João Gonçalves da Câmara

Poet from Garcia de Resende's Cancioneiro Geral. Second captain-donatary of Funchal, a position in which he succeeded his father, João Gonçalves Zarco, one of the discoverers of Madeira. Previously, he took part in the North African campaigns, fighting in the siege of Asilah when this stronghold was captured by King Afonso V, and distinguishing himself in the defense of Ceuta. Already captain-donatary of Funchal, he fitted out a fleet that joined the expedition organized by King John II to rescue the stronghold of Larache. Regarded as «captain of the island» in the title of the section assigned to him in the Cancioneiro, he is one of the members of the important group of Madeiran poets who hold a prominent place in the Cancioneiro. He is the author of three short interventions in collective poetic «tournaments».