Padre Eterno Explained

The Padre Eterno (meaning "Eternal Father" in English^[1]) was a galleon of the Portuguese Navy, built in Rio de Janeiro, State of Brazil in the 17th century, at the order of Salvador Corrêa de Sá e Benevides for transportation of sugar and goods for the Companhia Geral do Comércio.^[2] She was later sold to the Portuguese Crown.^[3]

According to the periodical Mercurio portuguez published in Lisbon between 1663 and 1667 by the State Secretary of the Kingdom António de Sousa de Macedo, she was considered the biggest ship of her time.^[4] She was indeed bigger than the British and the French Saint Philippe, but was of equal size of the Spanish La Salvadora, and smaller than the Swedish Kronan, and the French Soleil Royal.^[5] She arrived in Lisbon from her maiden voyage on 20 October 1665.^[6] She sank in the Indian Ocean a few years later.

The name of the international airport serving Rio de Janeiro, namely Rio de Janeiro/Galeão–Antonio Carlos Jobim International Airport has a reference to Galeão beach, located in the close vicinity of the original passenger terminal of the airport. The beach in turn got its name from the galleon, entirely built at this location.^[7]

Notes and References

1. Book: Ruy Castro . 2008 . Rio de Janeiro: A City on Fire . Bloomsbury Publishing USA . 38– . 978-1-59691-985-3 .
2. Book: Pedro . Doria . 1565: Enquanto o Brasil nascia: A aventura de portugueses, franceses, índios e negros na fundação do país . Rio de Janeiro . Nova Fronteira . 2012 . 1st . 978-85-2093114-1 . pt . 240–241.
3. Book: Alencastro, Luiz Felipe de . O trato dos viventes: Formação do Brasil no Atlântico Sul séculos XVI e XVII . São Paulo . Companhia das Letras . 2000 . 1st . 235 . Portuguese . 85-359-0008-X .
4. Web site: Novas do mez de março do anno de 1665 . March 1665 . Mercurio portuguez . Lisbon . [171v] . pt . News of the month of March 1665 . 13 January 2015 . & do Brasil virà tambem o galeão chamado Padre Eterno que se faz no Rio de Janeiro, & he o mais famoso baxel de guerra que os mares jámais virão . Digital copy of original available at the Biblioteca Nacional de Portugal.
5. Book: Alencastro, Luiz Felipe de . O trato dos viventes: Formação do Brasil no Atlântico Sul séculos XVI e XVII . São Paulo . Companhia das Letras . 2000 . 1st . 196 . pt . 85-359-0008-X .
6. Web site: Novas do mez de outubro do anno de 1665 . October 1665 . Mercurio portuguez . Lisbon . [236v] . pt . News of the month of October 1665 . 13 January 2015 . Em vinte deste começou a entrar no porto de Lisboa a Frota do Brasil, trouxe quarenta nauios de carga [...] Veio nesta Frota aquelle famoso Galeaõ que Saluador Correa de Sá & Benauides, sendo Gouernador do Rio de Janeiro fabricou naquelle porto; o maior nauio que ha hoje, nê se sabe que houuesse nos mares . Digital copy of original available at the Biblioteca Nacional de Portugal.
7. Book: Armelle . Enders . A História do Rio de Janeiro . Rio de Janeiro . Gryphus . 2008 . 2nd . 978-85-60610-09-9 . pt . 54.