The Portuguese Empire existed in 1392 during the Renaissance.
Portuguese Empire . It existed for almost six centuries from the capture of Ceuta in 1415 to the grant of sovereignty to East Timor in 2002 . Portuguese sailors began exploring the coast of Africa and the Atlantic archipelagos in 1418 -- 19 , using recent developments in navigation , cartography and maritime technology such as the caravel , in order that they might find a sea route to the source of the lucrative spice trade .