Fernandine Wars facts for kids

An army from Portugal and England (on the right) fighting the French army from Castile. This picture is from a book called Chronique d'Angleterre by Jean de Wavrin.

The Fernandine Wars were three conflicts that happened between 1369 and 1382. These wars were fought between the Kingdom of Portugal and the Crown of Castile.

Portugal was led by King Ferdinand I, and Castile was led by King Henry II and later King John I. The main reason for these wars was that King Ferdinand I of Portugal believed he should be the king of Castile after King Peter of Castile was killed in 1369.

These wars were also part of a much larger conflict called the Hundred Years' War. After the wars ended, Portugal went through a period of civil unrest from 1383 to 1385, where there was no ruling king.

The Treaty of Salvaterra

The Treaty of Salvaterra de Magos was an important agreement signed in 1383. It was made between Portugal and Castile to finally end the Fernandine Wars.

A Royal Marriage and Succession Plans

To celebrate the peace, King Fernando I of Portugal agreed that his daughter, Beatrice of Portugal, would marry King John I of Castile. Beatrice was the only child of King Fernando, so she was expected to become the next ruler of Portugal.

However, King Fernando did not want Portugal and Castile to become one country. So, the treaty set up special rules for who would rule Portugal after he died.

Who Would Rule Portugal?

The treaty said that after King Fernando's death, his wife, Queen Leonor Telles de Menezes, would rule Portugal as a regent. A regent is someone who governs a country when the king or queen is too young or unable to rule.

Queen Leonor would be regent until Beatrice and John's son turned 14 years old. At that age, their son would then become the new King of Portugal. This plan was made to keep Portugal separate from Castile.

Key Points of the Treaty

Here are the main things the Treaty of Salvaterra decided:

• Portugal and Castile could only become one country if the Portuguese parliament (called the Cortes) agreed.
• Beatrice and her husband, John I of Castile, would be recognized as the rulers of Portugal if King Fernando died without any other sons. John would be a king consort, meaning he ruled alongside his wife.
• The children of Beatrice and John would be next in line to rule Portugal.
• If Beatrice died without children before her husband, John I of Castile and his children from his first marriage could become rulers of Portugal. But the Portuguese people had to accept him as their king.
• Queen Leonor Telles de Menezes would remain the regent if King Fernando died without other heirs, and until Beatrice's son was 14 years old.

Challenging the Treaty

Later, in 1385, there was a famous meeting in Coimbra. A lawyer named João das Regras, who supported John Master of Aviz (another person who wanted to be king of Portugal), argued that the Treaty of Salvaterra had been broken. He said that because of this, Beatrice and John I of Castile should not be allowed to rule Portugal.