Located in a privileged spot right in front Angra’s downtown center, it was the property of Francisca Virgília Forgaça, martins Afonso de Souza’s Grandmother owner of the São Vicente Capitania of Brazilian Colonial time. This island used to be known as Poranga (meaning beautiful in Tupi – guarani the language spoken by the native Indians). In 1911 it was bought by the Federal government and given as a gift by the Angra’s house of lords to the country’s president Hermes da Fonseca (1910 a 1914). There is a non-official story that his widow Nair de Tefé lost it over a poker table.

Today, there is a confortble hotel on that, the "Pousada da Ilha Francisca", that you can see more here.