Afonso IV of Portugal facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Afonso IV |
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Afonso as depicted in an effigy on his seal
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| King of Portugal | |
| Reign | 7 January 1325 – 28 May 1357 |
| Predecessor | Denis |
| Successor | Peter I |
| Born | 8 February 1291 Lisbon, Kingdom of Portugal |
| Died | 28 May 1357 (aged 66) Lisbon, Kingdom of Portugal |
| Burial | Lisbon Cathedral, Portugal |
| Spouse | |
| Issue | |
| House | Burgundy |
| Father | Denis of Portugal |
| Mother | Elizabeth of Aragon |
| Religion | Catholic |
Afonso IV (born 8 February 1291, died 28 May 1357) was a king of Portugal. He was known as Afonso the Brave. He ruled Portugal from 1325 until his death in 1357. Afonso was the only official son of King Denis of Portugal and Elizabeth of Aragon.
Contents
Early Life and Becoming King
Afonso was born in Lisbon. He was the rightful heir to the Portuguese throne. However, his father, King Denis, preferred another son, Afonso Sanches. This caused a big rivalry between the two half-brothers. Their disagreements sometimes even led to civil war.
On 7 January 1325, Afonso IV's father died. Afonso then became the new king. He sent his rival, Afonso Sanches, away to Castile. He also took back all the lands his father had given to Afonso Sanches. From Castile, Afonso Sanches tried to take the crown several times. After some failed attempts to invade Portugal, the brothers finally signed a peace treaty. Afonso IV's mother, Elizabeth, helped them make peace.
In 1309, Afonso married Beatrice of Castile. She was the daughter of King Sancho IV of Castile. Their first child was a daughter named Maria.
King of Portugal and Algarve
In 1325, the King of Castile, Alfonso XI of Castile, married a young girl named Constanza Manuel. She was the daughter of one of his guardians. Two years later, he ended that marriage. He wanted to marry Afonso's daughter, Maria of Portugal, instead.
Maria became Queen of Castile in 1328 when she married Alfonso XI. Soon after, Alfonso XI became publicly involved with another woman. Constanza was held in a castle. Her father, Don Juan Manuel, started a war against Alfonso XI. Eventually, they made peace. Constanza was then released from the castle.
Because of the way his daughter Maria was treated, Afonso IV arranged a marriage for his own son and heir, Peter I of Portugal. Peter married Constanza, the Castilian princess who had been treated badly. After this, Afonso started a war against Castile. Peace came four years later, thanks to his daughter Maria's help.
A year after the peace treaty, Portuguese soldiers played a big part in a major battle. They helped defeat the Moors at the Battle of Río Salado in October 1340.
Later Years and Challenges
The last part of Afonso IV's rule was filled with political drama. Castile was having its own civil war after King Alfonso XI died. A man named Henry of Trastámara challenged the new King Peter of Castile. This caused many Castilian nobles to seek safety in Portugal.
Afonso's son, Peter, fell in love with Inês de Castro. She was a lady-in-waiting to Peter's wife, Constanza. Inês came from an important noble family. Her brothers were connected to the Trastamara group. They became very close to Peter. This made many people at the Portuguese court unhappy.
When Constanza died after having her third child, Peter started living openly with Inês. He recognized all her children as his own. He also refused to marry anyone else. His father, Afonso, did not want to go to war again with Castile. He hoped Peter's strong feelings for Inês would pass. He tried to arrange another royal marriage for Peter.
As years went by, the situation got worse. The aging Afonso found it harder to control his court. His grandson, Ferdinand I of Portugal, who was Peter's only official son, was often sick. Meanwhile, Inês's children were growing up strong. Afonso worried about his grandson's life. He also worried about Castile's growing influence in Portugal.
In 1355, Afonso ordered Inês de Castro to be imprisoned. Then, he ordered her to be killed. He hoped his son would finally agree to marry a princess. But Peter became furious when he learned of Inês's death. Peter led an army and caused destruction in the northern part of the country. Eventually, he made peace with his father in early 1357. Afonso died soon after, in Lisbon, in May.
Afonso IV's nickname, the Brave, refers to his skills in battle. However, his most important achievements were the peace Portugal had during his long rule. He also strongly supported the Portuguese Navy. Afonso provided money to build a good trading fleet. He also ordered the first Portuguese sea explorations. The conflict with Peter and the explorations Afonso started later became part of Portugal's national epic poem, Os Lusíadas.
The dramatic story of Afonso, Peter, and Inês has been told in many operas, ballets, plays, and poems.
Marriage and Children
On 12 September 1309, Afonso married Beatrice of Castile. She was the daughter of Sancho IV of Castile. They had four sons and three daughters:
- Maria of Portugal, Queen of Castile (1313 – 18 January 1357). She was the wife of Alfonso XI of Castile. She was also the mother of the future King Peter of Castile.
- Afonso (1315–1317). He died as a baby.
- Denis (born 12 February 1317). He died a few months after birth.
- Peter I of Portugal (8 April 1320 – 18 January 1367). He was the first son to survive childhood. He became king after his father. When his wife, Constanza, died in 1345, Beatrice helped raise their two children, Maria and Ferdinand I. Ferdinand later became king.
- Isabel (21 December 1324 – 11 July 1326). She died as a toddler.
- John (23 September 1326 – 21 June 1327). He died as a baby.
- Eleanor of Portugal, Queen of Aragon (1328–1348). She married King Peter IV of Aragon in November 1347. She died a year later from the Black Death.
Images for kids
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A robot for kids.
See Also
In Spanish: Alfonso IV de Portugal para niños
