Lisbon Naval Base 3.73

The Lisbon Naval Base, is the main installation and operational base of the Portuguese Navy. Being located at the former Royal Estate of Alfeite on the south bank of the Tagus river's huge estuary, near the city of Almada, the installation is commonly referred to as the Alfeite Naval Base.Most of the Portuguese Naval fleet ships are based at Alfeite, as well as many of its administrative, training and support services. Within its perimeter are also located the Naval School, the Naval Technologies School, the Alfeite Arsenal, the Marine corps Base and other Portuguese Navy units.The Lisbon Naval Base is an administrative entity that – besides the main naval station at Alfeite – manages several other smaller naval facilities in the region.HistoryLisbon and the neighbor Tagus estuary has always been the largest and most important naval base of Portugal, since the 12th century. During the Age of Discovery, in the 15th and 16th centuries, Lisbon and the Tagus became the major naval base in the World. It was from this base, that Vasco da Gama set out to discover the sea route to India.Until after World War I, in reality there was not a single naval base, but a series of smaller bases located at various points of both banks of the Tagus. Among others, in the early 20th century, there was the Lisbon Navy Arsenal, the Doca de Belém submarine base, the Bom Sucesso seaplane base, the Vila Franca de Xira destroyer base, the Vale do Zebro torpedo boat base, the Alcântara Naval Barracks and the Doca da Marinha naval quay.