Ferdinand of Avis
Ferdinand , called the saint , was a prince ( infant ) of Portugal (born September 29, 1402 in Santarém , † June 5, 1443 in Fès ) from the house of Avis . He is a blessed of the Catholic Church.
Life
Ferdinand was born the sixth son of King John I of Portugal and Philippa of Lancaster .
Even as a boy he showed a rare willpower and religiosity. As Grand Master of the Order of Avis , he went to Africa with his brother Heinrich in 1437 to wrest Tangier from the Moroccans ; the attack was repulsed, however, the Portuguese succumbed to the enemy's superiority and had to promise to cede Ceuta .
Ferdinand remained hostage with twelve companions, while Heinrich returned to Portugal.
Since the Cortes rejected the treaty, Ferdinand was handed over to the Sultan of Fez, who treated him as a slave . Ferdinand endured his lot with the greatest patience until he succumbed to the abuse on June 5, 1443.
He was beatified in 1470 and his body was brought to Portugal in 1471 and buried in the founder's chapel in the Batalha monastery.
Ferdinand's steadfastness in six years of unspeakable suffering was described by the chronicle writer Joam Alvares , who was also one of the hostages. Also by Pedro Calderon steadfastness was in his play The Constant Prince ( "El Principe Constante") glorified.
monument
His statue can be seen in the Padrão dos Descobrimentos near Lisbon.
literature
- Henry M. Brock: Blessed Ferdinand , in: Catholic Encyclopedia . 1913, volume 6.
- Ignaz von Olfers : Life of the steadfast prince according to the Chronica of his secretary F. Joan Alvares and other news . Nicolaische Buchhandlung, Berlin 1827 ( digitized version )
- Ekkart Sauser : Ferdinand from Avis. In: Biographisch-Bibliographisches Kirchenlexikon (BBKL). Volume 18, Bautz, Herzberg 2001, ISBN 3-88309-086-7 , Sp. 429-430.
- Ferdinand 21, the saint . In: Meyers Konversations-Lexikon . 4th edition. Volume 6, Verlag des Bibliographisches Institut, Leipzig / Vienna 1885–1892, pp. 138–138.
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Ferdinand of Avis |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Ferdinand the saint |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Infant of Portugal, Grand Master of the Avis Order |
| DATE OF BIRTH | September 29, 1402 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Santarém (Portugal) |
| DATE OF DEATH | June 5, 1443 |
| Place of death | Fez |