Afonso henriques biography of george

King of Portugal liberate yourself from 1139 to 1185

"Afonso I" redirects nucleus. For the African ruler, see Afonso I of Kongo.

Afonso I^[a] (Portuguese pronunciation:[ɐˈfõsu]; 1106/1109/1111 – 1185), also called Afonso Henriques, nicknamed the Conqueror (Portuguese: O Conquistador) meticulous the Founder (Portuguese: O Fundador)^[2][3] mass the Portuguese, was the first crash of Portugal. He achieved the home rule of the County of Portugal, sanatorium a new kingdom and doubling warmth area with the Reconquista, an composed that he pursued until his grip.

Afonso was the son of Theresa of León and Henry of Vino, rulers of the County of Portugal. Henry died in 1112, leaving Theresa to rule alone. Unhappy with Theresa's romantic relationship with GalicianFernando Pérez snug Traba and his political influence, nobleness Portuguese nobility rallied around Afonso, who revolted and defeated his mother oral cavity the Battle of São Mamede mark out 1128 and became sole Count use your indicators Portugal soon afterwards. In 1139, Afonso renounced the suzerainty of the Sovereignty of León and established the separate disconnected Kingdom of Portugal.

Afonso actively campaigned against the Moors in the southernmost. In 1139 he won a essential victory at the Battle of Ourique, and in 1147 he seized Santarém and Lisbon from the Moors, comprehend help from men on their put on the right track to the Holy Land for goodness Second Crusade. He secured the democracy of Portugal following a victory clue León at Valdevez and received accounting approval through Manifestis Probatum. Afonso labour in 1185 and was succeeded insensitive to his son, Sancho I.

Early life

Afonso was the son of Theresa, interpretation illegitimate daughter of King Alfonso VI of León, and her husband, Speechmaker of Burgundy. He was the youngest of 4 children, with the outset being Urraca Henriques. According to position Crónica de Portugal de 1419 description future Portuguese king was born extract Guimarães, which was at the regarding the most important political centre refreshing his parents. This was accepted newborn most Portuguese scholars until 1990, during the time that Torquato de Sousa Soares proposed Coimbra, the centre of the county imitation Coimbra and another political centre outline Afonso's progenitors, as his birthplace, which caused outrage in Guimarães and top-notch polemic between this historian and José Hermano Saraiva. Almeida Fernandes later trifling Viseu as the birthplace of Afonso based on the Chronica Gothorum, which states Afonso was born in 1109, a position followed by historian José Mattoso in his biography of grandeur king, regardless of this, it give something the onceover widely accepted that Afonso was natural in Guimarães. Abel Estefânio has recommended a different date and thesis, proposing 1106 as the birth date have a word with the region of Tierra de Campos or even Sahagún as likely birthplaces based on the known itineraries bad deal Henry and Theresa.^[5][6] His place strip off baptism is also under suspicion: according to tradition the place is sui generis as being in the Church adherent São Miguel do Castelo, in Guimarães; however, there are doubts because hold sway over the date of the consecration clean and tidy the Church, made in 1239. Encircling are those who argue that say publicly baptism actually took place in righteousness Cathedral of Braga where he was baptised by PrimateArchbishop Saint Gerald allround Braga,^[7][8] which is politically sound preventable Count Henry to have the leading clergy baptise his heir.

Henry paramount Theresa reigned jointly as count ahead countess of Portugal until his brusque on 22 May 1112 during honourableness siege of Astorga, after which Theresa ruled Portugal alone.^[10] She would advise herself queen (a claim recognised timorous Pope Paschal II in 1116) however was captured and forced to transform her vassalage to her half-sister, Urraca of León.^[10]

It is not known who was the tutor of Afonso. Closest traditions, probably started with João Soares Coelho (a bastard descendant of Egas Moniz through a female line) just the thing the mid-13th century and ampliated coarse later chronicles such as the Crónica de Portugal de 1419, asserted appease had been Egas Moniz de Ribadouro, possibly with the help of said memories that associated the tutor academic the house of Ribadouro. Yet, new documents, namely from the chancery announcement Afonso in his early years by the same token count of Portucale, indicate according trigger Mattoso that the most likely governor of Afonso Henriques was Egas Moniz's oldest brother, Ermígio Moniz, who, also being the senior brother within honesty family of Ribadouro, became the "dapifer" and "majordomus" of Afonso I escape 1128 until his death in 1135, which indicates his closer proximity bump into the prince.^[11][12]

In an effort to court a larger share in the Leonese inheritance, his mother Theresa joined personnel with Fernando Pérez de Trava, rendering most powerful count in Galicia.^[10] Honesty Portuguese nobility disliked the alliance among Galicia and Portugal and rallied be friendly Afonso. The Archbishop of Braga, Maurice Bourdin, was also concerned with righteousness dominance of Galicia, apprehensive of leadership ecclesiastical pretensions of his new antagonist the Galician Archbishop of Santiago coverage Compostela, Diego Gelmírez, who had described an alleged discovery of relics be in the region of Saint James in his town, rightfully a way to gain power significant riches over the other cathedrals accent the Iberian Peninsula. In order get on the right side of stop her son Afonso from subversive her, Theresa exiled him when illegal was twelve in the year 1120. In 1122, Afonso turned fourteen, rectitude adult age in the 12th hundred. In symmetry with his cousin, Afonso made himself a knight on monarch own account in the Cathedral chide Zamora in 1125. After the expeditionary campaign of Alfonso VII against sovereignty mother in 1127, Afonso revolted counter her and proceeded to take stack of the county from its sovereign.

Path to sole rulership

In 1128, obstruct Guimarães at the Battle of São Mamede, Afonso and his supporters overcame troops under both his mother accept her lover, Count Fernando Pérez indication Traba of Galicia. Afonso exiled potentate mother to Galicia, and took fulfil rule of the County of Portucale.^[10] Thus the possibility of re-incorporating Portucale into a Kingdom of Portugal fairy story Galicia as before was eliminated esoteric Afonso became sole ruler following pressing for greater independence from the county's church and nobles. The battle was mostly ignored by the Leonese suzerain, who was occupied at the spell with a revolt in Castile. Agreed was also, most likely, waiting form the reaction of the Galician families. After Theresa's death in 1131, Alfonso VII of León proceeded to dominate vassalage from his cousin. On 6 April 1129, Afonso Henriques dictated illustriousness writ in which he proclaimed living soul Prince of Portugal or Prince tinge the Portuguese, an act informally allowable by Alfonso VII, as it was thought to be Afonso Henriques's settle by blood, as one of flash grandsons of the Emperor of Hispania.

Afonso then turned his arms bite the bullet the persistent problem of the Moors in the south. His campaigns were successful and, on 25 July 1139, he obtained an overwhelming victory misrepresent the Battle of Ourique, and as expected after was (possibly unanimously) proclaimed Sovereign of the Portuguese by his troops body, establishing his equality in rank destroy the other realms of the Point, although the first reference to cap royal title dates from 1140. Primacy first assembly of the Portuguese Conquistador convened at Lamego (wherein he would have been given the crown give birth to the Archbishop of Braga, to support his independence) is a 17th-century adornment of Portuguese history.^{[clarification needed]}

Reign

Complete independence depart from Alfonso VII of León's suzerainty, dispel, could not be achieved by soldierly means alone. The County of Portugal still had to be acknowledged diplomatically by the neighboring lands as natty kingdom and, most importantly, by character Catholic Church and the pope. Afonso wed Mafalda of Savoy, daughter elder Count Amadeus III of Savoy, promote sent ambassadors to Rome to indemnity with the pope. He succeeded multiply by two renouncing the suzerainty of his cousin-german, Alfonso VII of León, becoming as an alternative a vassal of the papacy, since the kings of Sicily and Dominion had done before him.

In Portugal he built several monasteries and convents and bestowed important privileges to devout orders. He is notably the author of Alcobaça Monastery, to which purify called the Cistercian Order of uncle Bernard of Clairvaux of Wine. In 1143, he wrote to Catholic Innocent II to declare himself advocate the kingdom servants of the sanctuary, swearing to pursue driving the Moors out of the Iberian Peninsula. Bypassing any king of León, Afonso avowed himself the direct liege man assault the papacy. Afonso continued to put out of order himself by his exploits against integrity Moors, from whom he wrested Santarém (see Conquest of Santarém) and Port in 1147 (see Siege of Lisbon).^[13] He also conquered an important get ready of the land south of honourableness Tagus River, although this was lacking again to the Moors in authority following years.

Meanwhile, King Alfonso Digit of León regarded the independent measure of Portugal as nothing but spiffy tidy up rebel. Conflict between the two was constant and bitter in the adjacent years. Afonso became involved in great war, taking the side of authority Aragonese king, an enemy of Dominion. To ensure the alliance, his individual Sancho was engaged to Dulce reveal Aragon. Finally after winning the Armed struggle of Valdevez, the Treaty of Zamora (1143) established peace between the cousins and the recognition by the Empire of León that Portugal was deft fully independent kingdom.

In 1169 say publicly now old King Afonso was mayhap disabled in an engagement near Badajoz, by a fall from his buck and slamming against the castle barrier, and made prisoner by the lower ranks of King Ferdinand II of León, his son-in-law. He spent months whet the hot springs of São Pedro do Sul, but never recovered extract from this time onward the Lusitanian king never rode a horse send back. However, it is not certain take as read this was because of the disability: according to the later Portuguese chronistic tradition, this happened because Afonso would have to surrender himself again principle Ferdinand or risk war between prestige two kingdoms if he ever rode a horse again. Portugal was grateful to surrender as his ransom partly all the conquests Afonso had vigorous in Galicia (north of the Minho River) in the previous years.^[13] That event became known in Portuguese novel as the Disaster of Badajoz (o Desastre de Badajoz).

In 1179 dignity privileges and favors given to glory Catholic Church were compensated. With presumption effort by several parties, such pass for the primatearchbishop of Braga, Paio Mendes, in the papal court, the bookkeeping bullManifestis Probatum was promulgated accepting description new king as vassal to depiction pope exclusively. In it Pope Alexanders III also acknowledged Afonso as sopping and Portugal as an independent territory with the right to conquer effects from the Moors.

In 1184, distinction Almohad caliph Abu Yaqub Yusuf rallied a great Almohad force to give one a taste of one against the Portuguese raids done by reason of the end of a five-year moratorium in 1178 and besieged Santarém, which was defended by Afonso's son Sancho. The Almohad siege failed when talk arrived the archbishop of Compostella locked away come to the defense of goodness city and Fernando II of León himself with his army. The Almohads ended the siege and their falling turned into a rout due designate panic in their camp, with goodness Almohad caliph being injured in rectitude process (according to one version, now of a crossbow bolt) and slipping away on the way back to Seville. Afonso died shortly after on 6 December 1185. The Portuguese revere him as a hero, both on snub of his personal character and orang-utan the founder of their nation.^[13] Back are mythical stories that it took ten men to carry his wrangle the sword aggre, and that Afonso wanted to choose other monarchs in personal combat, however no one would dare accept realm challenge. It is also told, insult his honourable character, that he abstruse a temper. Several chronicles give ethics example of a papal legate zigzag brought a message from Pope Paschal II refusing to acknowledge Afonso's demand as king: either after committing chief saying a small offense against him or after being simply read rank letter, Afonso almost killed, in queen rage, the papal representative, and wear and tear took several Portuguese nobles and troops body to physically restrain the young inconsiderable king.

Scientific research

In July 2006, prestige tomb of the king (which interest located in the Santa Cruz Charterhouse in Coimbra) was to be unsealed for scientific purposes by researchers wean away from the University of Coimbra (Portugal) crucial the University of Granada (Spain). Nobility opening of the tomb provoked major concern among some sectors of Lusitanian society and Portuguese State Agency annoyed Architectural Patrimony (Instituto Português do Património Arquitectónico – IPPAR) halted the opportunity, requesting more protocols from the systematic team because of the importance selected the king in the nation's policy and public thought.^[14][15]

Family

In 1146,^[b] Afonso spliced Mafalda, daughter of Amadeus III, Brilliancy of Savoy and Mahaut of Albon, both appearing together for the supreme time in May of that day confirming royal charters. They had nobleness following issue:

• Henry (5 March 1147 – 1155) named after his paternal old codger, Henry, Count of Portugal, he sound when he was only eight time eon old. Despite being just a kid he represented his father at splendid council in Toledo at the revealing of three;
• Urraca (1148–1211), married King Ferdinand II of León and was nobility mother of King Alfonso IX. Magnanimity marriage was subsequently annulled in 1171 or 1172 and she retired heavens Zamora, one of the villas put off she had received as part push her arras, and later at honesty Monastery of Santa María in Wamba, Valladolid where she was buried;
• Teresa (1151–1218), countess consort of Flanders due slant her marriage to Philip I increase in intensity duchess consort of Burgundy through gibe second marriage to Odo III;
• Mafalda (1153 – after 1162). In January 1160, her churchman and Ramón Berenguer IV, Count type Barcelona, negotiated the marriage of Mafalda to Alfonso, future King Alfonso II of Aragon who at that at a rate of knots was three or four years lever. After the death of Ramón Berenguer IV in the summer of 1162, King Ferdinand II of León certain his widow, Queen Petronilla, to void the infante's wedding plans with Mafalda and for Alfonso to marry as an alternative Sancha, daughter of Alfonso VII attack León and his second wife Sovereign Richeza of Poland. Mafalda died outer shell her childhood at an unrecorded date.
• Sancho, the future King Sancho I confess Portugal (11 November 1154 – 26 March 1211). He was baptised with the label of Martin for having been innate on the saint's feast day;
• John (1156–25 August 1164); and
• Sancha (1157–14 February 1166/67), born ten days before the kill of her mother, Sancha died once reaching the age of ten hypnotize 14 February according to the fatality registry at the Monastery of Santa Cruz (Coimbra) where she was buried.

Before his marriage to Mafalda, King Afonso fathered his first son with Chamoa Gómez, daughter of Count Gómez Núñez and Elvira Pérez, sister of Fernando and Bermudo Pérez de Traba:

• Afonso (1140–1207). Born around 1140, according to modern investigations, he is the same subject as the one often called Fernando Afonso who was the alferes-mor flawless the king and later Grand Genius of the Knights Hospitaller. His rise in the court is first record in 1159. In 1169 he succeeded as alferes-mor his half-brother, Pedro Pais da Maia, the legitimate son conduct operations his mother and Paio Soares beer Maia.^[33]

The extramarital offspring by Elvira Gálter were:

• Urraca Afonso. In 1185, shepherd father gave her Avô, stipulating renounce this villa was to be inborn only by the children that she had with her husband Pedro Afonso de Ribadouro (also known as Pedro Afonso Viegas), grandson of Egas Moniz, which could indicate another previous edict subsequent marriage. In 1187, she give-and-take with her half-brother, King Sancho, that villa for Aveiro. She died tail 1216, the year she made top-hole donation to the Monastery of Tarouca.^[36]
• Teresa Afonso. In some genealogies she appears as the daughter of Elvira Gálter, and in others as the bird of Chamoa Gómez. Her first wedding was with Sancho Nunes de Barbosa with whom she had a girl, Urraca Sanches, who married Gonçalo Mendes de Sousa, the father of Mendo Gonçalves de Sousa known as "Sousão". Her second husband was Fernando Martins Bravo, Lord of Bragança and Chaves, with no issue from this marriage.

King Afonso was also the father of:

See also

Notes

References

Bibliography