Álvaro Martins, also known as Álvaro Martins Homem, was a 15th-century Portuguese explorer alleged to have explored the western Atlantic and later the African coast. He is claimed to have accompanied João Vaz Corte-Real on an undocumented expedition to Terra Nova do Bacalhau (literally, "New Land of the Codfish") in the early 1470s, by Gaspar Frutuoso in his 1570s book Saudades da Terra.[1]

Álvaro Martins
Álvaro Martins Homem
Álvaro Martins statue in Angra do Heroísmo
1st Captain-Donatário of Praia
In office
17 February 1474 – 1483
Monarchs
Preceded byJácome de Bruges
Succeeded byAntão Martins Homem
ConstituencyPraia
Personal details
Born
Álvaro Martins Homem
CitizenshipKingdom of Portugal
NationalityPortuguese

It is known that Álvaro Martins was granted the captaincy of Praia, in the Portuguese archipelago of the Azores, on 17 February 1474 for his services to Infante Ferdinand, Duke of Viseu, an office he held for some years.[1] It was following the disappearance of Jacome de Bruges that the King divided the island between Angra and Praia, granting Praia to Álvaro Martins, while João Vaz Corte-Real obtained the Captaincy of Angra. Álvaro Martins and his son (Antão) were responsible for the fortifications, and the development of agriculture and commerce in northern Terceira.[2]

He is also said to have accompanied Bartolomeu Dias on his journey around the Cape of Good Hope from 1487 to 1488.[3]

References

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Notes

  1. ^ a b Diffie et al., 1977, p. 447.
  2. ^ Bento, 2008, p. 28.
  3. ^ Dutra, 1997, p. 216.

Sources

  • Bento, Carlos Melo (2008), História dos Açores: Da descoberta a 1934 (in Portuguese), Câmara Municipal de Ponta Delgada
  • Diffie, Bailey Wallys; Shafer, Boyd C.; Winius, George Davison (1977), Foundations of the Portuguese empire, 1415-1580 (2 ed.), U of Minnesota Press, ISBN 9780816607822
  • Dutra, Francis A. (1997), "Dias, Bartolomeu (c. 1450-1500)", in Rodriguez, Junius P. (ed.), The Historical encyclopedia of world slavery, vol. 7, ABC-CLIO, p. 216, ISBN 0-87436-885-5