Tristão Vaz Teixeira

Tristão Vaz Teixeira (c. 1395–1480) was a Portuguese navigator and explorer who, together with João Gonçalves Zarco and Bartolomeu Perestrelo, was the official discoverer and one of the first settlers of the archipelago of Madeira (1419–1420).

Tristão was a nobleman of Prince Henry the Navigator's House, taking part in the conquest of Ceuta.

[1] Around 1418, while exploring the coast of Africa, he and João Gonçalves Zarco were taken off course by bad weather, and came upon an island which they called Porto Santo (Holy Harbor).

Following a rabbit outbreak that made it difficult to grow crops, they moved to the nearby island of Madeira.

The governance of Madeira was divided between Zarco and Tristão, who were appointed Captain-majors (capitães-donatários) of Funchal and Machico, respectively.

Statue of Tristão Vaz Teixeira in Machico.
Tristão Vaz Teixeira's Coat of Arms