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Prester John
Prester John was the center of a number of legends that hark back to the writings of “John the Elder” in the New Testament.
Years: 1145 — 1520
Confused and contradictory information about a Kingdom of Prester John, known to be a Christian and thought to be very powerful, had circulated in Europe since the Middle Ages. Already in the time of Prince Henry, the Portuguese had tried to establish contacts with this kingdom. However, only circa 1492 did this come to pass when Pêro da Covilhã, who was sent overland to the East under orders of Dom João II, reached Ethiopia. Nevertheless, it was not until 1520 that diplomatic contacts between Portugal and that country became more regular. From then on, Prester John lost the mythical character that he had previously enjoyed.
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