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No, it didn’t exist. As far as is known, it is a Greco-Roman legend that was appropriated by the European Renaissance in the 16th century. In mythology, the fountain of youth is a river that flows from Mount Olympus and flows through the Earth. As it came from the gods, it would be able to give immortality to anyone who drank its water. Other civilizations also mentioned miraculous waters. Iondu records from 700 BC mention a «well of youth». Even Alexander the Great would have sought the river of immortality, spurred on by a Hebrew tale. In the Middle Ages, several voyages of exploration were sponsored by royal courts. The famous Ponce de León would even have found the source in Florida, in the USA, although nothing is proven.
1. In 1493, Ponce leaves Spain for America, accompanying Christopher Columbus on his second expedition – financed by Kings Ferdinand and Isabel. He disembarked on the island of Hispaniola (now the island of Santo Domingo), colonizing the territory
2. With the aim of exploring new lands, Ponce de León arrives in Puerto Rico, where he is appointed governor in 1508. Through the natives, he would have discovered the existence of a fountain of youth, which would be located in the north of Cuba, in a island called Bimini
3. In 1513, he went in search of rejuvenating waters. As the legend said that the source was located in a paradisiacal environment (where the Garden of Eden would also be), any tropical island was worthy of being investigated.
4. On Easter Sunday of the same year, Ponce de León reaches a coast, which he names “La Florida” – which means “The Florida”. During the expedition, he is seriously injured by Indians, being taken to Cuba, where he does not resist and dies.
5. Many believe that the explorer found the source in Florida – a region rich in mineral waters. In his honor, the Fountain of Youth National Park was created in Saint Augustine – a city located on the first coast to be colonized by Europeans.
Source Claudio Carlan, professor of ancient history at the Federal University of Alfenas, MG