Peter Francisco Returns to Porto Judeu, Terceira Island, Azores
Earlier this spring, I had the incredibly opportunity to bring Peter Francisco back to his homeland and birthplace in Porto Judeu, Terceira Island, in the Azores after nearly 250 years. What an unbelievable experience!
One of the members of my film team, Bryan Forrest and I took a 15-hour flight to the obscure group of islands in the Atlantic Ocean. We were there primarily scouting film locations, working on the screenplay and meeting with some of the local officials about filming Hercules of the Revolution. We took hours of video footage and experienced much of the local culture, all of which will authenticate Peter’s life on the big screen. Bryan and I said "WOW!" more times in a week than we can count! God’s providence was evident.
We flew into Ponta Delgada, Sao Miguel Island, then from there to Teircera. As I stepped off the small commuter plane and set foot on the ground that was Peter’s homeland, I was overwhelmed. Peter never knew anything about his roots or where he was born. I like to think that in his later years – once he was elected sergeant-at-arms for the state of Virginia – he might have had the connections and resources to help him discover it. But, as far as anyone knows, it was never anything he pursued.
Santo Antonio – where Peter Francisco was christened
One of the first stops we made was to St. Anthony’s Parish (Santo Antonio), the small church where Peter Francisco’s birth certificate was first discovered c. 1960 by Dr. John E. Manahan. The baptismal inside that church is the very spot where Peter is believed to have been christened as baby. You won’t see it in this video, but the moment I entered this church, I started to get emotional. Ever since I first started telling Peter’s story, I have dreamed of visiting this place!
Peter Francisco’s boyhood home
Frequently, I am asked if Peter’s boyhood home or remains of it still stand. While we were walking around with the Mayor of Porto Judeu and his wife, who spoke some English, she pointed out a specific house where some of Peter’s distant relatives lived, which might have been the Francisco family house or at least looked similar to it. We knocked on the door, and they talked to us in very fast Portuguese, but since our tour guide wasn’t with us at that moment, unfortunately, we couldn’t follow much of what they said.
The proximity of this house in relation to the shoreline does seem to make sense.
According to the local islanders, there was one main entry point from the ocean into the town of Porto Judeu back in Pedro's day. Here I sit at the likely spot where Peter was abducted from his homeland while he was playing in the street.
On the islands, the pace of life is much slower, more carefree, than in America. All the more tragic that Pedro’s freedom was ripped from him at such a young age.
Goat Island – where Peter’s kidnappers likely hid their ship
For those who have read my book, you may wonder how Pedro’s kidnappers were able to carry out their deed so stealthily. Just off the coast of Teircera Island is a set of uninhabited protrusions known as Goat Island (split rock). The mayor of Porto Judeu told me that this is likely where his kidnapper’s anchored the ship, so it would be out of sight. I promise, you will see this island in the film!
Bringing Peter to life in his hometown – Porto Judeu
There is an enormous sense of pride that the people of Porto Judeu feel for their native hero Peter Francisco and his connection to America. The Portuguese are no strangers to the idea of fighting for independence. Certainly not their ancestors.
Standing as Peter on stage at Associação Cultural Porto Judeu, a local theatre in his hometown, just steps from where he was born and where he played as a small boy, was an out-of-this-world experience. What a pleasure and honor to bring him back to the Azores, to Terceira Island, to the town of Porto Judeu. It has been 248 years since he was kidnapped and there is still something surreal about bringing him home. It is a day I will never forget! Following my performance, one of Peter's relatives who watched it said, "You coming here and being at the festivities on Sunday you brought our great-grandfather HOME. I think his spirit is now at peace." I could not have described it any better than that.
I also had the chance to bring Peter to life at Lajes Field, the US Air Force base on the island and was interviewed on the Double D Midday Show. With all the buzz about Peter, I guess my face started to become familiar. There were times when I felt a little like a celebrity as people would stop to get their picture taken with me and ask me to sign things. Imagine my surprise when I walked into a corner store in Angra, and the clerk recognized me from one of the newspapers on the shelf!
Pedro Francisco Street
The streets on the islands are very tight yet people drive really fast because, as they said, "we know where everything is … when the cow crosses, when school lets out, etc." There are hardly any traffic lights on the whole island. I don’t think Porto Judeu has any stop lights, only stop signs. One of these streets, Rua Pedro Francisco, which is right down from the theatre where I performed, is named for Peter Francisco and commemorates the estimated year he was born (unknown at that time) and the year he died.
Sadly, Peter never knew exactly what year he was born. Fortunately, we do!
Peter Francisco’s original birth certificate in Angra de Heroismo
Another highlight from my trip was seeing Pedro's original birth record in Angra de Heroismo. I got to see firsthand the actual family records that Pedro Francisco was born in Porto Judeu on July 9, 1760. The Director of the Library & Archives then presented me with a certification.
Francisco was actually Peter’s middle name. The first person who suggested this to me was a Portuguese friend of mine who works at the Pentagon. It is also on the birth record that I saw in Angra. This actually makes sense since, even today, most Portuguese have two given names and two surnames. Because his given names were all he knew at the age of five when he was abandoned on the wharf at City Point, Peter Francisco is how he came to be known in early America.
Searching for a boy to play the part of young Pedro Francisco
Peter Francisco was kidnapped on the Day of Pentecost from the town of Porto Judeu in 1765. Bryan and I were invited to attend a ceremony at Santo Antonio where he was baptized and where he was the day he was kidnapped. Of course, we will recreate this festive day for the movie!
One of the reasons that we came to the Azores was to look for local actors to portray the first 4 – 5 minutes of young Pedro’s life on Terceira Island, but finding a kid to play Pedro I knew could be a challenge. During the ceremony, Bryan happened to notice a small boy squirming around in his seat. He couldn’t have been more than five. When Bryan pointed him out to me, we both immediately knew that he would be perfect for the role of young Pedro in the film. Just look at the resemblance between him and the image Dan Nance sketched during our storyboarding session just three months earlier!
The crazy thing is that this boy’s family doesn’t normally attend church here. They were only there for the Day of Pentecost! Only God arranges these types of supernatural meetings! But wait, it gets even more unbelievable. Turns out, this little guy could actually be related to Peter’s grandmother. They share the same surname! How amazing would it be to have a relative of Peter’s portray him!? Unbelievable!
What is there to do on the Island of Terceira?
The trip certainly wasn’t all work and no play. Bryan and I took a break and got out to enjoy the whales, dolphins, and other wild life. We saw blue and fin whales thanks to OceanEmotion Azores!
We also had the chance to watch a traditional Portuguese bullfight. Typically, you think of bullfighting at an arena. This was a little different. The bull is on a rope being held by five guys to keep it from charging anyone, but it will turn on those guys too. It runs through a blocked off street where the whole town comes out to watch any risk takers who are willing to antagonize the bull. Since I was one of the spectators in the street, I guess you could say I was matador for a day! It is like a festival, and everyone comes out for the food and fun. There were actually several people selling candy and snacks that sounded just like the guy selling peanuts at an American baseball game.
We experienced slices of the local culture firsthand, from hospitality to cuisine, including a pizza being delivered on a motorcycle and espresso “to go” in a ceramic demitasse. (No Starbucks, regular coffee, paper cups or splash sticks here!) Oh, and did I mention dairy cows roaming free?
It was a trip of a lifetime, one that most people might only get to experience once, but I am already looking forward to returning when we start filming Hercules of the Revolution – The Movie!
One of the members of my film team, Bryan Forrest and I took a 15-hour flight to the obscure group of islands in the Atlantic Ocean. We were there primarily scouting film locations, working on the screenplay and meeting with some of the local officials about filming Hercules of the Revolution. We took hours of video footage and experienced much of the local culture, all of which will authenticate Peter’s life on the big screen. Bryan and I said "WOW!" more times in a week than we can count! God’s providence was evident.
We flew into Ponta Delgada, Sao Miguel Island, then from there to Teircera. As I stepped off the small commuter plane and set foot on the ground that was Peter’s homeland, I was overwhelmed. Peter never knew anything about his roots or where he was born. I like to think that in his later years – once he was elected sergeant-at-arms for the state of Virginia – he might have had the connections and resources to help him discover it. But, as far as anyone knows, it was never anything he pursued.
Santo Antonio – where Peter Francisco was christened
One of the first stops we made was to St. Anthony’s Parish (Santo Antonio), the small church where Peter Francisco’s birth certificate was first discovered c. 1960 by Dr. John E. Manahan. The baptismal inside that church is the very spot where Peter is believed to have been christened as baby. You won’t see it in this video, but the moment I entered this church, I started to get emotional. Ever since I first started telling Peter’s story, I have dreamed of visiting this place!
Peter Francisco’s boyhood home
Frequently, I am asked if Peter’s boyhood home or remains of it still stand. While we were walking around with the Mayor of Porto Judeu and his wife, who spoke some English, she pointed out a specific house where some of Peter’s distant relatives lived, which might have been the Francisco family house or at least looked similar to it. We knocked on the door, and they talked to us in very fast Portuguese, but since our tour guide wasn’t with us at that moment, unfortunately, we couldn’t follow much of what they said.
The proximity of this house in relation to the shoreline does seem to make sense.
According to the local islanders, there was one main entry point from the ocean into the town of Porto Judeu back in Pedro's day. Here I sit at the likely spot where Peter was abducted from his homeland while he was playing in the street.
On the islands, the pace of life is much slower, more carefree, than in America. All the more tragic that Pedro’s freedom was ripped from him at such a young age.
Goat Island – where Peter’s kidnappers likely hid their ship
For those who have read my book, you may wonder how Pedro’s kidnappers were able to carry out their deed so stealthily. Just off the coast of Teircera Island is a set of uninhabited protrusions known as Goat Island (split rock). The mayor of Porto Judeu told me that this is likely where his kidnapper’s anchored the ship, so it would be out of sight. I promise, you will see this island in the film!
Bringing Peter to life in his hometown – Porto Judeu
There is an enormous sense of pride that the people of Porto Judeu feel for their native hero Peter Francisco and his connection to America. The Portuguese are no strangers to the idea of fighting for independence. Certainly not their ancestors.
Standing as Peter on stage at Associação Cultural Porto Judeu, a local theatre in his hometown, just steps from where he was born and where he played as a small boy, was an out-of-this-world experience. What a pleasure and honor to bring him back to the Azores, to Terceira Island, to the town of Porto Judeu. It has been 248 years since he was kidnapped and there is still something surreal about bringing him home. It is a day I will never forget! Following my performance, one of Peter's relatives who watched it said, "You coming here and being at the festivities on Sunday you brought our great-grandfather HOME. I think his spirit is now at peace." I could not have described it any better than that.
I also had the chance to bring Peter to life at Lajes Field, the US Air Force base on the island and was interviewed on the Double D Midday Show. With all the buzz about Peter, I guess my face started to become familiar. There were times when I felt a little like a celebrity as people would stop to get their picture taken with me and ask me to sign things. Imagine my surprise when I walked into a corner store in Angra, and the clerk recognized me from one of the newspapers on the shelf!
Pedro Francisco Street
The streets on the islands are very tight yet people drive really fast because, as they said, "we know where everything is … when the cow crosses, when school lets out, etc." There are hardly any traffic lights on the whole island. I don’t think Porto Judeu has any stop lights, only stop signs. One of these streets, Rua Pedro Francisco, which is right down from the theatre where I performed, is named for Peter Francisco and commemorates the estimated year he was born (unknown at that time) and the year he died.
Sadly, Peter never knew exactly what year he was born. Fortunately, we do!
Peter Francisco’s original birth certificate in Angra de Heroismo
Another highlight from my trip was seeing Pedro's original birth record in Angra de Heroismo. I got to see firsthand the actual family records that Pedro Francisco was born in Porto Judeu on July 9, 1760. The Director of the Library & Archives then presented me with a certification.
Francisco was actually Peter’s middle name. The first person who suggested this to me was a Portuguese friend of mine who works at the Pentagon. It is also on the birth record that I saw in Angra. This actually makes sense since, even today, most Portuguese have two given names and two surnames. Because his given names were all he knew at the age of five when he was abandoned on the wharf at City Point, Peter Francisco is how he came to be known in early America.
Searching for a boy to play the part of young Pedro Francisco
Peter Francisco was kidnapped on the Day of Pentecost from the town of Porto Judeu in 1765. Bryan and I were invited to attend a ceremony at Santo Antonio where he was baptized and where he was the day he was kidnapped. Of course, we will recreate this festive day for the movie!
One of the reasons that we came to the Azores was to look for local actors to portray the first 4 – 5 minutes of young Pedro’s life on Terceira Island, but finding a kid to play Pedro I knew could be a challenge. During the ceremony, Bryan happened to notice a small boy squirming around in his seat. He couldn’t have been more than five. When Bryan pointed him out to me, we both immediately knew that he would be perfect for the role of young Pedro in the film. Just look at the resemblance between him and the image Dan Nance sketched during our storyboarding session just three months earlier!
The crazy thing is that this boy’s family doesn’t normally attend church here. They were only there for the Day of Pentecost! Only God arranges these types of supernatural meetings! But wait, it gets even more unbelievable. Turns out, this little guy could actually be related to Peter’s grandmother. They share the same surname! How amazing would it be to have a relative of Peter’s portray him!? Unbelievable!
What is there to do on the Island of Terceira?
The trip certainly wasn’t all work and no play. Bryan and I took a break and got out to enjoy the whales, dolphins, and other wild life. We saw blue and fin whales thanks to OceanEmotion Azores!
We also had the chance to watch a traditional Portuguese bullfight. Typically, you think of bullfighting at an arena. This was a little different. The bull is on a rope being held by five guys to keep it from charging anyone, but it will turn on those guys too. It runs through a blocked off street where the whole town comes out to watch any risk takers who are willing to antagonize the bull. Since I was one of the spectators in the street, I guess you could say I was matador for a day! It is like a festival, and everyone comes out for the food and fun. There were actually several people selling candy and snacks that sounded just like the guy selling peanuts at an American baseball game.
We experienced slices of the local culture firsthand, from hospitality to cuisine, including a pizza being delivered on a motorcycle and espresso “to go” in a ceramic demitasse. (No Starbucks, regular coffee, paper cups or splash sticks here!) Oh, and did I mention dairy cows roaming free?
It was a trip of a lifetime, one that most people might only get to experience once, but I am already looking forward to returning when we start filming Hercules of the Revolution – The Movie!
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