Captaincies of the Portuguese Empire

The Captaincies of the Portuguese Empire (Portuguese: Capitanias do Império Português) were the socio-administrative territorial divisions and hereditary lordships established initially by Henry the Navigator, as part of the Donatário system in order to settle and developed the Portuguese overseas Empire. Pioneered on the island of Madeira and institutionalized in the archipelago of the Azores, the captaincy system was eventually adapted to the New World.

The prince and his successors (the Donatários) remained on the mainland, owing to their responsibilities related to the Royal Household, during the epic period of trans-Atlantic exploration. When the King constituted and bestowed the Donatary system, he never specifically thought of sending his donatários to the archipelagos. Before the discovery of Brazil (1522), the captaincy system already operated in the Atlantic possessions of Madeira and the Azores, in addition other islands and settlements along the African coast.

Following the model established on Madeira, the archipelago was divided into various captaincies, which functioned for settlement and development on a reduced scale. The creation of the captaincies were not a uniform process, and resulted from the dedication of its donatary-captain.Gonçalo Velho Cabral, commander in the Order of Christ, Castle of Almourol, Master of Pias, Beselga and Cardiga was nominated the first Donatary-Captain on the discovery and settlement of Santa Maria. After constructing a few houses, the first Azoreans began to give names to places, ravines, capes, coves, mountains and valleys of their dominion. They raised cattle and goats, and using the fertile volcanic lands cultivated wheat and vineyards.

In the 16th century, there were eight captaincies: São Miguel, Santa Maria, Graciosa, São Jorge, Praia (Terceira), Angra (Terceira), Faial-Pico and Flores-Corvo. Each captaincy evolved according to their captains. Although most evolved into their own captaincies, there were exceptions, as with the island of Terceira, where two captaincies developed. The islands of Faial and Pico were originally intended to be two captaincies, but were granted to Josse Van Huerte, following his success with Faial. Likewise, São Miguel and Santa Maria were once one dominion, but Velho Cabral sold São Miguel to Rui Gonçalves da Câmara for two thousand cruzados and a quantity of sugar. As he grew old, Velho Cabral abandoned his new dominion and returned to Lisbon, replaced by his nephew João Soares de Albergaria in 1460, who lived in his captaincy.

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