Francisco Caldeira e Castelo Branco (1566–1619) was a Portuguese Captain-major, founder of the city of

Belém Belém (; Portuguese for Bethlehem; initially called Nossa Senhora de Belém do Grão-Pará, in English Our Lady of Bethlehem of Great Pará) often called Belém of Pará, is a Brazilian city, capital and largest city of the state of Pará in t ...

, capital of

Pará Pará is a Federative units of Brazil, state of Brazil, located in northern Brazil and traversed by the lower Amazon River. It borders the Brazilian states of Amapá, Maranhão, Tocantins (state), Tocantins, Mato Grosso, Amazonas (Brazilian state) ...

(

Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...

), on 12 January 1616.

Biography

He was born in the Portuguese town of Castelo Branco, in 1566. Was Captain-major of the Captaincy the Rio Grande (now the Brazilian state of

Rio Grande do Norte Rio Grande do Norte (, , ) is one of the states of Brazil. It is located in the northeastern region of the country, forming the northeasternmost tip of the South American continent. The name literally translates as "Great Northern River", ref ...

), from 1612 to 1614, and the captaincy of

, from 1615 to 1618. While serving in the garrison of

Pernambuco Pernambuco () is a state of Brazil, located in the Northeast region of the country. With an estimated population of 9.6 million people as of 2020, making it seventh-most populous state of Brazil and with around 98,148 km², being the 19 ...

, was sent as commander of an expedition to rescue the Portuguese troops who, under the command of Jerónimo de Albuquerque Maranhão, fought against the French in

Maranhão Maranhão () is a state in Brazil. Located in the country's Northeast Region, it has a population of about 7 million and an area of . Clockwise from north, it borders on the Atlantic Ocean for 2,243 km and the states of Piauí, Tocantins and ...

. In 1615, after the defeat of the French, he was given the rank of Capitão-Mor by Alexandre de Moura and given orders to discover and conquer Pará. On January 12, Francisco Caldeira arrived in Guajará bay, called by the Tupinambás, "Guaçu Paraná", where he built a wooden fort, covered with straw, which he called "Presépio" (now "Forte do Castelo"). In the colony that was formed by the fort, he gave the name "Happy Lusitania" – the embryo of the future city of Belém. His initial colonisation was peaceful and without opposition from the natives, with Francisco Caldeira being well received and aided by them. In 1618, Antonio Cabral, nephew of Francisco Caldeira, stabbed to death the captain Alvaro Neto. Due to the murder, the captains Paulo da Rocha and Thadeus dos Passos, friends of Neto, pressure Francisco Caldeira, who orders the imprisonment of Antonio Cabral. However, claiming that his nephew would be necessary for coming conflict against the natives, Francisco Caldeira sets him free a few days later and orders that the two captains be jailed, who take refuge in a convent, ending with one of the convent members wounded. In the morning of the next day, the population rises against Francisco Caldeira and surrounds his home, without resisting, Francisco Caldeira is jailed and deposed, with Baltasar Rodrigues de Melo taking his position. After he was deposed, Francisco Caldeira is sent to

Lisbon Lisbon (; pt, Lisboa ) is the capital and largest city of Portugal, with an estimated population of 544,851 within its administrative limits in an area of 100.05 km2. Grande Lisboa, Lisbon's urban area extends beyond the city's administr ...

, where he died in a prison in 1619.

References

* Abreu, J. Capistrano de (1963). Capítulos de história colonial (1500–1800). Brasília: UNB. * Cruz, Ernesto (1973). História de Belém. Belém: Universidade Federal do Pará. {{DEFAULTSORT:Branco, Francisco Caldeira Castelo History of Amazonia Portuguese colonization of the Americas Portuguese colonial governors and administrators Brazilian city founders 1566 births 1619 deaths 16th-century Portuguese people 17th-century Portuguese people People from Castelo Branco, Portugal Portuguese city founders