John V of Portugal
Encyclopedia
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Fidelíssimus John V (Portuguese
João V ʒuˈɐ̃w̃) the Magnanimous (Port.
o Magnânimo) (October 22, 1689 – July 31, 1750), 24th (or 25th according to some historians) king of Portugal
and the Algarves, was born John Francis Anthony of Braganza, in Portuguese João Francisco António de Bragança, in Lisbon
and succeeded his father Peter II in December 1706, and was proclaimed on January 1, 1707.
His father had long suffered from lack of heirs, and the relatively new royal house of Braganza was indeed on the verge of going extinct—the king had only one surviving (though sickly) daughter from his first marriage, John's half-sister Isabel Luisa, Princess of Beira
. However, after the death of his first wife, the old king remarried, and John's mother was able to produce eight more children, including John himself. When John was born, he became Prince of Brazil
as the king's heir-apparent, as well as the 11th Duke of Braganza
.
, along with Lord Galway, advanced into Castile
, even taking Madrid
, but later sustained the defeat of Almanza (April 14).
In October 1708 he married his maternal first cousin Archduchess & Princess Imperial Maria Anna of Austria
, Princess Royal of Hungary and Bohemia (1683–1754), daughter of Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor
and his third wife, Eleonore Magdalena of the Palatinate-Neuburg, thus strengthening the alliance with Austria
.
The series of unsuccessful campaigns that ensued, ultimately terminated in a favourable peace with France
in 1713 and with Spain
in 1715.
His long reign was characterized by a strengthening of the king's power due to the incomes the crown earned by exploring the newly found gold and diamond mines in Brazil
. A fifth of each ton extracted from these mines were crown property, the rest being divided among claim owners, contractors and public administrators. This sudden wealth enabled the king to rule without summoning the Cortes, thus becoming an absolute monarch. Due to his centralistic ruling, he had to endure the political opposition of several noble families and influential clergymen. In what most probably was an effort to tame the upper nobility, John V built his own Versailles
, the grand Royal Palace of Mafra
.
John V was the greatest patron of the arts in the Europe of his time. The Portuguese Empire was then extremely rich – Portugal collected more gold from the newly found Brazilian mines over a few decades than Spain took from the remaining of Central and South America over 400 years; there were also the very productive diamond and precious gemstone mines that kept the royal coffers full. With this endless supply of money he bought some of the greatest art collections that were available at the time – at a point, in one single occasion, over 80 paintings by great Italian masters were taken in to the royal palace in Lisbon. The music library, already the greatest in the world, was enlarged as was the royal library and other libraries in the country. The King insisted his ambassadors would keep him informed about the state of the arts in foreign countries and would buy only the best from the most reputable artists of the time. Unfortunately most of the great collections amassed by John V and the Portuguese aristocracy, along with the vast majority of the city of Lisbon were suddenly destroyed by the great earthquake of 1755
followed by a tsunami
and fire.
John V used much of the crown's treasure to develop Portugal's economy (creating new manufactures all over the country), to patronise the arts and intellectuals (Royal academies were founded), and to advance his country's prestige among its European neighbors after the Crisis of Succession and short-lived union with Spain
(1640). His foreign policy followed two simple and unaltered rules: political neutrality in European conflicts and constant negotiations with the Vatican
in order to be recognised as a lawful monarch. To this end, he spent heavily in bribes to church officials and embassies to the Pope.
His negotiations with the Vatican gained the recognition of Portugal as a lawful sovereign country by Pope Benedict XIV
in 1748 and the title "Most Faithful King" bestowed upon him and his successors by a bull. Six years before receiving this title, John suffered a stroke, which left him partially paralysed and unable to intervene in political affairs. His last years of life were dedicated to religious activities. His early economic measures, which were unpopular among the upper nobility, became ineffective, and public affairs were so dependent on John's rule that they became almost inoperative. John V died on July 31, 1750 in Lisbon
, and was succeeded by his son Prince Joseph.
, daughter of Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor
, his first cousin, in 1708. From that marriage were born six children, three of them survived childhood. Outside his marriage John had four illegitimate children, the beautiful Maria Rita ("Flower of Murta") and the three children of Palhavã
.
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;"
|- bgcolor=cccccc
!Name!!Birth!!Death!!Notes
|-
|colspan=4|By Maria Anna of Austria
(September 7, 1683-August 14, 1754; married on June 10, 1708)
|-
|Barbara of Portugal||December 4, 1711||August 27, 1758||Princess of Brazil (1711–1712). Married to Ferdinand VI of Spain
.
|-
|Peter of Portugal||October 19, 1712||October 29, 1714||Prince of Brazil and 14th Duke of Braganza
|-
|Joseph I of Portugal||June 6, 1714||February 24, 1777||Prince of Brazil from 1714. Succeeded him as 25th (or 26th according to some historians) King of Portugal.
|-
|Carlos of Portugal||May 2, 1716||March 30, 1730||
|-
|Peter III of Portugal
||July 5, 1717||May 25, 1786||Married Queen Maria I of Portugal
and became King-consort as Peter III.
|-
|Alexandre of Portugal||September 24, 1723||August 2, 1728||
|-
|colspan=4|By Luísa Clara de Portugal (1712-?)
|-
|Maria Rita of Braganza||c. 1731||1808||Known as the Flower of Murta
.
|-
|colspan=4|By Madalena Máxima de Miranda (c. 1690-?)
|-
|Gaspar of Braganza||October 8, 1716||January 18, 1789||Natural son. Archbishop
of Braga
. One of the three children of Palhavã
|-
|colspan=4|By Mother Paula de Odivelas (c. 1690-?)
|-
|Joseph of Braganza||September 8, 1720||July 31, 1801||Natural son. General-Inquisitor
of the Kingdom of Portugal and the Algarves. One of the three children of Palhavã
|-
|colspan=4|Other offspring
|-
|António of Braganza||October 1, 1704||August 14, 1800||Natural son and one of the three children of Palhavã
|}
|-
|
Fidelíssimus John V (Portuguese
Portuguese language
Portuguese is a Romance language that arose in the medieval Kingdom of Galicia, nowadays Galicia and Northern Portugal. The southern part of the Kingdom of Galicia became independent as the County of Portugal in 1095...
João V ʒuˈɐ̃w̃) the Magnanimous (Port.
Portuguese language
Portuguese is a Romance language that arose in the medieval Kingdom of Galicia, nowadays Galicia and Northern Portugal. The southern part of the Kingdom of Galicia became independent as the County of Portugal in 1095...
o Magnânimo) (October 22, 1689 – July 31, 1750), 24th (or 25th according to some historians) king of Portugal
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...
and the Algarves, was born John Francis Anthony of Braganza, in Portuguese João Francisco António de Bragança, in Lisbon
Lisbon
Lisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...
and succeeded his father Peter II in December 1706, and was proclaimed on January 1, 1707.
His father had long suffered from lack of heirs, and the relatively new royal house of Braganza was indeed on the verge of going extinct—the king had only one surviving (though sickly) daughter from his first marriage, John's half-sister Isabel Luisa, Princess of Beira
Isabel Luísa, Princess of Beira
Infanta Isabel Luísa of Portugal was a Portuguese infanta and the sole daughter of King Peter II of Portugal and his first wife and former sister-in-law Maria Francisca of Savoy. As such she was styled Princess of Beira...
. However, after the death of his first wife, the old king remarried, and John's mother was able to produce eight more children, including John himself. When John was born, he became Prince of Brazil
Prince of Brazil
Prince of Brazil was a title used in the Kingdom of Portugal, for the heir of the royal House of Braganza.The title was created by King John IV of Portugal on 27 October 1645 in favor of his eldest son and heir prince Teodósio, soon after Portugal had got rid of its Spanish rulers...
as the king's heir-apparent, as well as the 11th 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...
.
Biography
Since his father had been elderly, John succeeded at quite a young age, only 17. One of his first kingly acts was to intimate his adherence to the Grand Alliance, which his father had joined in 1703. Accordingly, his general Marquês das MinasMarquês das Minas
António Luís de Sousa, 4th Count of Prado and 2nd Marquess of Minas was a Portuguese general and governor-general of Portugal.He was the son of Dom Francisco, the first Marquês das Minas, and his second wife D...
, along with Lord Galway, advanced into Castile
Castile (historical region)
A former kingdom, Castile gradually merged with its neighbours to become the Crown of Castile and later the Kingdom of Spain when united with the Crown of Aragon and the Kingdom of Navarre...
, even taking Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
, but later sustained the defeat of Almanza (April 14).
In October 1708 he married his maternal first cousin Archduchess & Princess Imperial Maria Anna of Austria
Maria Anna of Austria
Archduchess Maria Anna of Austria , was Electress of Bavaria as the spouse of Maximilian I, Elector of Bavaria. She also served as Regent of Bavaria during the minority of her son...
, Princess Royal of Hungary and Bohemia (1683–1754), daughter of Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor
Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor
| style="float:right;" | Leopold I was a Holy Roman Emperor, King of Hungary and King of Bohemia. A member of the Habsburg family, he was the second son of Emperor Ferdinand III and his first wife, Maria Anna of Spain. His maternal grandparents were Philip III of Spain and Margaret of Austria...
and his third wife, Eleonore Magdalena of the Palatinate-Neuburg, thus strengthening the alliance with Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
.
The series of unsuccessful campaigns that ensued, ultimately terminated in a favourable peace with 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...
in 1713 and with Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
in 1715.
His long reign was characterized by a strengthening of the king's power due to the incomes the crown earned by exploring the newly found gold and diamond mines in Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
. A fifth of each ton extracted from these mines were crown property, the rest being divided among claim owners, contractors and public administrators. This sudden wealth enabled the king to rule without summoning the Cortes, thus becoming an absolute monarch. Due to his centralistic ruling, he had to endure the political opposition of several noble families and influential clergymen. In what most probably was an effort to tame the upper nobility, John V built his own Versailles
Versailles
Versailles , a city renowned for its château, the Palace of Versailles, was the de facto capital of the kingdom of France for over a century, from 1682 to 1789. It is now a wealthy suburb of Paris and remains an important administrative and judicial centre...
, the grand Royal Palace of Mafra
Mafra National Palace
The Mafra National Palace is a monumental Baroque and Italianized Neoclassical palace-monastery located in Mafra, Portugal, some 28 kilometres from Lisbon. Its dimensions are so huge that it dwarfs the city...
.
John V was the greatest patron of the arts in the Europe of his time. The Portuguese Empire was then extremely rich – Portugal collected more gold from the newly found Brazilian mines over a few decades than Spain took from the remaining of Central and South America over 400 years; there were also the very productive diamond and precious gemstone mines that kept the royal coffers full. With this endless supply of money he bought some of the greatest art collections that were available at the time – at a point, in one single occasion, over 80 paintings by great Italian masters were taken in to the royal palace in Lisbon. The music library, already the greatest in the world, was enlarged as was the royal library and other libraries in the country. The King insisted his ambassadors would keep him informed about the state of the arts in foreign countries and would buy only the best from the most reputable artists of the time. Unfortunately most of the great collections amassed by John V and the Portuguese aristocracy, along with the vast majority of the city of Lisbon were suddenly destroyed by the great earthquake of 1755
1755 Lisbon earthquake
The 1755 Lisbon earthquake, also known as the Great Lisbon Earthquake, was a megathrust earthquake that took place on Saturday 1 November 1755, at around 9:40 in the morning. The earthquake was followed by fires and a tsunami, which almost totally destroyed Lisbon in the Kingdom of Portugal, and...
followed by a tsunami
Tsunami
A tsunami is a series of water waves caused by the displacement of a large volume of a body of water, typically an ocean or a large lake...
and fire.
John V used much of the crown's treasure to develop Portugal's economy (creating new manufactures all over the country), to patronise the arts and intellectuals (Royal academies were founded), and to advance his country's prestige among its European neighbors after the Crisis of Succession and short-lived union with Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
(1640). His foreign policy followed two simple and unaltered rules: political neutrality in European conflicts and constant negotiations with the Vatican
Holy See
The Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Catholic Church in Rome, in which its Bishop is commonly known as the Pope. It is the preeminent episcopal see of the Catholic Church, forming the central government of the Church. As such, diplomatically, and in other spheres the Holy See acts and...
in order to be recognised as a lawful monarch. To this end, he spent heavily in bribes to church officials and embassies to the Pope.
His negotiations with the Vatican gained the recognition of Portugal as a lawful sovereign country by Pope Benedict XIV
Pope Benedict XIV
Pope Benedict XIV , born Prospero Lorenzo Lambertini, was Pope from 17 August 1740 to 3 May 1758.-Life:...
in 1748 and the title "Most Faithful King" bestowed upon him and his successors by a bull. Six years before receiving this title, John suffered a stroke, which left him partially paralysed and unable to intervene in political affairs. His last years of life were dedicated to religious activities. His early economic measures, which were unpopular among the upper nobility, became ineffective, and public affairs were so dependent on John's rule that they became almost inoperative. John V died on July 31, 1750 in Lisbon
Lisbon
Lisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...
, and was succeeded by his son Prince Joseph.
Ancestry
Marriages and descendants
John married Archduchess Maria Anna of AustriaMaria Anna of Austria
Archduchess Maria Anna of Austria , was Electress of Bavaria as the spouse of Maximilian I, Elector of Bavaria. She also served as Regent of Bavaria during the minority of her son...
, daughter of Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor
Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor
| style="float:right;" | Leopold I was a Holy Roman Emperor, King of Hungary and King of Bohemia. A member of the Habsburg family, he was the second son of Emperor Ferdinand III and his first wife, Maria Anna of Spain. His maternal grandparents were Philip III of Spain and Margaret of Austria...
, his first cousin, in 1708. From that marriage were born six children, three of them survived childhood. Outside his marriage John had four illegitimate children, the beautiful Maria Rita ("Flower of Murta") and the three children of Palhavã
Children of Palhavã
The children of Palhavã were three male natural sons of King John V of Portugal , which were recognised by the monarch in a document issued in 1742, which was published only after the death of the king, in 1752....
.
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;"
|- bgcolor=cccccc
!Name!!Birth!!Death!!Notes
|-
|colspan=4|By Maria Anna of Austria
Maria Anna of Austria
Archduchess Maria Anna of Austria , was Electress of Bavaria as the spouse of Maximilian I, Elector of Bavaria. She also served as Regent of Bavaria during the minority of her son...
(September 7, 1683-August 14, 1754; married on June 10, 1708)
|-
|Barbara of Portugal||December 4, 1711||August 27, 1758||Princess of Brazil (1711–1712). Married to Ferdinand VI of Spain
Ferdinand VI of Spain
Ferdinand VI , called the Learnt, was King of Spain from 9 July 1746 until his death. He was the fourth son of the previous monarch Philip V and his first wife Maria Luisa of Savoy...
.
|-
|Peter of Portugal||October 19, 1712||October 29, 1714||Prince of Brazil and 14th 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...
|-
|Joseph I of Portugal||June 6, 1714||February 24, 1777||Prince of Brazil from 1714. Succeeded him as 25th (or 26th according to some historians) King of Portugal.
|-
|Carlos of Portugal||May 2, 1716||March 30, 1730||
|-
|Peter III of Portugal
Peter III of Portugal
Peter III became King of the Kingdom of Portugal and the Algarves by the accession of his wife and niece Queen Maria I in 1777, and co-reigned alongside her until his death.-Biography:...
||July 5, 1717||May 25, 1786||Married Queen Maria I of Portugal
Maria I of Portugal
Maria I was Queen regnant of Portugal and the Algarves from 1777 until her death. Known as Maria the Pious , or Maria the Mad , she was the first undisputed Queen regnant of Portugal...
and became King-consort as Peter III.
|-
|Alexandre of Portugal||September 24, 1723||August 2, 1728||
|-
|colspan=4|By Luísa Clara de Portugal (1712-?)
|-
|Maria Rita of Braganza||c. 1731||1808||Known as the Flower of Murta
Murta
Murta may refer to*Murta , a quarter of the Italian city Genoa*Murta, a village in Dobreşti Commune, Dolj County, Romania*Clinogyne dichotoma, a plant known in Bengali as the murta*Ugni molinae, a Chilean shrub known in Spanish as the murta...
.
|-
|colspan=4|By Madalena Máxima de Miranda (c. 1690-?)
|-
|Gaspar of Braganza||October 8, 1716||January 18, 1789||Natural son. Archbishop
Archbishop
An archbishop is a bishop of higher rank, but not of higher sacramental order above that of the three orders of deacon, priest , and bishop...
of Braga
Braga
Braga , a city in the Braga Municipality in northwestern Portugal, is the capital of the Braga District, the oldest archdiocese and the third major city of the country. Braga is the oldest Portuguese city and one of the oldest Christian cities in the World...
. One of the three children of Palhavã
Children of Palhavã
The children of Palhavã were three male natural sons of King John V of Portugal , which were recognised by the monarch in a document issued in 1742, which was published only after the death of the king, in 1752....
|-
|colspan=4|By Mother Paula de Odivelas (c. 1690-?)
|-
|Joseph of Braganza||September 8, 1720||July 31, 1801||Natural son. General-Inquisitor
Inquisition
The Inquisition, Inquisitio Haereticae Pravitatis , was the "fight against heretics" by several institutions within the justice-system of the Roman Catholic Church. It started in the 12th century, with the introduction of torture in the persecution of heresy...
of the Kingdom of Portugal and the Algarves. One of the three children of Palhavã
Children of Palhavã
The children of Palhavã were three male natural sons of King John V of Portugal , which were recognised by the monarch in a document issued in 1742, which was published only after the death of the king, in 1752....
|-
|colspan=4|Other offspring
|-
|António of Braganza||October 1, 1704||August 14, 1800||Natural son and one of the three children of Palhavã
Children of Palhavã
The children of Palhavã were three male natural sons of King John V of Portugal , which were recognised by the monarch in a document issued in 1742, which was published only after the death of the king, in 1752....
|}