Treaty of Saragossa

Spain-Portugal [1529]

Written by

The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last updated

June 17, 2026

Quick Summary

The Treaty of Saragossa, signed in 1529 between Spain and Portugal, was a follow-up to the Treaty of Tordesillas. While the earlier treaty divided the newly discovered lands west of the Cape Verde Islands between the two powers, the Treaty of Saragossa addressed territorial claims in Asia and the Pacific Ocean. This agreement established Portuguese dominion over Asia and the Indian Ocean, while ceding the Pacific to Spain. This division was a consequence of global circumnavigation, which revealed overlapping claims and the need for a revised understanding of global territories.12

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

2 Britannica Sources

Ask Britannica AI about this topic

Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.

history of Europe
Discovery of the New World
The Treaties of Tordesillas and Saragossa in 1494 and 1529 defined the limits of westward Spanish exploration and the eastern ventures of Portugal. The two states acting as the vanguard of the expansion of Europe had thus divided the newly discovered sea lanes of the world between them.
Read More
The Treaties of Tordesillas and Saragossa in 1494 and 1529 defined the limits of westward Spanish exploration and the eastern ventures of Portugal. The two states acting as the vanguard of the expansion of Europe had thus divided the newly discovered sea lanes of the world between them.
Read More

Portugal
Consolidation of the monarchy
…1529 the settlement by the Treaty of Zaragoza (Saragossa) of a dispute over the possession of the Moluccas (an island group part of present-day Indonesia) removed an obstacle to Portuguese-Spanish understanding, and the line dividing Portuguese and Spanish interests in the New World (established by the Treaty of Tordesillas) was…
Read More
…1529 the settlement by the Treaty of Zaragoza (Saragossa) of a dispute over the possession of the Moluccas (an island group part of present-day Indonesia) removed an obstacle to Portuguese-Spanish understanding, and the line dividing Portuguese and Spanish interests in the New World (established by the Treaty of Tordesillas) was…
Read More