Peter I King Of PORTUGAL

Notes:

Wikipedia Encyclopedia:
Pedro I, King of Portugal (pron. IPA ['ped?u]; April 8, 1320 ? January 18, 1367) was the eighth king of Portugal and Algarve (in English, Peter I), (not to be confused with Pedro of Castile, also known as Pedro the Cruel) known as the Just (Port. o Justiceiro). He was the third but only surviving son of Afonso IV of Portugal and his wife, princess Beatrice of Castile. Pedro I succeeded his father in 1357.

Afonso IV married his daughter Maria to Alfonso XI of Castile, but quickly learned that she was being mistreated by her husband. Alfonso's cousin, Juan Manuel, had also been rebuffed by the king when his daughter Constanza was rejected in favor of the Portuguese princess. Feeling as though his daughter was being dishonored, Afonso was glad to enter into an alliance with Juan Manuel and married Pedro to Constanza. When Constanza arrived in Portugal, InÍs de Castro, the daughter of a Castilian landed aristocrat accompanied her as her lady-in-waiting. Pedro fell in love with InÍs very quickly and the two conducted an affair until Constanza's death in 1345. The scandal of this affair caused Afonso to banish InÍs from court, but this did not end the relationship since the two began living together in secret. According to the chronicle of Fern„o Lopes, this period was when Pedro began giving InÍs' brothers important positions at court. This behavior alarmed Afonso and made him believe that upon his death the Portuguese throne would fall to Castilians. This is the official motive behind Afonso's next actions: he sent three men to find InÍs and murder her in 1355. Pedro's rage at the murder of his love is what supposedly sparked his desire to revolt against his father. This revolt lasted from 1355 until 1356 when Afonso defeated his son. One year later, in 1357, Afonso died and Pedro succeeded the throne.

Fern„o Lopes labels Pedro as "the Just" and said that Pedro loved justice, especially the dispensing of it, something which he enjoyed doing himself. InÍs' assassins were the recipients of his harshest punishment. The three had escaped to Castile, but Pedro arranged for them to be exchanged with Castilian fugitives residing in Portugal with his nephew, the Castilian Pedro I. One man escaped, but the other two were brought to justice, and Lopes said that Pedro ripped their hearts out with his own bare hands. There is a possibility that Pedro of Portugal has been confused with Pedro I of Castile: they are both Pedro I, they both lived at the same time, the two were closely related, and are both credited with committing violent acts towards their subjects. Despite his gruesome legacy, Pedro of Portugal did lead a peacful reign and managed to install a system of justice which was relatively fair for the times. He attempted this with his Benepl·cito RÈgio in 1361, which forbade any Papal Bulls to be published without his prior consent. This was a result of the number of fake papal documents that had been entering the country. He also began the "nationalization" of the military orders by placing his youngest son Jo„o (the illegitinate son born after the death of InÍs) as the Master of the Order of Avis. He did attempt to claim that he and InÍs had been married and therefore their four children were legitimate, but nothing ever came of this, and InÍs' children went to live in Castile.

Legend holds that Pedro later had InÍs' body exhumed and placed on a throne, dressed in rich robes and jewels, and required all of his vassals to kiss the hand of the deceased "queen". This has never been proven, but what is known is that Pedro did have InÍs' body exhumed from her resting place in Coimbra and taken to AlcobaÁa where her body was laid to rest in the monastery. Pedro had two tombs commissioned for the monastery, one for each of them. The tombs still exist today; they are images of Pedro and InÍs facing each other, and inscribed on the marble is "AtÈ o fim do mundo..." or "Until the end of the world..."

Pedro was also the father of Fernando I and Jo„o I. Jo„o was the Master of the military order of Avis, and he would become the founder of the Avis dynasty in 1385 after defeating an attempt by Juan I to usurp the Portuguese throne.

Family/Spouse: ? UNKNOWN. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

1. John I King Of PORTUGAL was born on 11 Apr 1358; died on 14 Aug 1433 in Lisbon; was buried in Batalha.

Alfonso married Beatrice Of CASTILE in 1309. Beatrice (daughter of Sancho IV The Brave Of CASTILE and Maria DE MOLINA) was born in 1293; died in 1359. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Name: Diniz King Of Portugal

Notes:

Denis I, King of Portugal (Portuguese: Dinis or Diniz IPA [di'ni?]), called o Lavrador (Portuguese: "the Farmer"), (October 9, 1261 in Lisbon ? January 7, 1325 in SantarÈm) was the sixth king of Portugal and Algarve. The eldest son of Afonso III of Portugal by his second wife, princess Beatrice of Castile, Dinis succeeded his father in 1279.

As heir to the throne prince Dinis was summoned by his father (Afonso III) to share government responsibilities. At the time of his accession to the throne, Portugal was again in diplomatic conflicts with the Catholic church. Dinis signed a favouring agreement with the pope and swore to protect the Church's interests in Portugal. Due to this, he granted asylum to the Templar knights persecuted in France and created the Order of Christ, designed to be a continuation of the Order of the Temple.

With the Reconquista completed and the Portuguese territory freed from Moorish occupation, Dinis was essentially an administrative king, not a military one. However, a short war between Castile and Portugal broke during his reign, for the possession of the town of Serpa and Moura. After this, Dinis avoided war: he was a notably peace-loving monarch during a tempestuous time in European history. With Portugal finally recognized as an independent country by his neighbours, Dinis signed a border pact with Ferdinand IV of Castile (1297) which has endured to the present day.

Dinis' main priority of government was the organization of the country. He pursued his father's policies on legislation and centralization of power. Dinis promulgated the nucleus of a Portuguese civil and criminal law code, protecting the lower classes from abuse and extortion. As king, he travelled around the country, correcting unjust situations and resolving problems. He ordered the construction of numerous castles, created new towns, and granted privileges due cities to several others. With his wife, princess Isabella of Aragon, Dinis worked to improve the life of the poor and founded several social institutions.

Always concerned with the country's infrastructure, Dinis ordered the exploration of mines of copper, silver, tin and iron and organized the export of excess production to other European countries. The first Portuguese commercial agreement was signed with England in 1308. Dinis effectively founded the Portuguese navy under command of a Genoese admiral and ordered the construction of several docks.

His main concern was the redevelopment and promotion of rural infrastructure, hence the nickname the Farmer. Dinis redistributed the land, promoted agriculture, organized communities of farmers and took personal interest in the development of exports. He instituted regular markets in a number of towns and regulated their activities. One of his main achievements was the protection of agricultural lands from advancing coastal sands, by ordering the planting of a pine forest near Leiria. This forest still exists as one of the most important of Portugal and is known as the Pinhal de Leiria.

King Diniz statue at the University of CoimbraCulture was another interest of King Dinis. He had a fondness for literature and wrote several books himself, with topics ranging from administration to hunting, science and poetry. In his days, Lisbon was one of Europe's centers of culture and knowledge. The University of Coimbra was founded by his decree Magna Charta Priveligiorum.

The latest part of his peaceful reign was nevertheless marked by internal conflicts. The contenders were his two sons: Afonso the legitimate heir, and Afonso Sanches his natural son, who quarrelled frequently among themselves for royal favour. At the time of Dinis death in 1325 he had placed Portugal on an equal footing with the other Iberian Kingdoms.

Denis married Isabel St. Elizabeth Of ARAGON in 1281. Isabel (daughter of Pedro III King Of ARAGON and Constance Of SICILY) was born in 1271; died in 1336. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Sancho IV the Brave (1257 or 1258 ? 25 April 1295, Toledo) was the king of Castile and LeÛn from 1284 to his death. He was the second son of Alfonso X and Yolanda, daughter of James I of Aragon.

His elder brother, Ferdinand de la Cerda, died in November 1275, and in 1282 Sancho assembled a coalition of nobles to declare for him against Ferdinand's son Alfonso, then took control of the kingdom when Alfonso X died in 1284. This was all against the wishes of their father, but Sancho was crowned in Toledo nevertheless.

Sancho was recognised and supported by the majority of the nobility and the cities, but a sizable minority opposed him throughout his reign and worked for the heirs of Ferdinand de la Cerda. One of the leaders of the opposition was Don Juan, his uncle, who united to his cause the lord of Vizcaya, Lope DÌaz III de Haro. Sancho responded by executing the lord of Vizcaya and incarcerating his uncle. According to the chroniclers, he cemented his hold on power by executing 4,000 other followers of the infante Alfonso, son of Ferdinand de la Cerda, in Badajoz. He executed 400 more in Talavera and much more als in ¡vila and Toledo.

Upon dispensing with this opposition, Sancho pardoned his uncle, who was released. Don Juan bided his time before fomenting revolt again: the conflict over Tarifa. He called in the aid of the Marinids of Morroco and besieged Guzm·n the Good in his castle (1291). At this siege occurred that famous act of heroism, the innocent death of the son of Guzm·n. Tarifa was faithfully defended until Sancho could rescue it and the Marinids retreated to Morroco. The intent of both Don Juan and the king of Morroco (to invade) was foiled.

When James II succeeded to the Crown of Aragon, he endeavoured to bind the two crowns more closely and to unite in the Reconquista. Indeed, both of James predecessors had tried to do likewise. Sancho was also the friend and tutor of Juan Manuel, Lord of Villena.

Just before succumbing to a fatal illness, he appointed his queen, MarÌa de Molina, to act as regent for his nine year-old son, Ferdinand IV. He died in 1295 in Toledo.

Sancho married Maria DE MOLINA in 1282. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Alfonso married Beatrice Of CASTILE about 03 Jun 1254. Beatrice (daughter of Alfonso X King Of Castile And LEON and Maria DE GUZMAN) was born in 1242; died on 27 Oct 1303. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Also Known As: "the Great"

Pedro married Constance Of SICILY on 13 Jun 1262. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Name: Alfonso X Of Castile
• Birth: 23 Nov 1221
• Residence: Between 1252 and 1284, King of Castile and Leon
• Residence: 1257, King of the Romans
• Death: 04 Apr 1284

Notes:

Alfonso was King of Castile and Leon 1252-1284, King of the Romans 1257.Alfonso X (November 23, 1221, Toledo, Spain ? April 4, 1284, Seville, Spain) was a Spanish monarch who ruled as the King of Galicia, Castile and LeÛn from 1252 until his death. He was elected Rex Romanorum in 1254. His nicknames were "el Sabio" ("the Wise", more accurately translated "the Learned") and "el AstrÛlogo" ("the Astronomer").

Alfonso was the eldest son of Ferdinand III of Castile and Beatriz of Swabia. His maternal grandparents were Philip of Swabia and Irene Angelina.
As a writer and intellectual he gained considerable scientific fame based on his encouragement of astronomy and the Ptolemaic cosmology as known to him through the Arabs. (Because of this, the Alphonsus crater on the Moon is named after him). His fame extends to the preparation of the Alfonsine tables,based on calculations of al-Zarqali Alzarquel. One famous quote attributed to him was supposedly said upon hearing an explanation of Ptolemy's theory of astronomy and being shown the extremely complicated mathematics required to "prove" it - "If the Lord Almighty had consulted me before embarking on creation thus, I should have recommended something simpler." The validity of this quotation is questioned by some historians.[1]
Alfonso established in Seville, Spain a translation school that did a great work increasing the flow of knowledge into Christian Europe as well as continuing support of the school of translators in Toledo (already founded 1127-1152 by Archbishop Raimondo of Toledo). Much of it was based on Ancient philosophy.
As a ruler, Alfonso showed legislative capacity, and a wish to provide his kingdoms with a code of laws and a consistent judicial system. The Fuero Real was undoubtedly his work. He began the code called the Siete Partidas, which, however, was only promulgated by his great-grandson. Because of this, he is one of the 23 lawmakers depicted in the chamber of the United States House of Representatives.
Alfonso was the first king who initiated the use of the Castilian language extensively, although his father, Fernando III had begun to use it for some documents, instead of Latin, as the language used in courts, churches, and in books and official documents.
Alfonso lacked the singleness of purpose required by a ruler who would devote himself to organization, and also the combination of firmness with temper needed for dealing with his nobles.
Alfonso's descent from the Hohenstaufen through his mother, a daughter of the emperor Philip of Swabia, gave him a claim to represent the Swabian line. Alfonso's election by the prince-electors of the Holy Roman Empire after the death of Conrad IV of Germany in 1254 misled him into wild schemes that involved excessive expense but never took effect. To obtain money, he debased the coinage and then endeavoured to prevent a rise in prices by an arbitrary tariff. The little trade of his dominions was ruined, and the burghers and peasants were deeply offended. His nobles, whom he tried to cow by sporadic acts of violence, rebelled against him.
Alfonso's eldest son, Ferdinand de la Cerda, Infante of Castile, died in 1275, leaving two infant sons. Alfonso's second son, Sancho, claimed to be the new heir, in preference to the children of Ferdinand de la Cerda, basing his claim on an old Castilian custom, that of proximity of blood and agnatic seniority. Alfonso preferred to leave the throne to his grandsons, but Sancho had the support of the nobility. A bitter civil war broke out resulting in 1282 Alfonso's being forced to accept Sancho as his heir instead of his young grandsons.Son and nobles alike supported the Moors when he tried to unite the nation in a crusade; and when he allied himself with Abu Yusuf Yakub, the ruling Marinid Sultan of Morocco, they denounced him as an enemy of the faith. A reaction in his favor was beginning in his later days, but he died defeated and deserted at Seville, leaving a will, by which he endeavored to exclude Sancho, and a heritage of civil war.
Alfonso X commissioned or co-authored numerous works during his reign. One was the Cantigas de Santa Maria ("Songs to the Virgin Mary"), which is comprised of 420 poems, mostly on miracles attributed to the Virgin Mary written in Galician-Portuguese. One of the miracles he relates is his own healing in Puerto de Santa MarÌa. Other works related to Alfonso include Cantigas d'escarnio e maldicer and the Libro de los juegos ("Book of Games").

Alfonso married Yolanda Princess Of ARAGON in 1249. Yolanda (daughter of James I and Yolande Of HUNGARY) was born about 1236 in Saragoza, Aragbon; died in 1300 in Roncesvalles, Navarra. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Name: Violante Of Aragon
• Death: 1300