Aragon
Original title: Aragão
The noble Madeiran surname Aragão, with competing genealogical accounts of its founders around 1470–1500.
Aragão is an old and noble surname in Madeira, although the genealogists do not agree about the individuals who first bore it among us. It is said that the first person here to bear the name was António de Aragão e Teive, who settled on this island around 1500 and was married to Dona Helena de Atouguia. The distinguished Madeiran genealogist José Betencourt da Câmara states that ‘there are two branches of Aragão in Madeira: one descends from Henrique Aragão, who settled in Funchal around 1480; the other comes from Dom Afonso de Aragão, a Neapolitan knight whose real name is unknown, and who, either as a fugitive or as a pilgrim, reached this island around 1470. He lived at Calheta (‘small cove’), at the locality (sítio) that came to be called after him the Volta do Cavaleiro; he went on to the archipelago of the Azores and died there, having directed that the epitaph placed on his tomb should read: “Here lies the troubled Neapolitan”. He came already married, or married in Madeira, Teresa de Lira: his son, Lopo Dias de Lira Varela, knighted in Africa, was a moço fidalgo (junior nobleman of the Royal Household) of the royal household in 1515, and a professed knight of the Order of Christ (Ordem de Cristo)’.
In this article
Time
Years mentioned · 04Place
Places mentioned · 04
Abroad
- Azores
Portugal. Where D. Afonso de Aragão died.
The Azores, an Atlantic archipelago that shares plant species with Madeira. The Elucidário records settlement there by Madeiran families such as the Bettencourts, the 1801 ban on Azorean wines in Madeira, and imports of Azorean tobacco. It also notes that Azorean farmers were brought to Madeira to teach maize-growing methods.
- Calheta
Where D. Afonso de Aragão lived.
Calheta is a town, parish and municipality on Madeira's south-west coast and one of the island's oldest settlements. The Elucidário covers its name, early settlers such as Pedro Berenguer, its church and many chapels, including one of a former Franciscan convent, and the 1834 riot.
- Funchal
Where Henrique Aragão settled.
The capital of the archipelago and seat of the principal captaincy, where settlement began; it was made a vila c.1451–52. Its bay, the widest in the archipelago, lies between Ponta do Garajau and Ponta da Cruz and offers sheltered anchorage, though its harbour had never been studied oceanographically. The Elucidário discusses it as a health resort with climate data and records the January 1906 disturbances, the Danish prince's visit in May 1846 and recent volcanic cones in the area.
- Volta do Cavaleiro
Calheta. Site named after D. Afonso de Aragão.
Site named after D. Afonso de Aragão.
People
People mentioned · 07-
Neapolitan knight who arrived about 1470, lived at Calheta and died in the Azores; founder of the other branch.
- António de Aragão e Teiveb. 1516
Said to have settled in Madeira about 1500 and been the first to bear the Aragão surname there.
-
Wife of D. Afonso de Aragão.
-
Wife of António de Aragão e Teive.
-
Founder of one Aragão branch, settled in Funchal about 1480.
- José Bettencourt da Câmara1844–1875
Madeiran genealogist quoted on the two branches of the Aragão family.
-
Son of D. Afonso de Aragão, knighted in Africa, moço fidalgo in 1515 and knight of the Order of Christ.