Part 6. The timelines of Portuguese houses Burgundy and Aviz.
House of Burgundy (1139-1383) – Time-line
The Portuguese House of Burgundy, known as the Afonsine Dynasty, was the founding house of the Kingdom of Portugal, founded by Henry, brother of the Duke of Burgundy, who became Count of Portugal in 1096, part of the Kingdom of Galicia. After his death his wife Teresa was defeated by his son Alphonso Henriques, who then declared the independence of Portugal in 1139 after the Battle of Ourique. He established the royal house which would rule Portugal for over two centuries.
When Pedro I's son Ferdinand I died in 1383, a succession crisis occurred and Ferdinand's daughter Beatrice of Portugal was proclaimed queen and her husband John I of Castile proclaimed king by the right of his wife, against the wish of the nobles (“Cortes”) of Coimbra. After their defeat, the House of Aviz under Pedro 1's illegitimate son Joao I ruled from 1385.
House of Aviz (1385-1580) – Time-line
The Portuguese House of Aviz, founded by Joao/John 1 (John the Good) in 1385, was a dynasty of Portuguese origin which flourished during the Renaissance and the period of the Portuguese discoveries, when Portugal expanded its power globally. Joao I married Philippa of Lancaster, daughter of John of Gaunt (who married Constance of Castile), she was also brother to King henry IV and niece of King Richard II. Aviz monarchs would rule Portugal through the Age of Discovery, creating of the Portuguese Empire. In 1494 Pope Alexander VI divided the world under the dominion of Portugal and Spain with the Treaty of Tordesillas.
The House of Aviz has produced numerous prominent figures in both European and global history, including Prince Henry the Navigator, King Manuel I of Portugal, and Holy Roman Empress Isabella of Portugal. The Aviz ruled Portugal from 1385 until 1580, when the Philippine Dynasty succeeded to the throne following the Portuguese Succession Crisis of 1580 and the loss of Sebastian 1 in the Battle of Alcacer Quibir in 1578. His great Uncle Henry was usurped by Philip II of Spain.
Sebastian I is often referred to as The Desired (o Desejado) or The Asleep (o Adormecido), as the Portuguese people longed for his return to end the decline of Portugal that began after his death. He is considered to be the Portuguese example of the “King asleep in mountain legend” as Portuguese tradition states his return, in a foggy dawn, at Portugal's greatest hour of need. The concept of Sebastianismo, that Sebastian will return to save Portugal in its hour of need, has developed as a myth, with intermittent impostors.
Read other parts of this series HERE.
