Câmara (Simão Gonçalves da)

Simão Gonçalves da Câmara, 3rd captain-donatary (capitão-donatário) of Funchal, was born in the old town (vila) of the same name. He was the son of the second donatary, João Gonçalves da Câmara, and of Maria de Noronha, and the grandson of the illustrious discoverer of Madeira. As a second son who took his mother’s surname, he was known as Simão de Noronha, a name he changed to Simão Gonçalves da Câmara when he assumed the government of the captaincy, on pain of losing it, by the express order of the monarch. In the books of nobility and the old Madeiran chronicles he is commonly called Simão Gonçalves da Câmara, the Magnificent, for his liberality, the lavish life he led and the generosity with which he rewarded the services rendered to him.

Following the example of his father and grandfather, he showed the most outstanding valour and courage in our long campaigns in Morocco, and he was certainly the Madeiran who distinguished himself most notably in the frequent and fierce encounters with the Moors. His part was not limited to joining expeditions and fighting actively in battles and skirmishes. By fitting out many ships, raising numerous armed men on foot and on horseback, and sending abundant supplies of war, provisions and other aid, all at his own expense, he contributed, as perhaps no other subject of the time did, to upholding the prestige of the Portuguese name in Africa.

Some of the actions in which he made his name through his bravery and military genius deserve special mention, as does the aid he promptly gave to various African strongholds that were in danger of falling to the Moors. It was in performing these signal services that he went to North Africa nine times, always with the greatest disinterest and self-denial, neither seeking nor demanding any royal grant or reward, as was so usual in those times. John II and Manuel I, says Pinho Leal, owed him in large part the preservation of the Portuguese strongholds in Africa.

While his father was still alive, and when he was in the Kingdom (reino, i.e. mainland Portugal), John II asked him to relieve the stronghold of Asilah. He responded promptly with a force of three hundred men, armed, equipped and maintained at his own expense during the six months they remained in Africa. Another important relief was the one he gave to Diogo de Azambuja, governor of Safi, who, after taking that stronghold, found himself in imminent danger of losing it. When Azambuja turned to Simão Gonçalves, the latter sent him three hundred armed men within three days, and shortly afterwards went in person at the head of another nine hundred, whom he maintained and provisioned during the three months they stayed there. The help he gave in the capture of Azemmour was also considerable. For this great expedition, commanded by Jaime, Duke of Braganza, Simão Gonçalves sent his son João Gonçalves da Câmara with 600 foot soldiers and 200 horsemen. Among them was a large number of Madeiran noblemen, who were among those who most distinguished themselves in the celebrated capture of Azemmour.

We would go too far if we tried to describe in detail the various battles in which Simão Gonçalves da Câmara fought on the fields of Morocco, and the great deeds of bravery and heroism he performed there. Frutuoso and several other chroniclers recount some of these glorious actions minutely. We shall say only that at Safi, Azemmour, Asilah, Castelo Real, Cape Ghir, Mazagan, Ceuta and Tangier he always boldly showed the strength of his arm and the unbreakable courage of his spirit.

Among the displays of pomp and grandeur that adorned the ostentatious life of Simão Gonçalves, one stands out, not so much for its intrinsic value as for its singular originality: the gift he made to Pope Leo X. This illustrious pontiff, who gave his name to his century, had as his private secretary Bishop Dom Manuel de Noronha, son of Simão Gonçalves da Câmara, who enjoyed great prestige and influence in Rome. The offering could be regarded as an embassy, and it was presented to the pontiff by Dom Manuel de Noronha. The ambassador, or bearer of the gift, was a Madeiran fidalgo (nobleman of the lesser nobility) named João de Leiria. He was accompanied by Vicente Martins, a canon of Funchal Cathedral (the Sé) (Sé do Funchal), who, being deeply versed in Latin, delivered a brilliant oration in that language in the presence of the great pontiff. Other persons, and many servants dressed in the Portuguese fashion in black velvet, made up this remarkable retinue.

Besides a costly Persian horse, ‘many fuchsias and trinkets from the island’ and other objects, the offering consisted chiefly of the Sacred College, made entirely of alfenim (white sugar paste for modelling figures) and life-size, which aroused the most extraordinary admiration in the capital of the Catholic world. We cannot now establish with complete accuracy how many cardinals the Sacred College then comprised; at present, and since the end of the 16th century, it numbers 72. At the time of Simão Gonçalves’s embassy, which took place in the first quarter of that same century, it cannot have been much smaller. The sugar industry had by then reached a very great development here, and it seems also a remarkable and rare perfection. This allowed Simão Gonçalves to have so many graceful figures made, which, the chronicles say, suffered not the slightest damage and arrived ‘unbroken right into Rome’.

It was under the government of this third captain-donatary (capitão-donatário) that Madeira reached a high degree of prosperity. It became a notable commercial and agricultural emporium, attracting many outsiders, who settled on the island in large numbers, founded families there and grew rich. The importance and growth of what was then the town (vila) of Funchal led to its elevation to the rank of city, a privilege granted by the royal decree (alvará régio) of 17 August 1508. The diocese was also created in 1514, by the papal bull of 12 June of that year.

It was in this period that King Manuel I had the magnificent Cathedral (the Sé) built, today a National Monument (monumento nacional), and presented to it the precious cross still preserved there. Also by order of the same monarch, the building of our customs house was erected, whose ground floor displays the characteristic lines of Manueline architecture.

When the king sent the corregedor (royal district magistrate) Diogo Taveira to Madeira to investigate certain irregularities committed in the government of the captaincy, Simão Gonçalves da Câmara considered himself gravely injured in the privileges and exemptions he enjoyed as donatary of Funchal. He resolved to leave the country and settle in Spain. Forced by the hazards of the voyage to put in at the Algarve, he learned there of the perilous straits in which our African stronghold of Asilah found itself, and at once went to its relief, compelling the besiegers to raise the siege. As he was preparing to continue towards his destination, he received from the monarch the satisfaction that his offended dignity demanded, and returned without delay to the government of his donatary captaincy (donataria). This episode, set out in great detail, provided the subject of one of the chapters of the interesting book by Inácio de Vilhena Barbosa entitled

Virtudes Civicas e Domesticas.

Feeling old and weary, Simão Gonçalves gave up the government of his captaincy, which passed to his son and successor João Gonçalves da Câmara, and retired to the lugar (settlement ranking between a town and a parish) of Matosinhos, near Porto. There he died at the beginning of 1530, having directed in his will that his mortal remains be taken to this island and laid in the Convent of St Clare (Santa Clara), in the family vault of his parents and grandparents. ‘Not many years passed, says an old book of Madeiran historical matters, before this clause of his will was fulfilled, and when the coffin with his bones was landed in Funchal, a most solemn funeral procession was made for him from the beach to the said Convent, accompanied by the cathedral chapter of canons, the clergy and the religious who were in the land, and his obsequies were held with the greatest solemnity, the whole people accompanying and attending with many tears, for he was much loved by all.

The mortal remains of Simão Gonçalves were laid in the chancel of the church of the Convent of St Clare. There, in March 1919, on the Epistle side, the tombstone covering them was discovered, and in the centre of its dark marble this epitaph can be read: Tomb of Simão Gonçalves da Câmara.......3rd captain of this island. Here lies Simão Gonçalves da Câmara, Count of Calheta (‘small cove’) and fifth captain of this island.

The inscription shows that beneath this gravestone lie the remains of the 3rd captain-donatary (capitão-donatário), Simão Gonçalves da Câmara, and also those of the 5th captain of the same name and 1st Count of Calheta, whom we discuss in this Elucidário. We should note that two lines of the transcribed epitaph are marked off in quotation marks, a circumstance for which we cannot give a full explanation.

The 2nd and 3rd captains-donatary of Funchal appear as important characters in the historical novel A Filha de Tristão das Damas and in the play Guiomar Teixeira, by the Madeiran writer Major J. Reis Gomes.