Špión čtyř králů – Hubinger Václav (2014)

(PERO DA COVILHA) An unbelievable yet true story of the king of spies Pero da Covilha (circa 1450-circa 1530) was a Portuguese diplomat and spy, regarded as the "king of spies." He served four kings (John II, Alfonso V, Manuel I, and John III), although the last two did not know him personally. In 1487, he was sent to the East as part of a strategic plan to find a route from Europe to India. He was accompanied across the Mediterranean to Aden by Afonso de Paiva, who was to find the realm of Prester John, a desired ally for Christians against Muslims. Paiva died without fulfilling his part of the mission, and P. da Covilha was tasked with this mission upon his return from India to Cairo (1491). He sent information about his findings from India, Arabia, and East Africa to Lisbon and set out on another journey. He reached Ethiopia, but when he was preparing to return, the emperor died, and his successor did not allow him to leave the country. When a Portuguese delegation arrived at the Ethiopian court in 1520, they encountered a compatriot believed to be dead. He was wealthy, respected, but not very happy. He sent a detailed report about Ethiopia back to Portugal through the envoys, and no one in Europe heard from him again. The reports of P. da Covilha helped direct the Portuguese expansion into Asia.