Diogo de Azambuja

Portuguese explorer and explorer (1432–1518)

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Diogo de Azambuja

Captain-major of Portuguese Gold Coast
In office
1482–1485
Monarch| John II of Portugal
Preceded by| Office created
Succeeded by| Álvaro Vaz Pestano
Personal details
Born| 1432
Montemor-o-Velho, Kingdom of Portugal
Died| 1518 (aged 85–86)
Montemor-o-Velho, Kingdom of Portugal
Spouse| Leonor Botelho
Children| António de Azambuja
Cecília de Azambuja
Catarina de Azambuja
Military service
Allegiance| Portuguese Empire
Battles/wars| Battle of Alfarrobeira
Moroccan-Portuguese conflicts
War of the Castilian Succession

Detail of the Portuguese possession of São Jorge da Mina (A Mina), in a 16th-century Portuguese map

Diogo de Azambuja or Diego de Azambuja (1432–1518) was a Portuguese noble and explorer.

## Soldier

[edit]

He was born at Montemor-o-Velho, and became a knight of the Order of Aviz in the service of the Infante Dom Pedro, son of the Regent Infante Peter, Duke of Coimbra. After Peter's defeat and death in the battle of Alfarrobeira (1449), he accompanied his master into exile. In 1458, he fought on the side of Afonso V in the conquest of Alcácer-Ceguer in Morocco. He received several honours and became a counselor of the king. During the War of the Castilian Succession, he participated in the recapture of the town of Alegrete from the Castilians. He was injured in the leg during this engagement.

## Portuguese Gold Coast

[edit]

Further information: Elmina Castle

São Jorge da Mina (Elmina Castle)

In 1481, Diogo was appointed by John II as captain of a fleet consisting of nine caravels and two ships with 600 soldiers and 100 masons and carpenters. They were sent, along with the necessary stone and other materials, to construct a fortress called São Jorge da Mina at the Gulf of Guinea in the Portuguese Gold Coast colony. This became the best-known exploit of his long life. They chose a favourable defensive position for the fort, and construction was practically complete after only 20 days, in spite of resistance from the native population.[1]

With the fortress finished, contacts were established with the local population to establish trade. Diogo de Azambuja sent the fleet back to Lisbon with word that the mission has been successfully accomplished, and he remained behind as captain of the fortress with a force of 60 soldiers. He held this post until 1484. The fortress is now known as "Elmina Castle", or the "Elmina Slave Castle".

## Courtier

[edit]

Diogo was rewarded by the king with the post of alcaide-mor of Monsaraz, and was also named to the Privy Council. Diogo de Azambuja remained attached to the Court and the kings service for many years, in spite of his advancing age and disabled leg. He was already over the age of 70 in 1506 when Manuel I placed him in charge of building a fortress called Castelo Real at Essaouira, near Safi, in the south of Morocco, to protect Portuguese interests in the area. Diogo of Azambuja not only carried out the mission, he also took the city of Safi, where he remained as captain until 1509, at the age of 77 years. At that time he finally returned to Portugal, where he died in 1518.

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "A history of the Gold Coast of West Africa".

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Portuguese explorers

Maritime|

| In service of Prince Henry|

* Afonso Gonçalves Baldaia
* Álvaro Fernandes
* Alvise Cadamosto
* Antão Gonçalves
* António de Noli
* Antoniotto Usodimare
* Bartolomeu Perestrelo
* Dinis Dias
* Diogo Afonso
* Diogo de Melo Coutinho
* Diogo de Silves
* Diogo de Teive
* Diogo Gomes
* Fernando de Castro
* Gil Eanes
* Gonçalo de Sintra
* Gonçalo Velho Cabral
* João de Trasto
* João Fernandes
* João Gonçalves Zarco
* Lançarote de Freitas
* Nuno Tristão
* Pedro de Sintra
* Tristão Vaz Teixeira

|

* Afonso de Albuquerque
* Álvaro Martins
* André Gonçalves
* António de Abreu
* António de Faria
* António de Saldanha
* António Galvão
* António Mota
* Bartolomeu Dias
* Cristóvão de Mendonça
* Cristóvão Jacques
* Diogo Cão
* Diogo da Rocha
* Diogo de Azambuja
* Diogo Dias
* Diogo Fernandes Pereira
* Diogo Lopes de Sequeira
* Diogo Rodrigues
* Diogo Soares
* Duarte Fernandes
* Duarte Pacheco Pereira
* Estêvão da Gama
* Fernão de Loronha
* Fernão do Pó
* Fernão Gomes
* Fernão Mendes Pinto
* Fernão Pires de Andrade
* Francisco Serrão
* Gaspar Corte-Real
* Gaspar de Lemos
* Gomes de Sequeira
* Gonçalo Álvares
* Gonçalo Coelho
* João Afonso do Estreito
* João Álvares Fagundes
* João da Gama
* João da Nova
* João de Santarém
* João Fernandes Lavrador
* João Grego
* João Infante
* João Serrão
* João Vaz Corte-Real
* Jorge Álvares
* Jorge de Menezes
* Lopes Gonçalves
* Lourenço de Almeida
* Miguel Corte-Real
* Nicolau Coelho
* Paulo da Gama
* Pedro Álvares Cabral
* Pedro Mascarenhas
* Pero Dias
* Pero Escobar
* Vasco da Gama

Overland|

| Africa|

* Afonso de Paiva
* Alexandre de Serpa Pinto
* André Álvares de Almada
* Francisco Álvares
* Francisco Barreto
* Francisco de Lacerda
* Gonçalo da Silveira
* Hermenegildo Capelo
* Jerónimo Lobo
* José Alberto de Oliveira Anchieta
* José Sapateiro
* Lourenço Marques
* Paulo Dias de Novais
* Pero da Covilhã
* Roberto Ivens
* Sancho de Tovar
* Silva Porto

|

Americas|

* Alexandre Rodrigues Ferreira
* António Raposo Tavares
* Baltasar Fernandes
* Borba Gato
* Brás Cubas
* Diogo Álvares Correia
* Domingos Jorge Velho
* Duarte Coelho
* Martim Soares Moreno
* Pedro Teixeira

Asia|

* António da Madalena
* António de Andrade
* Bento de Góis
* Diogo Veloso
* Domingo Paes
* Estêvão Cacella
* Fernão Nunes
* Galeote Pereira
* João Cabral

In foreign service|

* Alberto del Canto
* Aleixo Garcia
* Antonio Díaz de Cardoso
* Estêvão Gomes
* Ferdinand Magellan
* Gaspar Castaño de Sosa
* George Ura
* Ginés de Mafra
* Jean Alfonse
* Juan Díaz de Solís
* Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo
* Luis de Carvajal y de la Cueva
* Luís Vaz de Torres
* Manuel de Mederos
* Ñuño Fernández Lobo
* Pedro Fernandes de Queirós
* Sebastião Rodrigues Soromenho

* Portuguese discoveries

Authority control databases

International|

* VIAF

Other|

* IdRef

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