Bartolomeu Perestrello
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Bartolomeu Perestrello (Portuguese pronunciation: [baɾtuluˈmew pɨɾɨʃˈtɾelu], in Italian Bartolommeo Pallastrelli), 1st Capitão Donatário, Lord and Governor of the Island of Porto Santo (c. 1395 - 1457) was a Portuguese navigator and explorer that is claimed to have discovered and populated Porto Santo Island (1419) together with João Gonçalves Zarco and Tristão Vaz Teixeira.[1] The account of his participation in the discovery is disputed by some historians.[citation needed]
Biography
He was a son of Micer Filippo Pallastrelli (called Filipe Perestrello in Portugal), a Lombard knight who came to Portugal some say erroneously in the train of Queen Leonor of Aragon and here he was a Nobleman of John I of Portugal, who recognized his Coat of Arms and made him a Nobleman of Coat of Arms in 1433; he was married to Caterina Visconti (of the Visconti of Verona not from the ones of Milan), with whom he came to Portugal in 1385, and made mercy in 1437 of two houses at the Sub-Ripas Street in the City of Coimbra. He was the son of Micer Gabriele Pallastrelli, a Lombard nobleman from Piacenza, and second wife Bertolina Bracciforti. Nobleman and Fidalgo-Esquire of the House of Infante João, Lord of Reguengos and master of the Portuguese Order of St. James (Santiago), he was granted in 1446, as hereditary fief (capitania), the island of Porto Santo and, together with his fellow fleet commanders, started the colonization of the islands.
One of his daughters, Filipa Moniz Perestrelo (born c. 1455), around 1479 married Christopher Columbus,[2] who lived in Madeira and Porto Santo.
A legend attributes the responsibility for the poor vegetation of Porto Santo to him. On his first disembarkation in the island he brought one pregnant doe-rabbit that escaped and its progeny overran the island in a few years. In fact, the island was poor in water, and what seemed to be a good enterprise for him became the cause of his family financial ruin.
Family
He married four times, firstly to Margarida Martins, without known issue, secondly with Branca Dias, fathering Branca Dias Perestrello, Dame of Queen Eleanor of Aragon, Queen of Portugal, who was the mistress of Dom Pedro de Noronha (Castle of Gijón, 1379 - August 20, 1452), Grandson of King Fernando I of Portugal and of Grandson of King Enrique II of Castile, 4th Archbishop of Lisbon (1424–1452), by whom she had issue, including D. Pedro de Noronha, Lord Chamberlain to King John II of Portugal, D. Isabel de Noronha, Marquesa of Montemor wife of John, Marquis of Montemor-o-Novo, D. Inês de Noronha, wife of the Count of Abrantes, D. Catarina de Noronha, married the Count of Penamacor, misnamed Countess of Benanico in the transcription of D. Diego Colón's Last Will. The Counts of Penamacor were adpoted parents of Diego Méndez de Segura, who became Columbus's secretary.[3]
Thirdly in 1446 to Brites Furtado de Mendonça, who was sister of Violante Nogueira, nanny to King Duarte's children and Comendadora Superior of All-Saints (both of them aunts of King John II's mistress Ana de Mendonça and of Cristóvão de Mendonça, Captain of Hormuz.) They had issue including, Filipa de Mendonça who married João Teixeira, son of Tristão Vaz Teixeira, First Captain of Machico, Madeira, Catarina Furtado Mendonça who married Mem Rodrigues de Vasconcelos, Knight of Prince Fernando's Household and Judge for the City of Funchal, and Izeu Perestrelo, wife of Pedro Correia da Cunha, First Captain of Graciosa Island in the Azores and one of King John II's twenty-five bodyguards. His fourth marriage to Isabel Moniz, and had issue, including Filipa, one of the 12 Comendadoras of Santiago, who married Columbus, Violante who married Miguel Molyarte and lived in Seville, Spain and Bartolomeu Perestrelo II, Third Captain of Porto Santo.
He was the brother of Rafael Perestrello, who married and had issue, ancestor of the Perestrellos of Torres Vedras. He also had two sisters: Catarina Perestrello, married to Aires Anes de Beja, Escrivão da Puridade (a Secretary) of John I of Portugal.
See also
References
- ^ Doria, Francisco Antonio (2002). De Gênova ao Brasil, I (PDF) (in Portuguese).
Bartolomeu Perestrello, descobridor em 1419 da ilha de Porto Santo
{{cite book}}: line feed character in|quote=at position 61 (help) - ^ de Madariaga, Salvador (1952). Vida del muy magnífico señor Don Cristóbal Colón (in Spanish) (5th ed.). Mexico: Editorial Hermes. p. 125.
Y así Christovão Colombo casó con Filipa Moniz Perestrello.
- ^ Louis Vigneras (André) "Diego Mendez, Secretary of Christopher Columbus and Alguacil, Mayor of Santo Domingo"
Further reading
- Renault, The Caravels of Christ