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Born in
1109, Afonso Henriques
became Count of Portugal
in 1120 upon the the death of his father. Raised
by his mother, Teresa of Leon, though had greatly
different political views to his mother, Teresa of Leon,
whom exiled him from his own lands.
Two
years later, aged 14 years (the adult age of the time)
Afonso Henriques knighted himself at Zamora Cathedral
and raised an army to take control of his lands. He
overcame the army of his mother's lover, Count Fernando
Peres de Trava of Galicia, near Guimarães in the Battle
of São Mamede in 1128 and became the Duke of Portugal
and sole ruler after the demands of his people.
After
exiling his mother to a monastery in Leon, Afonso
Henriques turned his attention to the problem of the
Moors to the south of his domain. On 25 July 1139, he
finally succeed by winning the Battle of Ourique.
He was
proclaimed the first King of
Portugal immediately after the battle by his
soldiers. Though only in 1143 when the Treaty of Zamora
was signed did Portugal receive it's independence. It
was a further 36 years before papal acknowledgement of
Portugal's existence as a Kingdom was given.
Afonso
Henriques was Portugal's longest reigning monarch,
ruling for 42 years (based on 1143 date). He continued
to drive the Moors from his land and succeeded in
securing Santarem,
Lisbon
and some important lands to the south of the
Rio Tejo (River
Tagus). The Moors nicknamed him the Conquistador
(Conqueror).
He
married Mafalda of Savoy in 1146 and had seven children
(three boys and four girls). It is said he had a further
five children (out of wedlock). In 1185, aged 76 years
Afonso Henriques died in
Coimbra and
was
interred at the Santa Cruz Monastery. |
