Afonso III of Portugal facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Afonso III |
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Effigy on a coin
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| King of Portugal | |
| Reign | 4 January 1248 – 16 February 1279 |
| Predecessor | Sancho II |
| Successor | Denis |
| jure uxoris Count of Boulogne | |
| Reign | 1238 – January 1248 |
| Co-ruler | Matilda II |
| Born | 5 May 1210 Coimbra, Kingdom of Portugal |
| Died | 16 February 1279 (aged 68) Alcobaça, Kingdom of Portugal |
| Burial | Monastery of Alcobaça, Alcobaça, District of Leiria, Portugal |
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| House | Burgundy |
| Father | Afonso II of Portugal |
| Mother | Urraca of Castile |
| Religion | Catholic |
Afonso III (born May 5, 1210, died February 16, 1279) was a very important King of Portugal. He was known as "the Boulonnais" because he was also a count in France. Afonso III was the first king to use the title "King of Portugal and the Algarve" starting in 1249. He was the second son of King Afonso II of Portugal and Urraca of Castile. He became king after his older brother, Sancho II of Portugal, passed away in 1248.
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Early Life of Afonso III
Afonso was born in the city of Coimbra, Portugal. Since he was the second son, he wasn't expected to become king. His older brother, Sancho, was supposed to inherit the throne.
Afonso spent a lot of his early life in France. In 1238, he married Matilda, who was the heiress of Boulogne. This marriage made him the Count of Boulogne and other areas in France.
Becoming King of Portugal
By 1246, there were big problems between Afonso's brother, King Sancho II, and the Church. The situation became very difficult. In 1247, Pope Innocent IV decided that Sancho II should no longer be king. The Pope ordered Afonso, who was then the Count of Boulogne, to take his brother's place.
Afonso accepted the Pope's order and traveled to Portugal. King Sancho was not very popular, so it was not hard for Afonso to take over. Sancho went into exile in Spain and died in 1248. Before he was officially crowned, Afonso used the title "Overseer, Curator, and Defender of the Kingdom."
To become the full King of Portugal, Afonso gave up his rights to the county of Boulogne in 1248. In 1253, he ended his marriage with Matilda. Later that same year, he married Beatrice of Castile, who was the daughter of Alfonso X, King of Castile.
Afonso's Reign and Changes
Afonso III learned from his brother's mistakes. He paid close attention to the needs of the middle class, which included merchants and small landowners.
In 1254, King Afonso III held the first meeting of the Cortes in Leiria. This was a big assembly that included not only the nobility and church leaders but also representatives from the middle class and all the cities. This was a very modern idea for his time.
He also created new laws to stop the powerful upper classes from treating the common people unfairly. Afonso III is remembered as a great leader and administrator. He started many new towns, gave the title of "city" to several places, and improved how the government worked.
Afonso had a very forward-thinking vision for his time. Some of his important actions included:
- Allowing common people to be part of the government, alongside the nobility and clergy.
- Ending arrests without a judge's approval. From then on, all arrests had to be presented to a judge first.
- Finding new ways to collect taxes, like working with merchants and directly taxing the Church.
These changes helped Portugal grow stronger.
Expanding the Kingdom
Once he was secure on the throne, Afonso III focused on fighting the Muslim communities that were still in the south of Portugal. During his rule, the Algarve region became part of the Kingdom of Portugal after he captured the city of Faro. This was a major achievement for Portugal.
Final Years and Peace
After his success against the Moors, Afonso III had to deal with a border dispute with the neighboring kingdom of Castile. Castile believed that the newly acquired lands in the Algarve should belong to them, not Portugal. This led to some wars between the two kingdoms.
Finally, in 1267, the Treaty of Badajoz (1267) was signed in Badajoz. This treaty set the southern border between Castile and Portugal along the Guadiana River, which is still the border today. This brought peace and stability to the region.
Afonso III passed away in Alcobaça in 1279, at the age of 68.
Family and Children
Afonso III had two wives. His first wife was Matilda II, Countess of Boulogne. They did not have any children who survived.
In 1253, he married Beatrice of Castile. They had several children, including:
- Blanche (born 1259)
- Dinis (born 1261), who became the next King of Portugal.
- Afonso (born 1263)
- Sancha (born 1264)
- Maria (born 1264), who became a nun.
Afonso also had several children outside of his marriages, including:
- Martim Afonso Chichorro
- Urraca Afonso
See Also
In Spanish: Alfonso III de Portugal para niños
