Álvaro Pires de Castro
Encyclopedia
Álvaro Pires de Castro was a powerful Galician
-Portuguese
nobleman, stem of the Portuguese branch of the House of Castro
. He was the first Count of Viana (da Foz do Lima)
, the first Count of Arraiolos
and the first Constable of Portugal
.
nobleman Pedro Fernández de Castro
(o da Guerra) and his mistress Mayor Leguizamon. As a result, he was the half-brother of the powerful Galician nobleman Fernando Ruiz de Castro
(de toda a lealdade de España), the Castilian queen Juana de Castro (wife of King Peter of Castile) and the controversial D. Inês de Castro
, mistress and consort of King Peter I of Portugal
.
The Galician Castro
family had strong connections to the Kingdom of Portugal
, to which they were intermittently exiled. Inês de Castro
came to Portugal in 1340, in the capacity of a maid to Constance of Peñafiel
. But Constance's husband, Infante Peter
, fell in love with the young Inês, and carried on openly with her, much to the scandal of the Portuguese court. Peter's father, King Afonso IV of Portugal
had tried to banish her, but to no avail. Inês brother, Álvaro Pires de Castro, came to Portugal sometime in the 1340s, and ingratiated himself in the company of Infante Peter. The influence of Álvaro and other exiled Galician-Castilian nobles upon Infante Peter alarmed Afonso IV, who feared they might drag Portugal into the internal quarrels of neighboring Castile
, part of which were orchestrated by their half-brother Fernando Ruiz de Castro
. At length, when it became clear that the Castros were pushing Infante Peter to declare himself pretender to the throne of Castile-Leon, Afonso IV authorized the assassination of Inês de Castro in 1355.
This setback to the Castros was quickly reversed in 1357, when Afonso IV died and Infante Peter ascended to the throne as King Peter I of Portugal
. Álvaro Pires de Castro was once again in the saddle, and quickly became one of the most influential men in Peter I's court and one of most powerful men in the kingdom. At Peter I death in 1367, his son (from Constance) ascended as King Ferdinand I of Portugal
, but the succession was contested by other parties. With the resolution of 1371, Álvaro Pires de Castro was settled by Ferdinand I in Portugal with the title of Count of Viana (da Foz do Lima)
. His power only grew from there. Álvaro Pires de Castro, his grown son Pedro de Castro and his nephews (Inês's surviving sons) John and Denis, formed a powerful clique in Ferdinand's kingdom, at first in alliance with the powerful queen Leonor Telles de Menezes
, but gradually distanced himself from her.
Ferdinand I went on to appoint Álvaro Pires de Castro as the first Count of Arraiolos
in 1377. During the 1381-82 Luso-Castilian war, Álvaro Pires de Castro was chief commander of the king's army. In 1382, Ferdinand I created the position of Constable of Portugal
(leader of the Portuguese nobility) and named Álvaro Pires de Castro as its first holder. He was also alcaide-mor of Lisbon
for a spell and held the lordships of Cadaval
and other lands.
When the 1383–1385 Crisis
broke out with the death of Ferdinand in 1383, Álvaro Pires de Castro broke openly with the queen-regent Leonor Telles de Menezes
and tried to secure the succession of his nephews. His relationship with John, Master of Aviz
was ambivalent. He originally supported the revolt against the queen, but distanced himself when John proved too indulgent with the towns and unlikely to support the succession of the Castro nephews. Nonetheless, his children Afonso de Castro and Brites de Castro and his daughter-in-law Leonor de Menezes (wife of Pedro de Castro) appear in contemporary records as members of John of Aviz's household, and his grandsons would emerge as significant figures during his reign as John I of Portugal
.
Álvaro Pires de Castro died in July, 1384, and he was buried in a tomb alongside his wife in the monastery of São Domingos of Lisbon
. After his death, the regent John of Aviz nominated his own lieutenant Nuno Álvares Pereira
as the second constable of Portugal
and Count of Arraiolos
.
Kingdom of Galicia
The Kingdom of Galicia was a political entity located in southwestern Europe, which at its territorial zenith occupied the entire northwest of the Iberian Peninsula. Founded by Suebic king Hermeric in the year 409, the Galician capital was established in Braga, being the first kingdom which...
-Portuguese
Kingdom of Portugal
The Kingdom of Portugal was Portugal's general designation under the monarchy. The kingdom was located in the west of the Iberian Peninsula, Europe and existed from 1139 to 1910...
nobleman, stem of the Portuguese branch of the House of Castro
House of Castro
The House of Castro, is believed to have had its origins in Castile, the name deriving from the town of Castrogeriz , and had deep branches in Galicia.-Origins and Brief History:...
. He was the first Count of Viana (da Foz do Lima)
Count of Viana (da Foz do Lima)
Count of Viana was a Portuguese title of nobility granted to Álvaro Pires de Castro, brother of Inês de Castro, granted by King Ferdinand I of Portugal on June 1, 1371. D. Álvaro was already 1st. Count of Arraiolos and 1st...
, the first Count of Arraiolos
Count of Arraiolos
Count of Arraiolos is a Portuguese title granted, in 1377 by King Fernando I of Portugal, to Dom Álvaro Pires de Castro, a galician noble, brother of Inês de Castro...
and the first Constable of Portugal
Constable of Portugal
Constable of Portugal or Constable of the Kingdom was a title created by the King of Portugal Ferdinand I in 1382, to substitute the title Alferes Mór do Reino. The constable was the second most powerful person in the kingdom, after the King of Portugal...
.
Background
Álvaro Pires de Castro (sometimes written as "Peres de Castro" or "Pérez de Castro") was the illegitimate son of the powerful GalicianKingdom of Galicia
The Kingdom of Galicia was a political entity located in southwestern Europe, which at its territorial zenith occupied the entire northwest of the Iberian Peninsula. Founded by Suebic king Hermeric in the year 409, the Galician capital was established in Braga, being the first kingdom which...
nobleman Pedro Fernández de Castro
Pedro Fernández de Castro
Pedro Fernández de Castro , nicknamed o da Guerra , was a powerful Galician noble and military figure of the House of Castro, descended by illegitimate lines from the kings of Castile-Leon-Galicia...
(o da Guerra) and his mistress Mayor Leguizamon. As a result, he was the half-brother of the powerful Galician nobleman Fernando Ruiz de Castro
Fernando Ruiz de Castro
Fernando Ruiz de Castro , nicknamed toda a lealdade de España , was a Galician nobleman of the House of Castro and prominent military figure. He was the third Count of Lemos, Trastámara and Sarria....
(de toda a lealdade de España), the Castilian queen Juana de Castro (wife of King Peter of Castile) and the controversial D. Inês de Castro
Inês de Castro
Inês Peres de Castro was a Galician noblewoman born of a Portuguese mother...
, mistress and consort of King Peter I of Portugal
Peter I of Portugal
Peter I , called the Just , was the eighth King of Portugal and the Algarve from 1357 until his death. He was the third but only surviving son of Afonso IV of Portugal and his wife, princess Beatrice of Castile....
.
The Galician Castro
House of Castro
The House of Castro, is believed to have had its origins in Castile, the name deriving from the town of Castrogeriz , and had deep branches in Galicia.-Origins and Brief History:...
family had strong connections to the Kingdom of Portugal
Kingdom of Portugal
The Kingdom of Portugal was Portugal's general designation under the monarchy. The kingdom was located in the west of the Iberian Peninsula, Europe and existed from 1139 to 1910...
, to which they were intermittently exiled. Inês de Castro
Inês de Castro
Inês Peres de Castro was a Galician noblewoman born of a Portuguese mother...
came to Portugal in 1340, in the capacity of a maid to Constance of Peñafiel
Constance of Penafiel
Constance of Peñafiel or Constance Manuel of Castile was the daughter of Juan Manuel, Prince of Villena , called "el escritor" , Duke of Peñafiel, and his second wife Constance of Aragon, a daughter of James II of Aragon...
. But Constance's husband, Infante Peter
Peter I of Portugal
Peter I , called the Just , was the eighth King of Portugal and the Algarve from 1357 until his death. He was the third but only surviving son of Afonso IV of Portugal and his wife, princess Beatrice of Castile....
, fell in love with the young Inês, and carried on openly with her, much to the scandal of the Portuguese court. Peter's father, King Afonso IV of Portugal
Afonso IV of Portugal
Afonso IV , called the Brave , was the seventh king of Portugal and the Algarve from 1325 until his death. He was the only legitimate son of King Denis of Portugal by his wife Elizabeth of Aragon.-Biography:...
had tried to banish her, but to no avail. Inês brother, Álvaro Pires de Castro, came to Portugal sometime in the 1340s, and ingratiated himself in the company of Infante Peter. The influence of Álvaro and other exiled Galician-Castilian nobles upon Infante Peter alarmed Afonso IV, who feared they might drag Portugal into the internal quarrels of neighboring Castile
Crown of Castile
The Crown of Castile was a medieval and modern state in the Iberian Peninsula that formed in 1230 as a result of the third and definitive union of the crowns and parliaments of the kingdoms of Castile and León upon the accession of the then King Ferdinand III of Castile to the vacant Leonese throne...
, part of which were orchestrated by their half-brother Fernando Ruiz de Castro
Fernando Ruiz de Castro
Fernando Ruiz de Castro , nicknamed toda a lealdade de España , was a Galician nobleman of the House of Castro and prominent military figure. He was the third Count of Lemos, Trastámara and Sarria....
. At length, when it became clear that the Castros were pushing Infante Peter to declare himself pretender to the throne of Castile-Leon, Afonso IV authorized the assassination of Inês de Castro in 1355.
This setback to the Castros was quickly reversed in 1357, when Afonso IV died and Infante Peter ascended to the throne as King Peter I of Portugal
Peter I of Portugal
Peter I , called the Just , was the eighth King of Portugal and the Algarve from 1357 until his death. He was the third but only surviving son of Afonso IV of Portugal and his wife, princess Beatrice of Castile....
. Álvaro Pires de Castro was once again in the saddle, and quickly became one of the most influential men in Peter I's court and one of most powerful men in the kingdom. At Peter I death in 1367, his son (from Constance) ascended as King Ferdinand I of Portugal
Ferdinand I of Portugal
Ferdinand I , sometimes referred to as the Handsome or rarely as the Inconstant , was the ninth King of Portugal and the Algarve, the second son of Peter I and his wife, Constance of Castile...
, but the succession was contested by other parties. With the resolution of 1371, Álvaro Pires de Castro was settled by Ferdinand I in Portugal with the title of Count of Viana (da Foz do Lima)
Count of Viana (da Foz do Lima)
Count of Viana was a Portuguese title of nobility granted to Álvaro Pires de Castro, brother of Inês de Castro, granted by King Ferdinand I of Portugal on June 1, 1371. D. Álvaro was already 1st. Count of Arraiolos and 1st...
. His power only grew from there. Álvaro Pires de Castro, his grown son Pedro de Castro and his nephews (Inês's surviving sons) John and Denis, formed a powerful clique in Ferdinand's kingdom, at first in alliance with the powerful queen Leonor Telles de Menezes
Leonor Telles de Menezes
Leonor Telles de Menezes was a queen consort of Portugal and regent during the years 1383–1385. She was the wife of a Portuguese nobleman from whom she was forcibly divorced by King Ferdinand I, who afterward married her...
, but gradually distanced himself from her.
Ferdinand I went on to appoint Álvaro Pires de Castro as the first Count of Arraiolos
Count of Arraiolos
Count of Arraiolos is a Portuguese title granted, in 1377 by King Fernando I of Portugal, to Dom Álvaro Pires de Castro, a galician noble, brother of Inês de Castro...
in 1377. During the 1381-82 Luso-Castilian war, Álvaro Pires de Castro was chief commander of the king's army. In 1382, Ferdinand I created the position of Constable of Portugal
Constable of Portugal
Constable of Portugal or Constable of the Kingdom was a title created by the King of Portugal Ferdinand I in 1382, to substitute the title Alferes Mór do Reino. The constable was the second most powerful person in the kingdom, after the King of Portugal...
(leader of the Portuguese nobility) and named Álvaro Pires de Castro as its first holder. He was also alcaide-mor of 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...
for a spell and held the lordships of Cadaval
Cadaval
Cadaval is a municipality in Portugal with a total area of 174.9 km² and a total population of 14,385 inhabitants.The municipality is composed of 10 parishes, and is located in Lisbon District....
and other lands.
When the 1383–1385 Crisis
1383–1385 Crisis
The 1383–1385 Crisis was a period of civil war in Portuguese history that began with the death of King Ferdinand I of Portugal, who left no male heirs, and ended with the accession to the throne of King John I in 1385, in the wake of the Battle of Aljubarrota.In Portugal, this period is also known...
broke out with the death of Ferdinand in 1383, Álvaro Pires de Castro broke openly with the queen-regent Leonor Telles de Menezes
Leonor Telles de Menezes
Leonor Telles de Menezes was a queen consort of Portugal and regent during the years 1383–1385. She was the wife of a Portuguese nobleman from whom she was forcibly divorced by King Ferdinand I, who afterward married her...
and tried to secure the succession of his nephews. His relationship with John, Master of Aviz
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...
was ambivalent. He originally supported the revolt against the queen, but distanced himself when John proved too indulgent with the towns and unlikely to support the succession of the Castro nephews. Nonetheless, his children Afonso de Castro and Brites de Castro and his daughter-in-law Leonor de Menezes (wife of Pedro de Castro) appear in contemporary records as members of John of Aviz's household, and his grandsons would emerge as significant figures during his reign as 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...
.
Álvaro Pires de Castro died in July, 1384, and he was buried in a tomb alongside his wife in the monastery of São Domingos of 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...
. After his death, the regent John of Aviz nominated his own lieutenant Nuno Álvares Pereira
Nuno Álvares Pereira
Dom Nuno Álvares Pereira, O. Carm. , also spelled Nun'Álvares Pereira, was a Portuguese general of great success who had a decisive role in the 1383-1385 Crisis that assured Portugal's independence from Castile...
as the second constable of Portugal
Constable of Portugal
Constable of Portugal or Constable of the Kingdom was a title created by the King of Portugal Ferdinand I in 1382, to substitute the title Alferes Mór do Reino. The constable was the second most powerful person in the kingdom, after the King of Portugal...
and Count of Arraiolos
Count of Arraiolos
Count of Arraiolos is a Portuguese title granted, in 1377 by King Fernando I of Portugal, to Dom Álvaro Pires de Castro, a galician noble, brother of Inês de Castro...
.
Descendants
Álvaro Pires de Castro married Maria Ponce de Leon (daughter of Pedro Ponce de León, Lord of Marchena) around 1340. They had the following children:- D. Pedro de Castro, Lord of Cadaval
- D. Isabel of Castro, wife of Pedro Enriquez of Castile, Count of Trastamara
- D. Afonso de Castro, Lord of Castro Verde.
- D. Elvira de Castro
- D. Brites de Castro, wife of Pedro Nuñez de Lara, Count of Mayorga