George, Duke of Coimbra
Encyclopedia
Jorge de Lencastre (Jorge: ˈʒɔɾʒ(ɨ)) (1481–1550) was a Portuguese
Prince, illegitimate son of King John II of Portugal
and Ana de Mendonça
, a maid of Joanna la Beltraneja. He became the second Duke of Coimbra
in 1509. He was also master of the Order of Santiago and administrator of the Order of Aviz
from 1492 to 1550.
on August 21, 1481, and raised by his aunt, the king's sister, Joan of Portugal, in the Convent of Jesus in Aveiro. On Joan's death in 1490, Jorge was brought to the royal court, and was soon placed under the tutorship of monteiro-mor Diogo Fernandes de Almeida (the son of John II's late ally, Lopo de Almeida, Count of Abrantes
).
was left with no legitimate sons and no daughters he could marry off. The next legitimate successor to the throne was his cousin (and brother-in-law), Manuel
, 4th Duke of Beja
and grand master of the Order of Christ
since 1484.
This was a disturbing prospect for John II, who neither trusted Manuel nor the powerful Order of Christ. During the purges of the high nobility in 1483–84, John II had ordered the execution of Manuel's own brother Diogo, Duke of Viseu
and brother-in-law Fernando II, Duke of Braganza
. Manuel himself only escaped a similar fate largely because John II regarded him as a harmless fool. Now that 'fool' stood to succeed him, and in John II's estimation, would likely undo all the king's hard-won centralizing reforms and deliver the kingdom back to the nobles.
John II consequently launched a campaign to make his natural son, Jorge de Lencastre, his heir. From Pope Innocent VIII
, John II received authorization to appoint Jorge the Master of the Order of Santiago and administrator of the Order of Aviz
, in April, 1492. Only a few days later, Jorge's tutor, Diogo Fernandes de Almeida was appointed Prior of Crato
(head of the Portuguese branch of the knights of St. John Hospitaller
).
Meanwhile, Queen Eleanor set about knitting a rival campaign, in conjunction with the Order of Christ
, to prevent Jorge's advancement and protect the position of Manuel (her brother) as heir.
In 1494, John II dispatched an embassy to Rome, headed by two members of the Almeida clan
, to petition Pope Alexander VI
to legitimize Jorge de Lencastre. The petition was rejected, bringing the campaign to a disappointing end.
John II, however, had no intention of just handing the kingdom over to Manuel's minions. In the will laid out just before his death in 1495, John II requested that Manuel appoint Jorge de Lencastre as Duke of Coimbra
and Lord of Montemor-o-Velho
and urged Manuel, on his accession, to pass all his other titles and possessions, including the mastership of the Order of Christ
and the island of Madeira
, over to Jorge. The concentration of power would have made Jorge de Lencastre the most powerful man in the kingdom, reminiscent of his powerful great-grand-uncle Peter of Coimbra (a comparison suggested by John II himself).
Mindful of avoiding a civil war, Manuel agreed to many of the items in John II's will, but rejected others — notably, Manuel insisted on retaining the Order of Christ for himself. Manuel was not in a hurry to fulfill the rest of the terms. The title of Duke of Coimbra was conferred on Jorge de Lencastre only in May 1500, and confirmation was delayed until May, 1509, nearly fifteen years after his father's death.
John II had also requested that young Jorge de Lencastre would be married to a royal princess, having Manuel promise his own first daughter, when they came of age. Manuel only partly fulfilled this in 1500 by betrothing Jorge to Beatriz de Vilhena, the daughter of Álvaro of Braganza
, not an infanta but nonetheless a princess of royal blood.
of Manuel, eager to portray the king's rival in the worst possible light. But far from the lazy and dissolute picture painted by the royal scribes, the chroniclers of the Order of Santiago seem to have regarded Jorge de Lencastre as a particularly diligent leader and administrator.
Dom Jorge de Lencastre continued as an important figure in Portuguese politics, particularly in the first decade or so of Manuel's reign. The Order of Santiago was Jorge's principal power base. Dom Jorge established something akin to an 'opposition' court at the Order's headquarters in Palmela
. He gathered around him the principal loyalists of John II, who now became political opponents of King Manuel I of Portugal
, notably the Almeida clan
, the Ataíde
family, and, of course, his mother's own family — notably, his uncle, António de Mendonça Furtado, a commendador of the Order of Aviz. Other opposition characters gathered around Dom Jorge included Dom Álvaro de Castro
and Dom Diogo Lopo da Silveira (Baron of Alvito), and notable India navigators Vasco da Gama
and Francisco de Almeida
. Dom Jorge is also said to have had the support of many "New Christians", to have personally given them his protection and to have fought against the introduction of the Holy Inquisition
into Portugal.
Dom Jorge's party played a rather important role in the early India expeditions
. They formed the 'pragmatic' party, insisting, like John II had, that the India expeditions were a commercial venture, a means for the enrichment of the treasury, a 'Renaissance
' focus on wealth and power. Manuel's party had a more 'messianic' outlook, seeing the overseas expeditions through the Medieval goggles of Holy War and religious mission, coming up with schemes for two-pronged invasions of Egypt, marches on Mecca and the reconquest of Jerusalem. In this respect, Dom Jorge (if not himself personally, certainly the party he led) played a vital role in keeping the India expeditions on a sane and viable track. Early India armada captains were drawn more from his party, than from Manuel's.
In the early years, Dom Jorge de Lencastre's power was partly reliant on the hope that he might yet succeed Manuel, but that prospect diminished quickly as Manuel's new queen, Mary of Spain, produced a succession of sons. As time went on, his early fierce partisans began to slowly distance themselves and look for compromise and advancement with Manuel. For some, that meant leaving Dom Jorge's Orders of Santiago and Aviz and passing over to Manuel's Order of Christ. Among those who made the switch were Francisco de Almeida
and Vasco da Gama
.
Dom Jorge picked a particularly unfortunate fight with Vasco da Gama, once a loyal partisan. After da Gama's glorious return from India in 1499, Manuel deftly promised the town of Sines
as a reward to the admiral. But Sines was the property of the Order of Santiago. Instinctively, Jorge was disposed to allow it, as a reward to one of his own; but since it was on the king's order, he feared it was the thin end of the wedge to more royal appropriations of Order properties. So he decided to make a stand on principle and stepped in personally to prevent it. He went so far as to secure the banishment of da Gama from Sines in 1507. This prompted da Gama to make his final break with Jorge, leave his beloved Order of Santiago and switch to the rival Order of Christ.
Dom Jorge de Lencastre dedicated himself to defending his two knightly orders, Santiago and Aviz
, from the unremitting poaching by Manuel's Order of Christ
. In May 1505, Jorge managed to secure a royal order prohibiting knights from leaving his orders without his express permission. But Manuel soon obtained from Pope Alexander VI
two bulls to undermine him — one from July 1505, giving the King of Portugal the right to dispose of the property of all three Orders; another in January, 1506, authorizing knights to move freely from other Orders to the Order of Christ. However, Jorge continued to resist, and made a point of punishing knights who left without permission (for example, seizing the Sesimbra
commenda of João de Menezes, Count of Tarouca, for having taken up the position of Prior of Crato
without his consent).
In 1509, Dom Jorge introduced a new set of rules for the Order of Santiago, overhauling its administration in a centralized fashion, bringing it closer in line with the rules of their Spanish brethren
.
But with so many defections, Dom Jorge found it hard to maintain his political footing, and his star was quickly waning. In 1516, the humiliation was complete when Manuel secured from Pope Leo X
the authority to appoint Jorge's successors as grand masters of the orders of Santiago and Aviz.
. But the conflict with Dom Jorge de Lencastre continued, the opposition standard taken up with more energy by Jorge's son, Dom João de Lencastre
, Marquis of Torres Novas
. The sons of the old rivals butted heads politically and, increasingly, in the scandal sheets. In the late 1520s, Dom João led the opposition to the marriage of John III's brother, Infante Ferdinand, to Dona Guiomar Coutinho, a prominent noble heiress to the great feudal estates of Marialva
and Loulé
, on the grounds that he had already secretly married her. John III responded by locking up João de Lencastre in the Castle of São Jorge for some years (an episode later dramatized by Camilo Castelo Branco
in his play O Marquez de Torres-Novas).
Dom Jorge himself produced a notable scandal late in life when, at the age of 67, he pursued (and married) a 16-year-old girl, Dona Filipa de Melo (daughter of Dom Fernando de Lima). John III gave great publicity to the scandal, while, behind Jorge's back, securing an annulment from the pope.
When Dom Jorge de Lencastre finally died in late July 1550, John III moved quickly to seize control of the military orders. From Pope Julius III
, he received a bull in August 1550 appointing him personally as the master of both the Order of Santiago and the Order of Aviz
. This was followed up by a second bull, issued under great diplomatic pressure in December 1551, appointing the Kings of Portugal as masters in perpetuity of both military orders, thus bringing an end to the independence of the orders Dom Jorge de Lencastre had fought so hard to retain.
At Dom Jorge's death, the title of 'Duke of Coimbra' was extinguished by John III. The official explanation was that as Coimbra
was a royal town, the existence of a feudal title bearing the town's name was inappropriate. The real reason was probably that the king was eager to erase a title that had been borne by two notable challengers of royal power, a name that might still have a magical pull on the imagination of the next bearer. The lands associated with the Duke of Coimbra were passed over to the Duke of Aveiro
, a new title created by John III shortly before (c. 1535) for Dom Jorge's son and heir, Dom João de Lencastre
. The line of Lencastre would continue through the Dukes of Aveiro.
, brother of the Ferdinand II, Duke of Braganza.
Jorge had several children of his marriage with Beatriz de Vilhena:
He also had several children outside the marriage.
Jorge died in the castle of Palmela
on July 22, 1550.
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
Prince, illegitimate son of King John II of Portugal
John II of Portugal
John II , the Perfect Prince , was the thirteenth king of Portugal and the Algarves...
and Ana de Mendonça
Ana de Mendonça
Ana de Mendonça was a maid of the Queen regnant of Castile, Joanna la Beltraneja, and a mistress of King John II of Portugal. They had one son, George, Duke of Coimbra....
, a maid of Joanna la Beltraneja. He became the second Duke of Coimbra
Duke of Coimbra
Duke of Coimbra was an aristocratic Portuguese title with the level of Royal Dukedom, that is, associated with the Portuguese Royal House, created in 1415, by King John I of Portugal to the his 2nd. male son, Infante Pedro...
in 1509. He was also master of the Order of Santiago and administrator of the Order of Aviz
Order of Aviz
The Military Order of Aviz , previously to 1910 Royal Military Order of Aviz , previously to 1789 Order of Saint Benedict of Aviz , previously Knights of St. Benedict of Aviz or Friars of Santa Maria of Évora, is a Portuguese Order of Chivalry...
from 1492 to 1550.
Early life
Jorge de Lencastre was born in AbrantesAbrantes
Abrantes is a municipality in Portugal, with a population of 41,560 inhabitants, located on the southern margin of the Tagus River.-History:...
on August 21, 1481, and raised by his aunt, the king's sister, Joan of Portugal, in the Convent of Jesus in Aveiro. On Joan's death in 1490, Jorge was brought to the royal court, and was soon placed under the tutorship of monteiro-mor Diogo Fernandes de Almeida (the son of John II's late ally, Lopo de Almeida, Count of Abrantes
Count of Abrantes
Count of Abrantes was a Portuguese title of nobility created by a royal decree, dated from June 13, 1476, by King Afonso V of Portugal, and granted to his 4th cousin, Lopo de Almeida....
).
Succession Campaign
After the death of the royal heir Prince Afonso in July 1491, King John IIJohn II of Portugal
John II , the Perfect Prince , was the thirteenth king of Portugal and the Algarves...
was left with no legitimate sons and no daughters he could marry off. The next legitimate successor to the throne was his cousin (and brother-in-law), Manuel
Manuel I of Portugal
Manuel I , the Fortunate , 14th king of Portugal and the Algarves was the son of Infante Ferdinand, Duke of Viseu, , by his wife, Infanta Beatrice of Portugal...
, 4th Duke of Beja
Duke of Beja
Duke of Beja was an aristocratic Portuguese title with the level of Royal Dukedom, associated with the Portuguese Royal House, created in 1453, by King Afonso V of Portugal for his younger brother Infante Ferdinand of Portugal.Infante Ferdinand younger son, became King of Portugal as Manuel I and,...
and grand master of the Order of Christ
Order of Christ (Portugal)
The Military Order of Christ previously the Royal Order of the Knights of Our Lord Jesus Christ was the heritage of the Knights Templar in Portugal, after the suppression of the Templars in 1312...
since 1484.
This was a disturbing prospect for John II, who neither trusted Manuel nor the powerful Order of Christ. During the purges of the high nobility in 1483–84, John II had ordered the execution of Manuel's own brother Diogo, Duke of Viseu
Diogo, Duke of Viseu
Infante Diogo of Viseu was the second son of Infante Fernando, Duke of Viseu, and his wife Beatriz of Portugal.In 1472, when his older brother John, Duke of Viseu, died without issue, Diogo inherited his titles and estates as 4th Duke of Viseu and 3rd Duke of Beja.Diogo was a popular personality...
and brother-in-law Fernando II, Duke of Braganza
Fernando II, Duke of Braganza
Ferdinand II was the older son of Fernando I, 2nd Duke of Braganza and of his wife, Doña Joana de Castro....
. Manuel himself only escaped a similar fate largely because John II regarded him as a harmless fool. Now that 'fool' stood to succeed him, and in John II's estimation, would likely undo all the king's hard-won centralizing reforms and deliver the kingdom back to the nobles.
John II consequently launched a campaign to make his natural son, Jorge de Lencastre, his heir. From Pope Innocent VIII
Pope Innocent VIII
Pope Innocent VIII , born Giovanni Battista Cybo , was Pope from 1484 until his death.-Early years:Giovanni Battista Cybo was born at Genoa of Greek extraction...
, John II received authorization to appoint Jorge the Master of the Order of Santiago and administrator of the Order of Aviz
Order of Aviz
The Military Order of Aviz , previously to 1910 Royal Military Order of Aviz , previously to 1789 Order of Saint Benedict of Aviz , previously Knights of St. Benedict of Aviz or Friars of Santa Maria of Évora, is a Portuguese Order of Chivalry...
, in April, 1492. Only a few days later, Jorge's tutor, Diogo Fernandes de Almeida was appointed Prior of Crato
Prior of Crato
The Prior of Crato , was the traditional title given to the head of the Order of the Knights of St. John of Jerusalem in Portugal...
(head of the Portuguese branch of the knights of St. John Hospitaller
Knights Hospitaller
The Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Saint John of Jerusalem of Rhodes and of Malta , also known as the Sovereign Military Order of Malta , Order of Malta or Knights of Malta, is a Roman Catholic lay religious order, traditionally of military, chivalrous, noble nature. It is the world's...
).
Meanwhile, Queen Eleanor set about knitting a rival campaign, in conjunction with the Order of Christ
Order of Christ (Portugal)
The Military Order of Christ previously the Royal Order of the Knights of Our Lord Jesus Christ was the heritage of the Knights Templar in Portugal, after the suppression of the Templars in 1312...
, to prevent Jorge's advancement and protect the position of Manuel (her brother) as heir.
In 1494, John II dispatched an embassy to Rome, headed by two members of the Almeida clan
Count of Abrantes
Count of Abrantes was a Portuguese title of nobility created by a royal decree, dated from June 13, 1476, by King Afonso V of Portugal, and granted to his 4th cousin, Lopo de Almeida....
, to petition Pope Alexander VI
Pope Alexander VI
Pope Alexander VI , born Roderic Llançol i Borja was Pope from 1492 until his death on 18 August 1503. He is one of the most controversial of the Renaissance popes, and his Italianized surname—Borgia—became a byword for the debased standards of the Papacy of that era, most notoriously the Banquet...
to legitimize Jorge de Lencastre. The petition was rejected, bringing the campaign to a disappointing end.
John II, however, had no intention of just handing the kingdom over to Manuel's minions. In the will laid out just before his death in 1495, John II requested that Manuel appoint Jorge de Lencastre as Duke of Coimbra
Duke of Coimbra
Duke of Coimbra was an aristocratic Portuguese title with the level of Royal Dukedom, that is, associated with the Portuguese Royal House, created in 1415, by King John I of Portugal to the his 2nd. male son, Infante Pedro...
and Lord of Montemor-o-Velho
Montemor-o-Velho
Montemor-o-Velho is a town and municipality of the Coimbra District, in Portugal. It has roughly 30,000 inhabitants.-Demographics:-Parishes:* Abrunheira* Arazede* Carapinheira* Ereira* Gatões* Liceia* Meãs do Campo* Montemor-o-Velho* Pereira...
and urged Manuel, on his accession, to pass all his other titles and possessions, including the mastership of the Order of Christ
Order of Christ (Portugal)
The Military Order of Christ previously the Royal Order of the Knights of Our Lord Jesus Christ was the heritage of the Knights Templar in Portugal, after the suppression of the Templars in 1312...
and the island of Madeira
Madeira
Madeira is a Portuguese archipelago that lies between and , just under 400 km north of Tenerife, Canary Islands, in the north Atlantic Ocean and an outermost region of the European Union...
, over to Jorge. The concentration of power would have made Jorge de Lencastre the most powerful man in the kingdom, reminiscent of his powerful great-grand-uncle Peter of Coimbra (a comparison suggested by John II himself).
Mindful of avoiding a civil war, Manuel agreed to many of the items in John II's will, but rejected others — notably, Manuel insisted on retaining the Order of Christ for himself. Manuel was not in a hurry to fulfill the rest of the terms. The title of Duke of Coimbra was conferred on Jorge de Lencastre only in May 1500, and confirmation was delayed until May, 1509, nearly fifteen years after his father's death.
John II had also requested that young Jorge de Lencastre would be married to a royal princess, having Manuel promise his own first daughter, when they came of age. Manuel only partly fulfilled this in 1500 by betrothing Jorge to Beatriz de Vilhena, the daughter of Álvaro of Braganza
Álvaro of Braganza
Álvaro of Braganza was the 4th son of Ferdinand I, 2nd Duke of Braganza and his wife, Dona Joana de Castro.-Biography:...
, not an infanta but nonetheless a princess of royal blood.
During Manuel's Reign
Most of the details of Jorge's subsequent life and career are marred by hagiographersHagiography
Hagiography is the study of saints.From the Greek and , it refers literally to writings on the subject of such holy people, and specifically to the biographies of saints and ecclesiastical leaders. The term hagiology, the study of hagiography, is also current in English, though less common...
of Manuel, eager to portray the king's rival in the worst possible light. But far from the lazy and dissolute picture painted by the royal scribes, the chroniclers of the Order of Santiago seem to have regarded Jorge de Lencastre as a particularly diligent leader and administrator.
Dom Jorge de Lencastre continued as an important figure in Portuguese politics, particularly in the first decade or so of Manuel's reign. The Order of Santiago was Jorge's principal power base. Dom Jorge established something akin to an 'opposition' court at the Order's headquarters in Palmela
Palmela
Palmela is a town and a municipality in Portugal with a total area of and a total population of 58,222 inhabitants.The municipality is composed of 5 parishes, and is located in Setúbal District, about south of Lisbon.The municipal holiday is June 1....
. He gathered around him the principal loyalists of John II, who now became political opponents of King Manuel I of Portugal
Manuel I of Portugal
Manuel I , the Fortunate , 14th king of Portugal and the Algarves was the son of Infante Ferdinand, Duke of Viseu, , by his wife, Infanta Beatrice of Portugal...
, notably the Almeida clan
Count of Abrantes
Count of Abrantes was a Portuguese title of nobility created by a royal decree, dated from June 13, 1476, by King Afonso V of Portugal, and granted to his 4th cousin, Lopo de Almeida....
, the Ataíde
Count of Atouguia
Count of Atouguia was a Portuguese title of nobility created by a royal decree, dated from 17 December 1448, by King Afonso V of Portugal, and granted to D. Álvaro Gonçalves de Ataíde....
family, and, of course, his mother's own family — notably, his uncle, António de Mendonça Furtado, a commendador of the Order of Aviz. Other opposition characters gathered around Dom Jorge included Dom Álvaro de Castro
Álvaro de Castro
Álvaro Xavier de Castro was Prime Minister of Portugal from November 20 to November 30, 1920 and from December 18, 1923 to July 6, 1924.-Early career:...
and Dom Diogo Lopo da Silveira (Baron of Alvito), and notable India navigators Vasco da Gama
Vasco da Gama
Vasco da Gama, 1st Count of Vidigueira was a Portuguese explorer, one of the most successful in the Age of Discovery and the commander of the first ships to sail directly from Europe to India...
and Francisco de Almeida
Francisco de Almeida
Dom Francisco de Almeida , also known as "the Great Dom Francisco" , was a Portuguese nobleman, soldier and explorer. He distinguished himself as a counsellor to King John II of Portugal and later in the wars against the Moors and in the conquest of Granada in 1492...
. Dom Jorge is also said to have had the support of many "New Christians", to have personally given them his protection and to have fought against the introduction of the Holy Inquisition
Portuguese Inquisition
The Portuguese Inquisition was formally established in Portugal in 1536 at the request of the King of Portugal, João III. Manuel I had asked for the installation of the Inquisition in 1515 to fulfill the commitment of marriage with Maria of Aragon, but it was only after his death that the Pope...
into Portugal.
Dom Jorge's party played a rather important role in the early India expeditions
Portuguese India Armadas
The Portuguese India armadas were the fleets of ships, organized by the Portuguese crown and dispatched on an annual basis from Portugal to India, principally Goa...
. They formed the 'pragmatic' party, insisting, like John II had, that the India expeditions were a commercial venture, a means for the enrichment of the treasury, a 'Renaissance
Renaissance
The Renaissance was a cultural movement that spanned roughly the 14th to the 17th century, beginning in Italy in the Late Middle Ages and later spreading to the rest of Europe. The term is also used more loosely to refer to the historical era, but since the changes of the Renaissance were not...
' focus on wealth and power. Manuel's party had a more 'messianic' outlook, seeing the overseas expeditions through the Medieval goggles of Holy War and religious mission, coming up with schemes for two-pronged invasions of Egypt, marches on Mecca and the reconquest of Jerusalem. In this respect, Dom Jorge (if not himself personally, certainly the party he led) played a vital role in keeping the India expeditions on a sane and viable track. Early India armada captains were drawn more from his party, than from Manuel's.
In the early years, Dom Jorge de Lencastre's power was partly reliant on the hope that he might yet succeed Manuel, but that prospect diminished quickly as Manuel's new queen, Mary of Spain, produced a succession of sons. As time went on, his early fierce partisans began to slowly distance themselves and look for compromise and advancement with Manuel. For some, that meant leaving Dom Jorge's Orders of Santiago and Aviz and passing over to Manuel's Order of Christ. Among those who made the switch were Francisco de Almeida
Francisco de Almeida
Dom Francisco de Almeida , also known as "the Great Dom Francisco" , was a Portuguese nobleman, soldier and explorer. He distinguished himself as a counsellor to King John II of Portugal and later in the wars against the Moors and in the conquest of Granada in 1492...
and Vasco da Gama
Vasco da Gama
Vasco da Gama, 1st Count of Vidigueira was a Portuguese explorer, one of the most successful in the Age of Discovery and the commander of the first ships to sail directly from Europe to India...
.
Dom Jorge picked a particularly unfortunate fight with Vasco da Gama, once a loyal partisan. After da Gama's glorious return from India in 1499, Manuel deftly promised the town of Sines
Sines, Portugal
Sines is a coastal municipality in the district of Setúbal, in the Alentejo Litoral region of the Portuguese Alentejo. Its population in 2011 was over 14260 residents, with a total area of 203.3 km², concentrated on the municipal seat of Sines.-History:...
as a reward to the admiral. But Sines was the property of the Order of Santiago. Instinctively, Jorge was disposed to allow it, as a reward to one of his own; but since it was on the king's order, he feared it was the thin end of the wedge to more royal appropriations of Order properties. So he decided to make a stand on principle and stepped in personally to prevent it. He went so far as to secure the banishment of da Gama from Sines in 1507. This prompted da Gama to make his final break with Jorge, leave his beloved Order of Santiago and switch to the rival Order of Christ.
Dom Jorge de Lencastre dedicated himself to defending his two knightly orders, Santiago and Aviz
Order of Aviz
The Military Order of Aviz , previously to 1910 Royal Military Order of Aviz , previously to 1789 Order of Saint Benedict of Aviz , previously Knights of St. Benedict of Aviz or Friars of Santa Maria of Évora, is a Portuguese Order of Chivalry...
, from the unremitting poaching by Manuel's Order of Christ
Order of Christ (Portugal)
The Military Order of Christ previously the Royal Order of the Knights of Our Lord Jesus Christ was the heritage of the Knights Templar in Portugal, after the suppression of the Templars in 1312...
. In May 1505, Jorge managed to secure a royal order prohibiting knights from leaving his orders without his express permission. But Manuel soon obtained from Pope Alexander VI
Pope Alexander VI
Pope Alexander VI , born Roderic Llançol i Borja was Pope from 1492 until his death on 18 August 1503. He is one of the most controversial of the Renaissance popes, and his Italianized surname—Borgia—became a byword for the debased standards of the Papacy of that era, most notoriously the Banquet...
two bulls to undermine him — one from July 1505, giving the King of Portugal the right to dispose of the property of all three Orders; another in January, 1506, authorizing knights to move freely from other Orders to the Order of Christ. However, Jorge continued to resist, and made a point of punishing knights who left without permission (for example, seizing the Sesimbra
Sesimbra
-References:Bibliography*The Rough Guide to Portugal; 11th edition, March 2005; ISBN 1-84353-438-X*Rentes de Carvalho, J. - Portugal, um guia para amigos ; De Arbeiderspers, 9th ed. August 1999; ISBN 90-295-3457-5Notes...
commenda of João de Menezes, Count of Tarouca, for having taken up the position of Prior of Crato
Prior of Crato
The Prior of Crato , was the traditional title given to the head of the Order of the Knights of St. John of Jerusalem in Portugal...
without his consent).
In 1509, Dom Jorge introduced a new set of rules for the Order of Santiago, overhauling its administration in a centralized fashion, bringing it closer in line with the rules of their Spanish brethren
Order of Santiago
The Order of Santiago was founded in the 12th century, and owes its name to the national patron of Galicia and Spain, Santiago , under whose banner the Christians of Galicia and Asturias began in the 9th century to combat and drive back the Muslims of the Iberian Peninsula.-History:Santiago de...
.
But with so many defections, Dom Jorge found it hard to maintain his political footing, and his star was quickly waning. In 1516, the humiliation was complete when Manuel secured from Pope Leo X
Pope Leo X
Pope Leo X , born Giovanni di Lorenzo de' Medici, was the Pope from 1513 to his death in 1521. He was the last non-priest to be elected Pope. He is known for granting indulgences for those who donated to reconstruct St. Peter's Basilica and his challenging of Martin Luther's 95 Theses...
the authority to appoint Jorge's successors as grand masters of the orders of Santiago and Aviz.
Later Years
Manuel died in late 1521, and was succeeded by his son, John III of PortugalJohn III of Portugal
John III , nicknamed o Piedoso , was the fifteenth King of Portugal and the Algarves. He was the son of King Manuel I and Maria of Aragon, the third daughter of King Ferdinand II of Aragon and Queen Isabella I of Castile...
. But the conflict with Dom Jorge de Lencastre continued, the opposition standard taken up with more energy by Jorge's son, Dom João de Lencastre
John of Lencastre, 1st Duke of Aveiro
Dom João de Lencastre, or John of Lencastre , was the older son of Infante George, Duke of Coimbra and of his wife Dona Beatriz of Vilhena....
, Marquis of Torres Novas
Marquis of Torres Novas
The title Marquis of Torres Novas was created by royal decree, dated from March 27, 1520, by King Manuel I of Portugal, to Dom John of Lencastre , eldest son of Infante George, Duke of Coimbra....
. The sons of the old rivals butted heads politically and, increasingly, in the scandal sheets. In the late 1520s, Dom João led the opposition to the marriage of John III's brother, Infante Ferdinand, to Dona Guiomar Coutinho, a prominent noble heiress to the great feudal estates of Marialva
Count of Marialva
Count of Marialva was a Portuguese title of nobility created by a royal decree, issued in 1440, by King Afonso V of Portugal, and granted to Vasco Fernandes Coutinho, 3rd...
and Loulé
Count of Loulé
Count of Loulé was a Portuguese title of nobility granted to Henrique de Menezes by royal decree issued on November 12, 1471, by King Afonso V of Portugal....
, on the grounds that he had already secretly married her. John III responded by locking up João de Lencastre in the Castle of São Jorge for some years (an episode later dramatized by Camilo Castelo Branco
Camilo Castelo Branco
Camilo Ferreira Botelho Castelo-Branco,1st Viscount de Correia Botelho , was a prolific Portuguese writer of the 19th century, having authored over 260 books . His writing is, overall, considered original in that it combines the dramatic and sentimental spirit of Romanticism with a highly personal...
in his play O Marquez de Torres-Novas).
Dom Jorge himself produced a notable scandal late in life when, at the age of 67, he pursued (and married) a 16-year-old girl, Dona Filipa de Melo (daughter of Dom Fernando de Lima). John III gave great publicity to the scandal, while, behind Jorge's back, securing an annulment from the pope.
When Dom Jorge de Lencastre finally died in late July 1550, John III moved quickly to seize control of the military orders. From Pope Julius III
Pope Julius III
Pope Julius III , born Giovanni Maria Ciocchi del Monte, was Pope from 7 February 1550 to 1555....
, he received a bull in August 1550 appointing him personally as the master of both the Order of Santiago and the Order of Aviz
Order of Aviz
The Military Order of Aviz , previously to 1910 Royal Military Order of Aviz , previously to 1789 Order of Saint Benedict of Aviz , previously Knights of St. Benedict of Aviz or Friars of Santa Maria of Évora, is a Portuguese Order of Chivalry...
. This was followed up by a second bull, issued under great diplomatic pressure in December 1551, appointing the Kings of Portugal as masters in perpetuity of both military orders, thus bringing an end to the independence of the orders Dom Jorge de Lencastre had fought so hard to retain.
At Dom Jorge's death, the title of 'Duke of Coimbra' was extinguished by John III. The official explanation was that as Coimbra
Coimbra
Coimbra is a city in the municipality of Coimbra in Portugal. Although it served as the nation's capital during the High Middle Ages, it is better-known for its university, the University of Coimbra, which is one of the oldest in Europe and the oldest academic institution in the...
was a royal town, the existence of a feudal title bearing the town's name was inappropriate. The real reason was probably that the king was eager to erase a title that had been borne by two notable challengers of royal power, a name that might still have a magical pull on the imagination of the next bearer. The lands associated with the Duke of Coimbra were passed over to the Duke of Aveiro
Duke of Aveiro
The Royal Dukedom of Aveiro was an aristocratic Portuguese title, granted in 1535 by King John III of Portugal to his 4th cousin, John of Lencastre, son of Infante George of Lencastre, a natural son of King John II of Portugal....
, a new title created by John III shortly before (c. 1535) for Dom Jorge's son and heir, Dom João de Lencastre
John of Lencastre, 1st Duke of Aveiro
Dom João de Lencastre, or John of Lencastre , was the older son of Infante George, Duke of Coimbra and of his wife Dona Beatriz of Vilhena....
. The line of Lencastre would continue through the Dukes of Aveiro.
Marriage
In 1500, Jorge married Beatriz de Vilhena, daughter of Álvaro of BraganzaÁlvaro of Braganza
Álvaro of Braganza was the 4th son of Ferdinand I, 2nd Duke of Braganza and his wife, Dona Joana de Castro.-Biography:...
, brother of the Ferdinand II, Duke of Braganza.
Jorge had several children of his marriage with Beatriz de Vilhena:
- João de LencastreJohn of Lencastre, 1st Duke of AveiroDom João de Lencastre, or John of Lencastre , was the older son of Infante George, Duke of Coimbra and of his wife Dona Beatriz of Vilhena....
, 1st Duke of AveiroDuke of AveiroThe Royal Dukedom of Aveiro was an aristocratic Portuguese title, granted in 1535 by King John III of Portugal to his 4th cousin, John of Lencastre, son of Infante George of Lencastre, a natural son of King John II of Portugal.... - Afonso de Lencastre, Comendador-mor of São Tiago
- Luís de Lencastre, Comendador-mor of Aviz
- Jaime de Lencastre, Prior of São Pedro de Torres Vedras, 1st General-inquisitor of the kingdom
- Helena de Lencastre, Comendadeira of the Royal Monastery of Santos
- Maria de Lencastre, religious in the Monastery of Saint John in SetúbalSetúbalSetúbal is the main city in Setúbal Municipality in Portugal with a total area of 172.0 km² and a total population of 118,696 inhabitants in the municipality. The city proper has 89,303 inhabitants....
(Soror Maria Madalena) - Filipa de Lencastre, Prior of the Monastery of Saint John in Setúbal
- Isabel de Lencastre, religious in the Monastery of Saint John in Setúbal and after that in the Royal Monastery of Santos.
He also had several children outside the marriage.
Jorge died in the castle of Palmela
Palmela
Palmela is a town and a municipality in Portugal with a total area of and a total population of 58,222 inhabitants.The municipality is composed of 5 parishes, and is located in Setúbal District, about south of Lisbon.The municipal holiday is June 1....
on July 22, 1550.