On 23 June , 2015 - 250 years from the very day Peter Francisco was found in Virginia - a statue will be dedicated
in Porto Judeu close to where Francisco was kidnapped as a five-year-old boy.
In 1765, Peter was kidnapped from Terceira Island on the Day of Pentecost, and was later found on a dock in Virginia on 23 June, 1765.
Peter Francisco’s descendant Travis Bowman, author of the historical novel Hercules of the Revolution, which is based on the life of his famous great-grandfather, has brought the Portuguese and US governments together to dedicate a statue in honour of his famous ancestor.
Five monuments stand in Peter’s honour in the US, including one in Virginia close to where he was found, but this will be the first monument in Portugal.
The oldest US Consulate in the world is based in the Azores, and Consul Daniel Bazan from Ponta Delgada will be the keynote speaker for the statue dedication.
The local Portuguese government is paying for half of the $15,000 statue, and Travis Bowman raised the other half through private and corporate donations.
In comments to The Portugal News this week, Bowman explained that he commissioned Rui Goulart, a famous sculptor in the Azores, to design and build the three-foot bronze statue.
“It is an honour to use my artistic talent,” Goulart says, “to preserve this Luso-American hero’s legacy here in my homeland.”
Travis Bowman founded Bequest Films a couple of years ago with the goal of producing a full-length feature movie based on his novel ‘Hercules of the Revolution’ and the life of George Washington’s “One-Man Army.”
Executive Producer, John Allen, will be joining Bowman for the statue dedication along with 12 other descendants and ‘friends’ of Peter Francisco.
“This film will be a blend of The Patriot, Gladiator, and Braveheart all in one,” says Mr. Allen, “but there is also a true-to-life Romeo and Juliet love story that will have people on the edge of their seats.”
Bowman’s novel has been called “the American Braveheart story,” and he believes the film will bring tourists from all around the world to Portugal similar to the tourism Scotland experienced after the movie Braveheart was released about William Wallace.
Peter Francisco was called the “Hercules of the Revolution” because of his enormous size, massive strength, and unbelievable bravery.
Born in the Azores, Peter was kidnapped and abandoned by pirates when he was five-years-old, then bought as a slave.
He won his personal freedom and, ultimately, that of a nation, by enlisting and serving in the Continental Army.
George Washington had a six-foot broadsword made for him and even made the claim that we would have likely lost the whole Revolutionary War without Peter Francisco.
His legacy continues today with five monuments that stand in his honour and a US bicentennial stamp that enshrined him in 1976, in addition to the five states that observe Peter Francisco Day.
Portuguese ‘Braveheart’ and US Revolution hero honoured with statue
in News · 11 Jun 2015, 13:39 · 3 Comments
I have studied the story of Peter Francisco and have not ran across any significant or reliable proof that he is Azorean. At this point it is a fairytale based on wishful thinking. I think DNA testing would help to solve the puzzle.
By celso anacleto from USA on 19 Jun 2015, 16:17
DNA testing had been done!
By gail from USA on 24 Jun 2015, 20:40
Celso, I would invite you to come see the birth record in the Azores that is held in the Library & Archives in Angra. You can see a video of it here: www.herculestour.com/videos.html
By Travis Bowman from USA on 13 Nov 2015, 15:42