The Crusade of Hormuz
Looking for a new route to Jerusalem, medieval crusaders turned to the Strait of Hormuz.
In 1514, as the new dome of St Peter’s Basilica began to rise above Rome, one of its canons, Camilio Porti, composed an oration to Pope Leo X. It celebrated the victories of the viceroy of Portuguese India, Alfonso de Albuquerque, who had secured control over the sea-lanes around the Indian subcontinent, and invited the pope to endorse his actions and rally other Christian rulers to his cause.
It was probably no coincidence that Porti completed his work as the Portuguese explorer Tristão da Cunha arrived in Rome. Sent in the name of King Manuel I of Portugal, he headed an embassy which also aimed to secure retrospective approval of conquests in the Indian Ocean through a public display of captured booty; a spectacle which is best known for the arrival of an ambassador from these distant regions – an elephant called Hanno, who was paraded to Castel Sant’Angelo where he thrice bowed before the pope before spraying water over a group of nearby cardinals.
To continue reading this article you need to purchase a subscription, available from only £5.
Start my trial subscription now
If you have already purchased access, or are a print & archive subscriber, please ensure you are logged in.
Please email digital@historytoday.com if you have any problems.
