6 December 1185 Death of Afonso I of Portugal
Afonso was born as the son of Henry of Burgundy and Teresa, the illegitimate daughter of King Alfonso VI of León and Castile. He belonged thus to the royal Portuguese House of Burgundy. His place of birth and even his date of birth were disputed.
Duty: a raise to power
Henry, Count of Portugal and Teresa reigned jointly until his death on 22 May 1112. Afterwards Teresa ruled Portugal alone. She even would proclaim herself queen but she was captured and forced to reaffirm her vassalage to her half-sister Urraca of León.
In an effort to pursue a larger share in the Leonese inheritance, his mother Teresa joined forces with Fernando Pérez de Trava, the most powerful count in Galicia. The Portuguese nobility disliked the alliance between Galicia and Portugal and rallied around Afonso.
In 1122 Afonso turned fourteen, this was the adult age in the 12th century. In symmetry with his cousin, he made himself a knight on his own account in the Cathedral of Zamora in 1125. After the military campaign of Afonso VII against his mother in 1127, Afonso revolted against her and proceeded to take control of the county from its queen.
In 1128 at the Battle of São Mamede, Afonso and his supporters overcame troops under both his mother and her lover, Count Fernando Peres de Trava of Galicia. Afonso exiled his mother to Galicia and took over rule of the County of Portucale. After Teresa's death in 1131, Afonso VII of León and Castille proceeded to demand vassalage from his cousin.
On 6 april 1129, Afonso Henriques proclaimed himself Prince of Portugal or Prince of the Portuguese.
Then, Afonso turned his arms against the Moors in the south. His campaigns were very successful and on 25 July 1139 he obtained an overwhelming victory in the Battle of Ourique. He was proclaimed King of the Portuguese by his soldiers.
In Portugal he built several monasteries and convents and bestowed important privileges to religious orders. He also conquered a part of the land south the Tagus River. Meanwhile, King Alfonso VII of Léon regarded his cousin and the independent ruler of Portugal as nothing but a rebel. The conflict between the two was constant and bitter in the following years.
Finally after winning the Battle of Valdevez, the Treaty of Zamora of 1143 established peace between the cousins and the recognition by the Kingdom of León that Portugal was a fully independent kingdom.
In 1184, the Almohad caliph Abu Yaqub Yusuf rallied a great Almohad force to retaliate against the Portuguese raids and besieged Santarém. The Almohad siege failed and their retreat turned into a rout due to panic in their camp.
Love and marriage
In 1146, Afonso married Mafalda, the daughter of Amadeus III, Count of Savoy and Mahaut of Albon. They would have 7 children. Afonso had other natural children.
Death
Afonso died suddenly on 6 December 1185 in Coimbra, Portugal. He was buried at the Santa Cruz Monastery at Coimbra and succeeded by his son Sancho. Afonso was nicknamed the Conqueror, the Founder or the Great.
Scientific research
In July 2006, the tomb of the King was opened for scientific purposes by researchers of the University of Coimbra (Portugal) and the University of Granada (Spain). The opening of the tomb provoked considerable concern among some sectors of the Poruguese society.
Source pictures: Wikipedia
Duty: a raise to power
Henry, Count of Portugal and Teresa reigned jointly until his death on 22 May 1112. Afterwards Teresa ruled Portugal alone. She even would proclaim herself queen but she was captured and forced to reaffirm her vassalage to her half-sister Urraca of León.
In an effort to pursue a larger share in the Leonese inheritance, his mother Teresa joined forces with Fernando Pérez de Trava, the most powerful count in Galicia. The Portuguese nobility disliked the alliance between Galicia and Portugal and rallied around Afonso.
In 1122 Afonso turned fourteen, this was the adult age in the 12th century. In symmetry with his cousin, he made himself a knight on his own account in the Cathedral of Zamora in 1125. After the military campaign of Afonso VII against his mother in 1127, Afonso revolted against her and proceeded to take control of the county from its queen.
In 1128 at the Battle of São Mamede, Afonso and his supporters overcame troops under both his mother and her lover, Count Fernando Peres de Trava of Galicia. Afonso exiled his mother to Galicia and took over rule of the County of Portucale. After Teresa's death in 1131, Afonso VII of León and Castille proceeded to demand vassalage from his cousin.
On 6 april 1129, Afonso Henriques proclaimed himself Prince of Portugal or Prince of the Portuguese.
Then, Afonso turned his arms against the Moors in the south. His campaigns were very successful and on 25 July 1139 he obtained an overwhelming victory in the Battle of Ourique. He was proclaimed King of the Portuguese by his soldiers.
In Portugal he built several monasteries and convents and bestowed important privileges to religious orders. He also conquered a part of the land south the Tagus River. Meanwhile, King Alfonso VII of Léon regarded his cousin and the independent ruler of Portugal as nothing but a rebel. The conflict between the two was constant and bitter in the following years.
Finally after winning the Battle of Valdevez, the Treaty of Zamora of 1143 established peace between the cousins and the recognition by the Kingdom of León that Portugal was a fully independent kingdom.
In 1184, the Almohad caliph Abu Yaqub Yusuf rallied a great Almohad force to retaliate against the Portuguese raids and besieged Santarém. The Almohad siege failed and their retreat turned into a rout due to panic in their camp.
Love and marriage
In 1146, Afonso married Mafalda, the daughter of Amadeus III, Count of Savoy and Mahaut of Albon. They would have 7 children. Afonso had other natural children.
Death
Afonso died suddenly on 6 December 1185 in Coimbra, Portugal. He was buried at the Santa Cruz Monastery at Coimbra and succeeded by his son Sancho. Afonso was nicknamed the Conqueror, the Founder or the Great.
Scientific research
In July 2006, the tomb of the King was opened for scientific purposes by researchers of the University of Coimbra (Portugal) and the University of Granada (Spain). The opening of the tomb provoked considerable concern among some sectors of the Poruguese society.
Source pictures: Wikipedia
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