João Gonçalves Zarco facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
João Gonçalves Zarco
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A posthumous portrait attributed to Nicolau Ferreira, c. 1790
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| 1st Donatary-Captain of Funchal | |
| In office 1425–1467 |
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| Monarch | John I Edward I Afonso V |
| Succeeded by | João Gonçalves da Câmara |
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| Born | c. 1390 Kingdom of Portugal |
| Died | 1471 Funchal |
| Occupation | Explorer, colonial administrator |
| Known for | Settler of the Archipelago of Madeira |
| Signature |  |
João Gonçalves Zarco (born around 1390, died 1471) was a brave Portuguese explorer. He is famous for finding and helping to settle the Madeira Islands. Prince Henry the Navigator chose him to be the first leader, or "captain," of Funchal.
Life of an Explorer
João Gonçalves Zarco was born in Portugal. He became a knight, serving Prince Henry the Navigator. From a young age, Zarco commanded ships called caravels. These ships protected the coast of Algarve from attacks.
He also took part in the conquest of Ceuta in 1415. Later, he led the caravels that explored the island of Porto Santo between 1418 and 1419. After that, he discovered the main island of Madeira from 1419 to 1420.
Zarco helped start the first settlements on the islands. He founded the city of Câmara de Lobos on Madeira. He was given half of Madeira island to govern as its first "Captain-major." This was a very important role.
In 1425, he began colonizing the islands with his fellow commanders. These were Tristão Vaz Teixeira and Bartolomeu Perestrello. He also fought in the siege of Tangier in 1437, which was not successful. João Gonçalves Zarco died in Funchal.
In Culture
The story of Zarco's life is told in the novel L'Écuyer d'Henri le Navigateur. This book was written by Arkan Simaan in 2007.
See also
In Spanish: João Gonçalves Zarco para niños
