Peter I of Portugal facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Peter I
Recumbent effigy on the tomb of King Peter I (c. 1360), Alcobaça Monastery
King of Portugal
Reign	28 May 1357 – 18 January 1367
Predecessor	Afonso IV
Successor	Ferdinand I
Born	(1320-04-08)8 April 1320 Coimbra, Portugal
Died	18 January 1367(1367-01-18) (aged 46) Estremoz, Portugal
Burial	Alcobaça Monastery
Spouse	Constanza Manuel ​ ​ (m. 1340; died 1349)​ Inês de Castro ​ ​ (m. 1354; died 1355)​
Issue among others...	Maria, Marchioness of Tortosa Ferdinand I, King of Portugal John, Duke of Valencia de Campos Denis, Lord of Cifuentes Beatrice, Countess of Albuquerque (ill.) John I, King of Portugal
House	Burgundy
Father	Afonso IV of Portugal
Mother	Beatrice of Castile

Peter I (Portuguese: Pedro I), born on 8 April 1320, was the King of Portugal from 1357 until he died in 1367. He is known by two nicknames: the Just (o Justiceiro) because he loved fairness, and the Cruel (o Cruel) for his harsh punishments.

Early Life of Peter I

Peter was born in Coimbra, Portugal. He was the fifth child of King Afonso IV and Queen Beatrice. Only two of his six siblings, his sisters Maria and Eleonor, lived past infancy.

At just six years old, Peter received his own small group of helpers. This included his butler and his teacher, Lopo Fernandes Pacheco.

First Marriage Plan

In 1327, there were plans for Peter to marry Blanche of Castile. She was the granddaughter of Sancho IV of Castile. Peter's sister Maria was also planned to marry the future Alfonso XI of Castile.

Since Peter and Blanche were very young, their marriage had to wait. Blanche came to Portugal to be raised there. However, after eight years, she showed signs of being unwell and was not considered suitable for marriage. Doctors confirmed her mental health issues, and so Peter never married Blanche.

Peter's First Marriage

In 1328, Peter's older sister, Maria, married Alfonso XI of Castile. But King Alfonso soon started a relationship with another woman, Leonor de Guzman. Maria had a son with Alfonso in 1334, who later became Peter of Castile. However, Maria returned to Portugal in 1335 because Alfonso would not end his affair.

Alfonso had been married before to Constanza Manuel. He ended that marriage to marry Maria. This made Constanza's father, Juan Manuel, Prince of Villena, very angry. Juan Manuel was a powerful noble in Castile.

To make peace, King Afonso of Portugal arranged for his son Peter to marry Constanza Manuel. When Constanza arrived in Portugal in 1340, she brought her lady-in-waiting, Inês de Castro. Inês came from an important family with some royal connections.

Peter and Inês de Castro

Peter quickly fell in love with Inês de Castro. They began a secret relationship that lasted for many years. Constanza, Peter's wife, died in 1349 after giving birth.

After Constanza's death, King Afonso sent Inês away from the royal court. Peter refused to marry any other princesses his father suggested. He wanted to marry Inês, but his father would not allow it. Peter and Inês then began living together in secret.

During this time, Peter gave important jobs to Inês's brothers, who had been sent away from the Castilian court. They became Peter's closest advisors. This worried King Afonso. He feared that after his death, a civil war might start in Portugal. He also worried that the Portuguese throne might fall under Castilian influence because of Inês's family.

Peter claimed he had married Inês against his father's wishes. In 1355, King Afonso sent three men to find Inês. They found her at the Monastery of Santa Clara-a-Velha in Coimbra and killed her.

Peter was furious and rebelled against his father. King Afonso defeated his son within a year. However, the king died shortly after, and Peter became king in 1357. The story of Peter and Inês has inspired many writers and artists over the centuries.

Peter's Reign as King

Peter ruled Portugal for ten years. He is sometimes confused with his nephew, who was also named Peter and had similar nicknames.

The historian Fernão Lopes called Peter "the Just." He said that the Portuguese king loved fairness and enjoyed giving out justice himself. Inês's killers received his harshest punishment. The three men had escaped to Castile. But Peter arranged for them to be sent back to Portugal in exchange for some Castilian fugitives.

In 1361, King Peter held a public trial for two of the killers, Pêro Coelho and Álvaro Gonçalves. After finding them guilty of Inês's murder, the king personally executed them. The third killer, Diogo Lopes Pacheco, escaped and died many years later.

Peter had Inês's body moved from her burial place in Coimbra to Alcobaça. She was reburied in the royal monastery. Peter ordered two tombs to be built, one for himself and one for Inês. They were placed facing each other. This was so they would see each other when they rose at the Last Judgment. The tombs have the words "Até o fim do mundo..." ("Until the end of the world...") carved into the marble.

Peter was also the father of Ferdinand I of Portugal and John I of Portugal. John later became the leader of the military order of Avis. He founded the Avis dynasty after a big political crisis in Portugal between 1383 and 1385.

Family and Children

See also

• Quinta das Lágrimas
• Chronicle of the King D. Pedro I (by Fernão Lopes)