The Portuguese Empire existed during an era.
Portuguese Empire . The first era of the Portuguese empire originated at the beginning of the Age of Discovery . Eventually , Brazil became the most valuable colony of the second era until , as part of the wave of independence movements that swept the Americas during the early 19th century , it broke away in 1822 . The third era represents the final stage of Portuguese colonialism after the decolonization of the Americas of the 1820s .