Who were Vasco da Gama’s parents?

Written and fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Although his exact birth date is unknown, Vasco da Gama was the third son of Estêvão da Gama, a minor provincial nobleman who was commander of the fortress of Sines on the coast of Alentejo province in southwestern Portugal. Some sources note that his mother, Isabel Sodré, was also of noble stock.