Infante Pedro, Duke of Coimbra
Encyclopedia
The Infante Peter, 1st Duke of Coimbra KG
(ˈpedɾu; Peter), (1392 – May 20, 1449) was a Portuguese
infante (prince) of the House of Aviz
, son of King John I of Portugal
and his wife Philippa of Lancaster
, daughter of John of Gaunt. In Portugal he is better known as Infante D.
Pedro das Sete Partidas [do Mundo], "of the Seven Parts [of the World]" because of his travels. Possibly the most well-travelled prince of his time, he was regent between 1439 and 1448. He was also 1st Lord of Montemor-o-Velho
, Aveiro, Tentúgal
, Cernache, Pereira, Condeixa and Lousã.
From the time he was born, Peter was one of John I's favourite sons. Along with his siblings, he received an exceptional education rarely seen in those times. Close to his brother Edward and John, Lord of Reguengos de Monsaraz, Peter grew up in a calm environment free of intrigues.
On August 14, 1415 he accompanied his father and brothers Edward and Henry in the conquest of Ceuta
in Morocco. His mother had died the previous month, giving each of her sons on her deathbed an arming sword
she had ordered forged for them. Peter refused to be knighted before having shown his valour in battle, being knighted along with his brothers the following day; he was also created duke of Coimbra as his younger brother Henry was made duke of Viseu. These were the first dukedoms created in Portugal.
In 1418, having finished the translation of Seneca's De Beneficiis, he initiated his extensive travels throughout Europe, which would keep him away from Portugal for the next ten years. After having met with John II of Castile
in Valladolid
, he continued to Hungary
, where he met with Sigismund, Holy Roman Emperor
, and entered his service. He fought in the Imperial armies against the Turks and in the Hussite Wars
in Bohemia
, and was awarded the dukedom of Treviso
in Northern Italy in 1422. In 1424 he left the Holy Roman Empire
, meeting first with Murad II
, Sultan of the Ottoman Empire
, on the island of Patmos
, and then continuing to Constantinople
, capital of the Byzantine Empire
; the hopeless position of the city against the Ottoman onslaught didn't fail to impress him. From Constantinople he travelled to the Holy Land
via Alexandria and Cairo. In 1425 he travelled west to France
and England
, visiting the universities of Paris
and Oxford
, before arriving in Flanders
in 1426, where he spent the next two years at the Burgundian
court. The second wife of Philip the Good of Burgundy having died in 1425, Peter recommended him his sister Isabella as wife (Philip later sent a delegation to Portugal in 1428-29, which included Jan van Eyck
, who painted two portraits of the Infanta; Philip and Isabella eventually married on January 7, 1430, one of their sons being the future duke Charles the Bold). In 1427 Peter wrote a famous letter to his older brother, the later King Edward, on "the proper administration of the kingdoms", from Bruges; later that year Henry VI of England
(his first cousin once removed) made him a Knight of the Garter (as were already his father and older brother). In 1428 Peter visited his dukedom of Treviso and nearby Venice
, where he was presented with a copy of the book of Marco Polo
by the doge; he later offered that book, and maps of the Venetian trade routes in the Orient he purchased, to his younger brother Henry. From Venice he then travelled to Rome
, where he was received by Pope Martin V
, and from there he continued to Barcelona
, where he negotiated the marriage of his brother Edward with Eleanor of Aragon as well as his own future marriage with Isabella of Urgell before finally returning to Portugal after ten years abroad, of travelling and learning.
In 1429 Peter married Isabella of Urgell, daughter of James II, Count of Urgell, and candidate to the throne of the Crown of Aragon
at the Compromise of Caspe
.
In 1433 he completed his famous six-volume work, the Tratado da Virtuosa Benfeitoria.
When his brother King Edward I of Portugal died in 1438, his son Afonso V (Pedro's nephew) was an infant and the choice for the regency was the Queen-Mother Eleanor of Aragon. This choice for the regency was not popular because Eleanor was Aragonese, so in a reunion of the Cortes, summoned by Peter's brother John, Lord of Reguengos de Monsaraz, Peter was appointed as Regent of the Kingdom during the minority of his nephew Afonso V, a choice that pleased both the people and the fast-growing bourgeoisie
.
However, inside the Portuguese aristocracy, especially the ones around Afonso, Count of Barcelos
(Peter's half-brother), Eleanor of Aragon was preferred and there were doubts about Peter's political ability. A war of influences started and a few years later Afonso of Barcelos managed to become young King Afonso V's favourite uncle.
In 1443, in a gesture of reconciliation, Peter created his own half-brother Afonso Duke of Braganza
and relations between the two seemed to return to normality. But, in 1445, the now duke of Braganza took offence because Isabella of Coimbra, Peter's daughter was the choice for Afonso V's wife, and not one of his daughters. Indifferent to the intrigues, Peter continued his regency and the country prospered under his influence. It is during this period that the first subsidies for the exploration of the Atlantic Ocean
were implemented, and the organization was given to Henry the Navigator (Pedro's brother).
On June 9, 1448 Afonso V came of age and Peter gave him the control of the country to the king. Influenced by Afonso, Count of Barcelos, and recently Duke of Braganza, Afonso V nullified all Peter's edicts, starting, against himself, by the ones that concentrated the powers in the figure of the King.
The following year, under accusations that years later would prove false, Afonso V declared Peter a rebel. The situation became unsustainable and a civil war begun. It was short because on May 20, 1449, during the Battle of Alfarrobeira
, near Alverca, Peter died. The exact conditions of his death are debatable: some say it was in combat, while others say he was assassinated by one of his own men.
With the death of Peter, Portugal fell in the hands of Afonso, Duke of Braganza, with a growing influence over the destiny of the country. However, his regency would never be forgotten, and Pedro was cited many times by his grandson King John II of Portugal
as his main influence. The cruel persecution of the Braganzas by John II was perhaps the answer to the conspiracies that caused the fall of one of the major princes of the Ínclita Geração.
From his marriage to Isabella of Aragon, Countess of Urgell, Pedro had the following children:
Order of the Garter
The Most Noble Order of the Garter, founded in 1348, is the highest order of chivalry, or knighthood, existing in England. The order is dedicated to the image and arms of St...
(ˈpedɾu; Peter), (1392 – May 20, 1449) was a Portuguese
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...
infante (prince) of the House of Aviz
House of Aviz
The House of Aviz is a dynasty of kings of Portugal. In 1385, the Interregnum of the 1383-1385 crisis ended with the acclamation of the Master of the Order of Aviz, John, natural son of king Peter I and Dona Teresa Lourenço as king...
, son of King John I of Portugal
John I of Portugal
John I KG , called the Good or of Happy Memory, more rarely and outside Portugal the Bastard, was the tenth King of Portugal and the Algarve and the first to use the title Lord of Ceuta...
and his wife Philippa of Lancaster
Philippa of Lancaster
Philippa of Lancaster, LG was a Queen consort of Portugal. Born into the royal family of England, her marriage with King John I secured the Anglo-Portuguese Alliance and produced several famous children who became known as the "Illustrious Generation" in Portugal...
, daughter of John of Gaunt. In Portugal he is better known as Infante D.
Don (honorific)
Don, from Latin dominus, is an honorific in Spanish , Portuguese , and Italian . The female equivalent is Doña , Dona , and Donna , abbreviated "Dª" or simply "D."-Usage:...
Pedro das Sete Partidas [do Mundo], "of the Seven Parts [of the World]" because of his travels. Possibly the most well-travelled prince of his time, he was regent between 1439 and 1448. He was also 1st 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...
, Aveiro, Tentúgal
Tentúgal
Tentúgal is a parish of Montemor-o-Velho Municipality, Coimbra District, Portugal. The village is well known in Portugal for its old and unique conventual cakes. Sisnando Davides, Count of Coimbra, was born in Tentúgal in the 11th century....
, Cernache, Pereira, Condeixa and Lousã.
From the time he was born, Peter was one of John I's favourite sons. Along with his siblings, he received an exceptional education rarely seen in those times. Close to his brother Edward and John, Lord of Reguengos de Monsaraz, Peter grew up in a calm environment free of intrigues.
On August 14, 1415 he accompanied his father and brothers Edward and Henry in the conquest of Ceuta
Ceuta
Ceuta is an autonomous city of Spain and an exclave located on the north coast of North Africa surrounded by Morocco. Separated from the Iberian peninsula by the Strait of Gibraltar, Ceuta lies on the border of the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. Ceuta along with the other Spanish...
in Morocco. His mother had died the previous month, giving each of her sons on her deathbed an arming sword
Arming sword
The arming sword is the single handed cruciform sword of the High Middle Ages, in common use between ca. 1000 and 1500, possibly remaining in rare use into the 16th century...
she had ordered forged for them. Peter refused to be knighted before having shown his valour in battle, being knighted along with his brothers the following day; he was also created duke of Coimbra as his younger brother Henry was made duke of Viseu. These were the first dukedoms created in Portugal.
John II of Castile
John II was King of Castile from 1406 to 1454.He was the son of Henry III of Castile and his wife Catherine of Lancaster, daughter of John of Gaunt, 1st Duke of Lancaster by Constance of Castile, daughter of King Peter of Castile.-Regency:He succeeded his father on 25 December 1406, at the age of...
in Valladolid
Valladolid
Valladolid is a historic city and municipality in north-central Spain, situated at the confluence of the Pisuerga and Esgueva rivers, and located within three wine-making regions: Ribera del Duero, Rueda and Cigales...
, he continued to Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
, where he met with Sigismund, Holy Roman Emperor
Sigismund, Holy Roman Emperor
Sigismund of Luxemburg KG was King of Hungary, of Croatia from 1387 to 1437, of Bohemia from 1419, and Holy Roman Emperor for four years from 1433 until 1437, the last Emperor of the House of Luxemburg. He was also King of Italy from 1431, and of Germany from 1411...
, and entered his service. He fought in the Imperial armies against the Turks and in the Hussite Wars
Hussite Wars
The Hussite Wars, also called the Bohemian Wars involved the military actions against and amongst the followers of Jan Hus in Bohemia in the period 1419 to circa 1434. The Hussite Wars were notable for the extensive use of early hand-held gunpowder weapons such as hand cannons...
in Bohemia
Bohemia
Bohemia is a historical region in central Europe, occupying the western two-thirds of the traditional Czech Lands. It is located in the contemporary Czech Republic with its capital in Prague...
, and was awarded the dukedom of Treviso
Treviso
Treviso is a city and comune in Veneto, northern Italy. It is the capital of the province of Treviso and the municipality has 82,854 inhabitants : some 3,000 live within the Venetian walls or in the historical and monumental center, some 80,000 live in the urban center proper, while the city...
in Northern Italy in 1422. In 1424 he left the Holy Roman Empire
Holy Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire was a realm that existed from 962 to 1806 in Central Europe.It was ruled by the Holy Roman Emperor. Its character changed during the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period, when the power of the emperor gradually weakened in favour of the princes...
, meeting first with Murad II
Murad II
Murad II Kodja was the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1421 to 1451 ....
, Sultan of the Ottoman Empire
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
, on the island of Patmos
Patmos
Patmos is a small Greek island in the Aegean Sea. One of the northernmost islands of the Dodecanese complex, it has a population of 2,984 and an area of . The highest point is Profitis Ilias, 269 meters above sea level. The Municipality of Patmos, which includes the offshore islands of Arkoi ,...
, and then continuing to Constantinople
Constantinople
Constantinople was the capital of the Roman, Eastern Roman, Byzantine, Latin, and Ottoman Empires. Throughout most of the Middle Ages, Constantinople was Europe's largest and wealthiest city.-Names:...
, capital of the Byzantine Empire
Byzantine Empire
The Byzantine Empire was the Eastern Roman Empire during the periods of Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, centred on the capital of Constantinople. Known simply as the Roman Empire or Romania to its inhabitants and neighbours, the Empire was the direct continuation of the Ancient Roman State...
; the hopeless position of the city against the Ottoman onslaught didn't fail to impress him. From Constantinople he travelled to the Holy Land
Holy Land
The Holy Land is a term which in Judaism refers to the Kingdom of Israel as defined in the Tanakh. For Jews, the Land's identifiction of being Holy is defined in Judaism by its differentiation from other lands by virtue of the practice of Judaism often possible only in the Land of Israel...
via Alexandria and Cairo. In 1425 he travelled west to France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, visiting the universities of Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
and Oxford
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
, before arriving in Flanders
Flanders
Flanders is the community of the Flemings but also one of the institutions in Belgium, and a geographical region located in parts of present-day Belgium, France and the Netherlands. "Flanders" can also refer to the northern part of Belgium that contains Brussels, Bruges, Ghent and Antwerp...
in 1426, where he spent the next two years at the Burgundian
Duchy of Burgundy
The Duchy of Burgundy , was heir to an ancient and prestigious reputation and a large division of the lands of the Second Kingdom of Burgundy and in its own right was one of the geographically larger ducal territories in the emergence of Early Modern Europe from Medieval Europe.Even in that...
court. The second wife of Philip the Good of Burgundy having died in 1425, Peter recommended him his sister Isabella as wife (Philip later sent a delegation to Portugal in 1428-29, which included Jan van Eyck
Jan van Eyck
Jan van Eyck was a Flemish painter active in Bruges and considered one of the best Northern European painters of the 15th century....
, who painted two portraits of the Infanta; Philip and Isabella eventually married on January 7, 1430, one of their sons being the future duke Charles the Bold). In 1427 Peter wrote a famous letter to his older brother, the later King Edward, on "the proper administration of the kingdoms", from Bruges; later that year Henry VI of England
Henry VI of England
Henry VI was King of England from 1422 to 1461 and again from 1470 to 1471, and disputed King of France from 1422 to 1453. Until 1437, his realm was governed by regents. Contemporaneous accounts described him as peaceful and pious, not suited for the violent dynastic civil wars, known as the Wars...
(his first cousin once removed) made him a Knight of the Garter (as were already his father and older brother). In 1428 Peter visited his dukedom of Treviso and nearby Venice
Venice
Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
, where he was presented with a copy of the book of Marco Polo
Marco Polo
Marco Polo was a Venetian merchant traveler from the Venetian Republic whose travels are recorded in Il Milione, a book which did much to introduce Europeans to Central Asia and China. He learned about trading whilst his father and uncle, Niccolò and Maffeo, travelled through Asia and apparently...
by the doge; he later offered that book, and maps of the Venetian trade routes in the Orient he purchased, to his younger brother Henry. From Venice he then travelled to Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
, where he was received by Pope Martin V
Pope Martin V
Pope Martin V , born Odo Colonna, was Pope from 1417 to 1431. His election effectively ended the Western Schism .-Biography:...
, and from there he continued to Barcelona
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
, where he negotiated the marriage of his brother Edward with Eleanor of Aragon as well as his own future marriage with Isabella of Urgell before finally returning to Portugal after ten years abroad, of travelling and learning.
In 1429 Peter married Isabella of Urgell, daughter of James II, Count of Urgell, and candidate to the throne of the Crown of Aragon
Crown of Aragon
The Crown of Aragon Corona d'Aragón Corona d'Aragó Corona Aragonum controlling a large portion of the present-day eastern Spain and southeastern France, as well as some of the major islands and mainland possessions stretching across the Mediterranean as far as Greece...
at the Compromise of Caspe
Compromise of Caspe
The Compromise of Caspe made in 1412 was an act and resolution of parliamentary representatives on behalf of the Kingdoms of Aragon and Valencia and the County of Barcelona, to resolve the interregnum commenced by the death of King Martin I of Aragon in 1410 without a legitimate heir, in Caspe.The...
.
In 1433 he completed his famous six-volume work, the Tratado da Virtuosa Benfeitoria.
When his brother King Edward I of Portugal died in 1438, his son Afonso V (Pedro's nephew) was an infant and the choice for the regency was the Queen-Mother Eleanor of Aragon. This choice for the regency was not popular because Eleanor was Aragonese, so in a reunion of the Cortes, summoned by Peter's brother John, Lord of Reguengos de Monsaraz, Peter was appointed as Regent of the Kingdom during the minority of his nephew Afonso V, a choice that pleased both the people and the fast-growing bourgeoisie
Bourgeoisie
In sociology and political science, bourgeoisie describes a range of groups across history. In the Western world, between the late 18th century and the present day, the bourgeoisie is a social class "characterized by their ownership of capital and their related culture." A member of the...
.
However, inside the Portuguese aristocracy, especially the ones around Afonso, Count of Barcelos
Afonso, 1st Duke of Braganza
Dom Afonso I, the 1st Duke of Braganza was the eighth Count of Barcelos, the 2nd Count of Neiva, 2nd Lord of Faria and the first Duke of Braganza.-Origins:...
(Peter's half-brother), Eleanor of Aragon was preferred and there were doubts about Peter's political ability. A war of influences started and a few years later Afonso of Barcelos managed to become young King Afonso V's favourite uncle.
In 1443, in a gesture of reconciliation, Peter created his own half-brother Afonso Duke of Braganza
Duke of Braganza
The title Duke of Braganza in the House of Braganza is one of the most important titles in the peerage of Portugal. Since the House of Braganza acceded to the throne of Portugal in 1640, the male heir of the Portuguese Crown was known as the Duke of Braganza and Prince of Brazil until 1822, or...
and relations between the two seemed to return to normality. But, in 1445, the now duke of Braganza took offence because Isabella of Coimbra, Peter's daughter was the choice for Afonso V's wife, and not one of his daughters. Indifferent to the intrigues, Peter continued his regency and the country prospered under his influence. It is during this period that the first subsidies for the exploration of the Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
were implemented, and the organization was given to Henry the Navigator (Pedro's brother).
On June 9, 1448 Afonso V came of age and Peter gave him the control of the country to the king. Influenced by Afonso, Count of Barcelos, and recently Duke of Braganza, Afonso V nullified all Peter's edicts, starting, against himself, by the ones that concentrated the powers in the figure of the King.
The following year, under accusations that years later would prove false, Afonso V declared Peter a rebel. The situation became unsustainable and a civil war begun. It was short because on May 20, 1449, during the Battle of Alfarrobeira
Battle of Alfarrobeira
The Battle of Alfarrobeira took place on 20 May 1449. It was a confrontation between the forces commanded by King Afonso V of Portugal and his uncle Afonso, Duke of Braganza, against the army of the rebellious Pedro, Duke of Coimbra. The place was Alverca do Ribatejo, near Lisbon, at the margins...
, near Alverca, Peter died. The exact conditions of his death are debatable: some say it was in combat, while others say he was assassinated by one of his own men.
With the death of Peter, Portugal fell in the hands of Afonso, Duke of Braganza, with a growing influence over the destiny of the country. However, his regency would never be forgotten, and Pedro was cited many times by his grandson King John II of Portugal
John II of Portugal
John II , the Perfect Prince , was the thirteenth king of Portugal and the Algarves...
as his main influence. The cruel persecution of the Braganzas by John II was perhaps the answer to the conspiracies that caused the fall of one of the major princes of the Ínclita Geração.
From his marriage to Isabella of Aragon, Countess of Urgell, Pedro had the following children:
- Peter V of AragonPeter V of AragonPeter V of Aragon , Infante of Portugal, Constable of Portugal and Grand Master of the Order of Aviz.He was son of Infante Peter, Duke of Coimbra, and Isabella of Aragon, Countess of Urgel, and grandson of John I of Portugal.During the War Against John II, between 1463 and 1466 Peter was King of...
(1429–1466) - John, Prince of AntiochJohn, Prince of AntiochInfante John of Coimbra , also known as John of Coimbra or John of Portugal, was the second son of Infante Peter, Duke of Coimbra, and Isabella of Aragon, Countess of Urgell....
(1431–1457), married Charlotte of LusignanCharlotte of CyprusCharlotte , was Queen of Cyprus and Princess of Antioch, as well as titular Queen of Jerusalem and Armenia.She was the eldest and only surviving daughter of King John II of Cyprus and Helena Palaiologina. At the age of 14, she succeeded to the Cypriot throne upon the death of her father in 1458...
, heiress of Cyprus, in 1456. He was created titular Prince of Antioch, and was possibly poisoned by his stepmother. - Isabella of Coimbra (1432–1455), Queen of Portugal by marriage to Afonso V of PortugalAfonso V of PortugalAfonso V KG , called the African , was the twelfth King of Portugal and the Algarves. His sobriquet refers to his conquests in Northern Africa.-Early life:...
. - Infante James of Coimbra (1434–1459), Cardinal and Archbishop of Lisbon, lived in Italy; his beautiful tomb http://www.wga.hu/frames-e.html?/html/r/rosselin/antonio/portugal.html is in the convent church of San Miniato al Monte in Florence.
- Infanta Beatrice of Coimbra (1435–1462), married Adolph of Cleves-RavensteinAdolph of Cleves, Lord of RavensteinAdolph of Cleves, Lord of Ravenstein was the youngest son of Adolph I, Duke of Cleves and of his wife Marie of Burgundy, a sister of Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy....
. - Infanta Philippa of Coimbra (1437–1493), a nun.