Alfons III (Portugal)

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King Alfonso III from Portugal

Alfons III called the Restorer ( Portuguese Dom Afonso III , o Bolonhês ) (* May 5, 1210 in Coimbra , † February 16, 1279 in Lisbon ) was the fifth king of Portugal from the House of Burgundy .

Life

Alfons III was born the younger son of King Alfonso II and the Urraca of Castile . After the death of his father, his older brother Sancho II took over the Portuguese throne. Alfons therefore went to the French royal court, where his maternal aunt Blanka of Castile , the widow of King Louis VIII , had a great influence as regent and royal mother.

By marrying Mathilde, a born countess of Boulogne , he acquired this county in 1235. At that time, Portugal was in a serious conflict between King Sancho II and the Catholic Church . Blanche of Castile saw a chance to pull Portugal, the traditional ally of the French hereditary enemy England , into the pro-French camp and therefore supported Alfonso in the fight against his brother. She achieved that Pope Innocent IV appointed Alfonso administrator of Portugal at the Council of Lyon in 1245 (" cura et administratio generalis et libera ") and thus de facto decreed the deposition of Sanchos. Alfons went to Portugal. After a civil war, he managed to defeat his brother and take over the reign of Portugal. After the death of his brother in 1248 he ascended the Portuguese throne himself.

Alfons succeeded in conquering the Algarve in 1250/1251 . This concluded the Reconquista in Portugal, and the Moors had been driven from the country. As a result, he farsightedly promoted the resettlement of the newly conquered areas and agriculture and enjoyed great fondness among the people. In 1256 he moved the capital from Coimbra to Lisbon.

He separated from Matilde because after two sons who died early, he could no longer bear children. This resulted in the excommunication , as he married his second wife, Beatrix of Castile, before the first marriage was annulled. Although he was able to free himself from the spell, the renewed attempt to curtail the rights of the church, at least to curb its massive expansion efforts, but led to a great dispute with the popes, who again banned him and occupied the country with the interdict .

family

ancestors

Alfonso I of Portugal
(1109–1185)
 
Mathilde of Savoy
(1125-1157)
 
Raimund Berengar IV.
(1113–1162)
 
Petronella of Aragon
(1136–1173)
 
Sancho III. of Castile
(1133–1158)
 
Blanka of Navarre
(? –1157)
 
Heinrich II. Plantagenet
(1133–1189)
 
Eleanor of Aquitaine
(1122–1204)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Sancho I of Portugal
(1154-1211)
 
 
 
 
 
Dulce of Barcelona
(1160–1198)
 
 
 
 
 
Alfonso VIII of Castile
(1155-1214)
 
 
 
 
 
Eleonore Plantagenet
(1161-1214)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Alfonso II of Portugal
(1185-1223)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Urraca of Castile
(1186-1220)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Alfons III of Portugal
(1210–1279)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Descendants

King Alfonso III statue in Faro

Children from the first marriage with Countess Mathilde von Dammartin from the Mello family

  • Roberto (* 1239)

Children from the second marriage to Beatrix of Castile , a daughter of the King of Castile and Roman-German King Alfonso X.

  • Branca (February 28, 1259 - April 25, 1321), nun
  • Fernando (* 1260; † 1262)
  • Dionysius (D. Diniz) (October 9, 1261 - January 7, 1325), successor to the throne
  • Afonso, Lord of Portalegre (February 6, 1263 - January 2, 1312)
  • Sancha (February 2, 1264 - 1279)
  • Maria (November 2, 1264; † 1284), nun
  • Constança (* 1266; † November 23, 1271)
  • Vicente (born January 22, 1268; † 1271)

He also had the following illegitimate children:

From his relationship with Madragana (later Mór Afonso):

  • Martím Afonso, called "Chichorro" (1249–1299): ancestor of the Oriola house
  • Urraca Afonso

From his relationship with Maria Peres de Enxara:

  • Afonso Diniz

From further relationships:

  • Fernando Afonso
  • Gil Afonso
  • Rodrigo Afonso
  • Leonor Afonso
  • Leonor Afonso
  • Urraca Afonso
  • Henrique Afonso

See also

literature

predecessor Office successor
Sancho II. King of Portugal
1248–1279
Dionysius