António Estácio dos Reis (1923-2018)

Commander António Estácio dos Reis, former director of the Navy Museum, passed away yesterday, March 1. He left us a considerable contribution to key findings in portuguese scientific heritage, namely the identification of the "nonius of Florence" — the only nonius built according to Pedro Nunes's method, adapted to a nautical quadrant— but also many astrolabes and globes, in a survey still unparalleled.

Estácio dos Reis helped define a new area of study in Portugal, and simultaneously, placed portuguese scientific heritage in the international map. Always close to our work, he was also part of the Scientific Commission charged with published the Complete Works of Pedro Nunes (Academy of Sciences and Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation).