Diogo Afonso facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Diogo Afonso
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Statue of Diogo Afonso facing Porto Grande Bay in Mindelo
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| Captain of Santiago, Cape Verde | |
| In office 1462–1473 |
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| Succeeded by | Rodrigo Afonso |
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| Nationality | Portuguese |
Diogo Afonso was a Portuguese explorer who lived in the 1400s. He was known for exploring parts of the African coast and discovering several islands in Cape Verde.
Biography
Diogo Afonso joined many trips to explore the northwest and west coasts of Africa. These trips were organized by Prince Henry, a very important figure in Portuguese exploration.
In 1444, Diogo Afonso was the captain of a ship. Other explorers like Antão Gonçalves and Gomes Pires were also on board. They explored the area known as Rio de Oro, which is mostly in modern-day Mauritania.
The next year, he took part in another trip to the island of Arguin, also in Mauritania. On this journey with Antão Gonçalves and Garcia Homem, his ship sailed past the island's coast. They found its cape and captured many people there. These captives were taken back to Lisbon and sold. Prince Henry sent a fifth expedition that included Duarte Pacheco Pereira.
Diogo Afonso later explored the remaining islands of Cape Verde, especially those in the northwestern part.
A royal map from King Alphonso V, dated September 29, 1462, mentioned Diogo Afonso's discoveries. The king gave this map to his brother, Infante Don Fernando. It spoke of an island "Northwest of the Canary Islands and Madeira".
The map also said:
(...) asi e pela guisa que lhe temos dada a outras sete ilhas que Diego Affomsso seu escudeiro achou através do Cabo Verde
—D. Afonso V (1462)
This means King Afonso V had given Diogo Afonso seven other islands he found near Cape Verde. On the same map, it was noted that Diogo Afonso discovered five more islands to the west in Cape Verde. These included Brava, São Nicolau, São Vicente, and Santo Antão. He also found the small islands of Branco and Razo.
Diogo Afonso later settled on the island of Santiago. He lived in Ribeira Grande, which was the colonial capital at the time. He was one of the first people to settle on the island.
On January 29, 1462, he became one of the first two captains of Santiago island. He remained captain until 1473. From September 19, 1462, he was the captain of Southern Santiago. His brother or son, Rodrigo Afonso, took over from him. We don't know much about the rest of Diogo Afonso's life.
Legacy
There is a statue of Diogo Afonso on the beach in Mindelo. Mindelo is a historic city on the island of São Vicente, an island he discovered. The statue is located west of Avenida Marginal.
A street in Mindelo is also named after him. It is located east of Rua João Cleofas Martins. This street crosses another street named Rua Camões, which is named after a famous Portuguese poet.
See also
In Spanish: Diogo Afonso para niños
