Nova islands. António Galvão (c. 1490–1557), soldier and administrator in the Maluku islands in the Pacific Ocean, and a Renaissance historian, the first to present a comprehensive report of all the leading voyages and explorers up to 1550, either by Portuguese and by other nationalities. His works show a remarkable accuracy, especially the Treaty of Discovery published in Lisbon in 1563 and in English by Richard Hakluyt in 1601.