1482
Portuguese Build Elmina Castle
On the Gold Coast of what is now Ghana, Portuguese engineers erected a massive stone fortress to control the local gold trade.
Leonardo Arrives in Milan
The Florentine painter and restless polymath left Lorenzo de Medici's court for the military patronage of Ludovico Sforza in Milan, bringing unfinished…
Diogo Cao Reaches the Congo River
The Portuguese captain erected a limestone padrao pillar at the mouth of the Congo, the largest river any European had yet encountered anywhere in Africa.
Kongo Kingdom Encounters Christianity
Following initial contact with Portuguese missionaries accompanying Diogo Cao's expedition, the Manikongo Nzinga a Nkuwu allowed the baptism of several court…
Ferrara War Begins
Pope Sixtus IV and Venice attacked Ferrara, aiming to redistribute its territory.
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Frequently asked
What happened in the year 1482?
Saeculum lists 5 events from 1482. The most significant is Portuguese Build Elmina Castle: On the Gold Coast of what is now Ghana, Portuguese engineers erected a massive stone fortress to control the local gold trade.
What era was 1482 part of?
1482 falls within the Late Middle Ages (1301-1500). Plague, papal schism, and the seeds of nation-states.
Which regions saw notable events in 1482?
The events from 1482 span Africa and Europe.