Tristao de Alencar Araripe

Tristão de Alencar Araripe was a Brazilian judge, jurist, heraldist, and politician. He was born in Icó, Ceará, on October 7, 1821, to a prominent family that participated in the revolutionary movements of 1817. He graduated in law from the Faculty of Law of São Francisco in 1845 and held various public offices, such as municipal judge of Fortaleza, judge of commerce of Recife, president of the provinces of Rio Grande do Sul and Pará, minister of justice and finance, chief of police in Espírito Santo, Pernambuco, and Ceará, counselor of state, and minister of the Supreme Federal Court. He was also a member of several cultural associations, such as the Brazilian Historical and Geographical Institute and the Society of Geography of Rio de Janeiro. He was interested in heraldry and designed the coat of arms of Fortaleza and other Brazilian states and cities. He was married to his cousin Argentina Franklin de Alencar Lima, with whom he had eight children, including the writer Araripe Júnior. He died in Rio de Janeiro on July 3, 1908, and was buried in the Caju Cemetery.