João Gonçalves Zarco
d. 1467
navigator · discoverer · donatary captain · military officer · settler
Portuguese navigator in the service of Prince Henry, credited with discovering Porto Santo and Madeira. He became the first captain-donatary of Funchal and died there in 1467, having founded the Santa Clara chapel as his tomb and other early chapels.
1Mentioned in
- Donataries — Discoverer and first captain-donatary of Funchal, granted his captaincy in 1450.
- Donataries — Discoverer and first donatary of Funchal (1425–1467).
- Convent of St Clare — Discoverer of Madeira who had the church of Conceição de Cima built near his residence.
- Bettencourt — Discoverer and first captain-donatary of Funchal, father-in-law of Maria de Bettencourt.
- St Clare (church) — Discoverer of Madeira and first captain of Funchal, who founded the chapel as his tomb.
- Affecting. (The) — Portuguese navigator whose voyage completing the discovery of Madeira is recounted in the book.
- Discovery of the archipelago — Portuguese navigator credited with discovering Porto Santo and Madeira.
- Discovery of the archipelago — First donatary captain of Funchal who, according to the Elucidário, reconnoitred the archipelago before its settlement.
- Historical dates — First captain-donatary of Funchal (granted 1451), who died in Funchal in 1467.
- St John the Baptist (chapels) — Discoverer of Madeira, to whom some attribute the founding of the São João da Ribeira chapel.
- Entrada da Cidade — Discoverer of Madeira and first captain of Funchal, after whom the street was renamed in 1910.
- Holy Spirit (chapels) — Discoverer of Madeira who, according to the Elucidário, founded the Espírito Santo chapel above Câmara de Lobos.
- Perestrelo (Bartolomeu) — Discoverer of Madeira, mentioned alongside Perestrelo in the early voyages.
- Chief authorities of the archipelago — Discoverer of Madeira and first donatary of Funchal, with whom Giraldes's list of governors begins.
- Carvalhal (2nd Count of) — Discoverer of Madeira, father of Rui Gonçalves da Câmara.
- Dias — Discoverer and first captain-donatary of Funchal, grandfather of Rui Dias de Aguiar.
- Brito Rebelo (General Jacinto Inácio de) — Discoverer of Madeira, compared with Tristão Vaz in nobility.
- Sesmarias — Discoverer and first captain-donatary of Funchal, who distributed land in sesmaria on five-year conditions.
- Materials for Madeiran History — Discoverer of Madeira whose descendants are treated in a manuscript described here.
- Dias Leite (Canon Jerónimo) — Discoverer of Madeira, whose companion Gonçalo Aires wrote the source account.
- Machico (town and municipality) — Discoverer of Madeira who, with Tristão Vaz, first saw the virgin Machico valley.
- St Catherine (chapel) — Discoverer and first captain-donatary of Funchal, whose first house stood beside the chapel.
- Caniço (parish) — Discoverer of Madeira and captain-donatary of Funchal; he divided the island with Tristão Vaz and held the privilege of building mills.
- Ponta do Pargo (parish) — Discoverer of Madeira, referred to as 'the captain' in Frutuoso's account of the naming of the point.
- Câmara (Rui Gonçalves da) — Discoverer of Madeira and first captain of Funchal, father of Rui Gonçalves da Câmara.
- Câmara (João Gonçalves da) — Discoverer and first captain-donatary of Funchal, father of the subject.
- Melo (Dom Francisco Manuel de) — Discoverer and first captain of Madeira, claimed by Melo as ancestor.
- Câmara (Rui Gonçalves da) — Discoverer and first captain-donatary of Funchal, whose son of the same name as this subject must not be confused with him.
- Aguiar — Discoverer and captain of Funchal whose daughter married Diogo Afonso de Aguiar.
- Achadas da Cruz (parish) — Discoverer of Madeira whose first coastal exploration ended near here and who granted western lands to his son.
- St Paul (chapels) — Discoverer of Madeira and captain-donatary of Funchal, who founded the São Paulo chapel and built his second house beside it.
- Oliveira (point) — Discoverer of Madeira and captain of Funchal, whose captaincy boundary began at this point.
- Columbus (Christopher) — First captain-donatary of Funchal, whose granddaughter was claimed as Columbus's mother.
- Organ of the Convent of St Clare — Discoverer of Madeira whose children reportedly commissioned the organ in 1498.
- São Lourenço lighthouse — Discoverer of Madeira, whose ship São Lourenço gave its name to the point where the lighthouse stands.
- Monk seals — Discoverer of Madeira whose party found and slaughtered numerous seals at the place they named Câmara de Lobos.
- Machico (origin of the name) — Portuguese discoverer of Madeira, cited as the true discoverer against the Machim claim.
- Arco da Calheta (parish) — Discoverer of Madeira, mentioned here as the grandfather of Pedro Gonçalves da Câmara.
- Figueiroa (Francisco Anacleto de) — Discoverer and first captain-donatary of Funchal, whose tomb vault at Santa Clara received Figueiroa's body.
- Campo do Duque — Discoverer of Madeira, mentioned as companion of Francisco de Carvalhal.
+102 more
2Chronology
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Zarco made the first landing on Madeira at Machico on the feast of the Visitation, where accompanying Franciscans reportedly celebrated the first Mass; next day he reached Porto do Seixo.
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Madeira was discovered by João Gonçalves Zarco and Tristão Vaz under Prince Henry, most commonly dated 1419, by some 1420.
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The dowry deed for the marriage of Isabel Gonçalves da Câmara, Zarco's daughter, to Diogo Afonso de Aguiar was drawn up.
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A document spells the donatary's surname 'Zargo'.
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João Gonçalves Zargo founded the entail later held by the counts of Calheta.
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Prince Henry granted João Gonçalves Zarco the captaincy of Funchal.
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Royal confirmation of Zargo's grant of the Funchal captaincy.
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Zargo donated land beside the São Paulo chapel for Funchal's first hospital.
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By charter of Afonso V, Zarco was ennobled as João Gonçalves de Câmara de Lobos and granted a coat of arms bearing a tower and wolves.
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Afonso V confirmed the donation of Madeira and Zargo's captaincy grant.
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João Gonçalves Zargo died around 1467 and his son succeeded to the captaincy of Funchal.
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The ruined Espírito Santo chapel at Câmara de Lobos, founded by Zarco, was rebuilt.
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The monument to João Gonçalves Zarco by Francisco Franco was solemnly inaugurated on the Avenida Arriaga in Funchal.
3Places mentioned
Abroad