Baltasar Fernandes facts for kids

Baltasar Fernandes (sometimes spelled Baltazar or Balthazar) was an important Portuguese explorer and pioneer. He lived from around 1580 to 1667. He was known for leading expeditions into the wild lands of Brazil. These trips were called Bandeirantes. Their goal was to find valuable metals like gold, silver, and iron. Baltasar Fernandes is also famous for being the founder and one of the first people to settle the city of Sorocaba in 1654.

Who Was Baltasar Fernandes?

Baltasar Fernandes was born in São Paulo, a big city in Brazil. He grew up in a place called Santana do Parnaíba. He had two brothers who were also important founders of cities. His brother Domingos Fernandes founded Itu, and André Fernandes founded Parnaíba.

Baltasar Fernandes was married twice. First, he married Maria de Zunega from Paraguay, and they had a daughter named Mary Torales. After Maria passed away, he married Isabel de Proenca.

His Early Adventures

Baltasar Fernandes started his career as a bandeirante, which means a pioneer or explorer. These pioneers would travel deep into the unexplored parts of Brazil. They often worked with local communities in places like Rio Grande do Sul and Paraguay. Their main goal was to explore new territories and find resources.

Founding the City of Sorocaba

Baltasar Fernandes played a huge role in starting the city of Sorocaba. On August 15, 1654, he and his son, Captain Andrew of Zunéga Y Leon, along with their family, officially founded the city.

Around the same year, 1654, Fernandes built a house right by the Sorocaba River. He also built a small church, which he named Nossa Senhora da Ponte. Today, this church is known as the Sorocaba Metropolitan Cathedral.

Helping the Community Grow

Baltasar Fernandes was also very generous. On April 21, 1660, he gave land, farms, and some of his workers to the Benedictines. The Benedictines are a group of monks. This gift helped them build the Monastery of St. Benedict, also known as Mosteiro de São Bento.

Sorocaba Becomes a Town

In 1661, Baltasar Fernandes traveled to São Paulo to meet with the governor general, Salvador Corrêa de Sá e Benevides. Fernandes had an important request: he wanted Sorocaba to become a vila. In those days, a vila was a more important type of settlement, like a town.

The governor agreed to his request! On March 3, 1661, Sorocaba was officially made a Vila. Its full name became the Vila de Nossa Senhora da Ponte de Sorocaba. Right away, Sorocaba set up its own city council. Baltasar Fernandes and his son, André de Zunega, were named as judges. Other important people like Cláudio Furquim and Paschoal Leite Paes became aldermen. Domingos Garcia was the attorney, and Francisco Sanches was the registrar. This was a big step for Sorocaba, making it an official town with its own government.