In Brazilian schools, it’s common to learn of the person of Pedro Alvares Cabral and his importance to the discovery of Brazil. As much as there is still much controversy about whether the arrival was an accident or planned, it is undeniable the importance of this explorer in world history.

But his life was not only punctuated by glory. On the contrary, after his most famous feat, he had a very complicated life.

After the discovery, Pedro Alvares Cabral’s fleet left Brazil in early May 1500 to resume the trip to India that had motivated the voyage. However, when they reached the city of Calicut, the crew was attacked by a native army. Everything indicates that it was motivated by the rivalry of a powerful local merchant, who saw disadvantage in trade with Portugal.

Upon arriving back in Europe, King Manuel I immediately prepared an expedition that was to avenge the attack. But something happened at that time that soured the explorer’s relationship with the king. Cabral was to have embarked on this expedition but was replaced at the last minute. He never sailed again.

Pedro Alvares Cabral married a woman of noble lineage, Lady Isabel de Castro. They had four children, and he ended up suffering from effects of what is thought to have been malaria. Cabral moved back to his home town of Santarém where he died in 1520.