Treaty of Elvas facts for kids

The Treaty of Elvas was an important peace agreement between the Kingdom of Portugal and the Crown of Castile. It officially ended the Portuguese-Castilian War of 1381-1382.

This treaty was signed on August 10, 1382, in the Portuguese city of Elvas. The kings who signed it were Fernando I of Portugal and John I of Castile. Portugal had just lost a battle, so this treaty helped bring peace.

What the Treaty of Elvas Decided

The Treaty of Elvas set out several key points to end the conflict and change alliances:

• Ending the War: Portugal and Castile agreed to stop fighting and become friendly neighbors again.
• Changing Alliances: Portugal agreed to end its partnership with the Kingdom of England. Instead, Portugal joined the alliance between France and Castile in the big conflict known as the Hundred Years' War.
• Religious Recognition: Portugal decided to support Clement VII, who was known as an "antipope" in Avignon. This meant Portugal joined the side of France and Castile in a religious split called the Western schism.
• A Royal Marriage: To make the alliance stronger, a marriage was planned. The Portuguese princess Beatrice, who was the only daughter of King Fernando I and next in line for the Portuguese throne, was to marry Ferdinand, a prince from Castile and son of King John I.
• Returning Lands and Goods: Castile agreed to give back the Portuguese cities of Almeida and Miranda. They also returned any ships or people they had captured during the war.

Who Helped Make the Treaty

Many important people helped negotiate this treaty. From Portugal, there was Queen Leonor Teles, the Count of Ourém, and Juan de Andeiro, who was the Bishop of Lisbon.

From Castile, key figures included Martinho de Zamora, the Bishop of Coimbra, and Juan Cabeza de Vaca, the Bishop of Guarda. Other important people were Afonso Correa and the lawyer João das Regras.

A special helper in these talks was Pedro de Luna. He was an envoy from Clement VII and acted as a mediator, helping both sides reach an agreement.

The Treaty's Impact

The Treaty of Elvas was a special kind of peace agreement. It was made by Portugal without telling its allies, the English. When the English knights found out about this, they were very angry. They reportedly threw down their helmets and broke them with axes, feeling betrayed.

Soon after, on September 1, 1382, Edmund, Earl of Cambridge, who was leading the English army, left Lisbon with his ships. This treaty meant Portugal was out of the Hundred Years' War for a while.

Later, on April 2, 1383, the terms of the Treaty of Elvas were made even clearer and added to in another agreement called the Treaty of Salvaterra. This new treaty confirmed that Princess Beatrice would marry King John I of Castile himself, not his son Ferdinand.

Sources

• Livermore H.V. History of Portugal. Cambridge: University Press, 1947.
• Livermore H.V. A New History of Portugal. Cambridge: University Press, 1969.
• Costa Gomes, Rita. The making of a court society: kings and nobles in late medieval Portugal. Cambridge University Press, 2003.
• Menéndez Pidal, Ramón. Jover Zamora, José María. Historia de España. Espasa-Calpe, 2007. V. 14. p. 229.
• Suárez Fernández, Luis. Historia del reinado de Juan I de Castilla: Estudio. Universidad Autónoma, 1977. p. 114.