Fernão Dias

This article is about the frontiersman from Brazil. For the highway, see Rodovia Fernão Dias.

Fernão Dias Pais Leme (1608–1681) was a Paulista bandeirante. He was known as the Emerald Hunter (Portuguese: o Caçador de Esmeraldas) and was one of the most prominent bandeirantes together with António Raposo Tavares.

Fernão Dias
Statue of Fernão Dias Pais, Ipiranga Museum
Born	1608 São Paulo
Died	1681
Occupation	Explorer
Known for	Exploration of the interior of South America.
Signature

He is the great-great-grandfather of the Saint Frei Galvão.

The Casa Fernão Dias, run by the Sumidouro State Park, is in the Quinta do Sumidouro district of Pedro Leopoldo, Minas Gerais. It is listed by the State Institute of Historic and Artistic Heritage (IEPHA) as a cultural heritage monument. The exhibits tell the history of Fernão Dias, who spent several years in the region with his followers in search of gold and precious stones.^[1]