This, the second dynasty of Portuguese monarchs, is known as The House of Avis. João, the son of King Pedro I, was given the mastership¹ of the order of knights known as 'of Avis' in 1363. Although still a direct descendant of Afonso Henriques, he was illegitimate.

King João I (1385 - 1433)

of Good Memory

Born on the 11th April, 1357, João was placed in the care of his maternal grandfather, Lourenço Martins, who in turn, as his education progressed, handed him on to Nuno Freire de Andrade, who was master of the Order of Christ.

In 1382 the Queen, Leonor Telles, had him imprisoned in the castle of Evora. He obtained his release through a petition by the Earl of Cambridge to King Fernando.

After the death of his half-brother, the King, he took part in the plan of Alvaro Pais to eliminate the queen's lover, Count João Fernades Andeiro, killing him with his own hand. This was such a popular move that the onlookers acclaimed him King.
However João started his government of Portugal as 'Defender of the Kingdom' in 1384 and was not acclaimed king by the Council until the following year.

With Nuno Alvares Pereira in the position of High Constable they defeated Juan of Castile at the Battle of Aljubarrota in 1385. The Monastery of Batalha was founded in thanks for this victory.

João I confirmed the Treaty of Windsor with Richard II of England in 1386.

In 1387 João married Philippa of Lancaster, the granddaughter of Edward III of England and almost immediately went off to invade Castile alongside and on behalf of his father-in-law, John of Gaunt.

João and Philippa had eight children, known as 'The Illustrious Generation', namely Branca (died young), Afonso (died aged 10), Duarte, Pedro, Henrique, Isabel, João and Fernando. There was one surviving illegitimate son, Afonso, who went on to be created Duke of Bragança and married a daughter of Nuno Alvares Pereira and an illegitimate daughter, Beatriz.

Peace was finally declared with Castile in 1411.

In 1415, shortly after the death of Queen Philippa, the campaign set out to capture Cueta, on the south side of the Straits of Gibralta. He was the first monarch to use the title 'King of Portugal and the Algarve and Lord of Cueta'.

A decree was issued to bring the counting of years into the Era of Christ.

In 1432 João acted as mediator between the King of Castile and the Princes of Aragon.

He died on the 14th August, 1433 and is buried next to Philippa in the Founders' Chapel of the Monastery of Batalha.

King Duarte I (1433 - 1438)

The Eloquent, the Loyal Counsellor.

Duarte was born on the 31st October, 1391. At the age of 14 he was sent on a visit to the English Court.

In 1414 his father gave him a role in the governing of the country.

He accompanied his father and brothers in the expedition to Cueta, after which he was knighted.

Duarte married Leonor, the daughter of Fernando I of Aragon and they had seven children; João (died young), Filipa (died young), Afonso, Maria, Fernando, Duarte and Joanna (born posthumously).

During his reign, in 1434, Gil Eanes sailed beyond Cape Bodjador, proving that a sea route down the west coast of Africa was possible.

A disastrous expedition to Tangiers took place in 1437, when his young brother Fernando was captured by the Moors.

The Council was convened in Leiria in January of 1438, and ways of ransoming the lost prince were discussed. The ransom set by the Moors was the return of Cueta to their governance. This was a great problem to Duarte. Should he relinquish power over this rich foothold in Africa or leave his brother imprisoned in Morocco? The Council was suspended whilst the Pope, and the Kings of England, Aragon and Castile were consulted to see if they could help resolve the problem. Unfortunate Fernando was left to his fate.

A man of literature, the King wrote several treatises including Loyal Counselling, The Book of Counsels and The Art of Good Horsemanship.

Duarte died of the plague in Tomar on the 9th September, 1438 and is buried in the Monastery of Batalha.

King Afonso V (1438 - 1481)

the African

Afonso was born in Sintra on the 15th January, 1432 and acclaimed king at the age of six on the day his father died. His mother Queen Leonor acted as regent, according to the last wishes of Duarte. These wishes were disputed at the next Council, held in Lisbon in November 1439, for the Queen was a foreigner and a woman and the regency passed to his oldest uncle, Pedro, duke of Coimbra.

The count of Barcelos, a personal enemy of the duke of Coimbra (despite being his half-brother) became the king's favourite uncle and began conspiring in a constant struggle for power. In 1442 the King made the count of Barcelos up to the duke of Bragança.

The power struggle came to a head in 1446, when King Afonso was old enough² to start to take up the reins of government. Uncle Pedro remained for a time in the position of advisor and tried to strengthen his position by marrying the young King to his own daughter, Isabel, in 1447. They had three children; João (died young), Joana and João.

Coming fully into his own in 1448, Afonso soon directed things to a crisis. He fell out with his uncle and father-in-law, and with the aid of the power seeking Afonso, duke of Bragança, brought Pedro to battle at Alfarrobeira, where the duke of Coimbra lost his life. Later King Afonso stated publicly that this quarrel in no way had affected his relations with his queen, and eventually arranged that his uncle be buried at the Monastery of Batalha.

Afonso was widowed in 1455.

In 1458 Portugal gained a further foothold in Morocco with the taking of Alcácer Ceguer.

An accord was reached with King Christian I of Denmark whereupon a joint expedition was planned to explore the Arctic Ocean.

Further conquests were made in Africa in 1471 with the taking of Arzila and Tangiers. Hence Afonso's sobriquet 'The African', due to the enlargement of Portugal's territories in Morocco.

The Crown Prince, João, was put in charge of 'The Discoveries' taking over the direction from his late great-uncle, Prince Henry the Navigator, who had been the driving force in sending out ships, men and pilots to explore the Atlantic Ocean and the west coast of Africa.

In 1475, 'for comfort and the future', Afonso married his niece, Joana of Castile, the only daughter of the ailing King Henry IV of Castile and Joana of Portugal, Afonso's sister. The paternity of Joana of Castile was suspect. Henry IV had had no child by his previous wife and Joana of Portugal had had a notorious affair with a nobleman called Beltrán de La Cueva. At her birth the princess Joan had openly been called the 'Beltraneja', which caused the divorce of her parents.

In the end Castile and Leon were inherited by Henry?s aunt, Isabel, who married Fernando of Aragon, thus uniting three of the countries that would become Spain.

In a forlorn attempt to reinforce his own claim to Castile through his marriage, Afonso set out on a visit to Louis XI of France. There, much deceived by the French and downhearted by the lack of support, he wrote a letter to Portugal declaring his intention to retire to Jerusalem and ordaining that João be declared King.
Despite good intentions, Afonso returned home at the end of the year and João dutifully handed back the power.

Peace was eventually signed with Castile and Aragon in 1479.

Afonso V died in Sintra on the 28th August, 1481 and is buried in the Monastery of Batalha.

King João II (1481 - 1495)

The tyrant or, according to Niccolo Machiavelli, 'The Perfect Prince'

King João II was born in Lisbon on the 3rd March, 1455 and married his cousin, Leonor, daughter of Fernando, duke of Viseu in January, 1471. Their son Afonso was born on the 18th May, 1475.

João accompanied his father on the expeditions to Arzila and Tangiers, where he received his knighthood.

Soon he was in charge of all things African and also took over his great-uncle Henry's work of the Discoveries.

In 1475 he was nominated regent, whilst his father, Afonso V, was off battling with the Castilians. He did a good job, keeping the borders safe and repulsing many incursive attacks.

Receiving his father's letter from France he assumed power as king in 1477, although but briefly, as within months his father had returned to Portugal. João handed back the title of King of Portugal, but continued with the title King of the Algarve.

On the death of his father he was newly acclaimed king in Sintra the same day.
Once in power he began a clearing out of the nobility, which had become too big for its boots through the favouritism pursued by Afonso V.

One of the first families to suffer was that of Bragança. Letters were intercepted between the duke of Bragança and Fernando and Isabel of Spain containing complaints and pleas for help. This was considered treason and the House of Bragança exiled. The duke was stripped of his title and executed in Evora, whereupon several members of other noble houses quietly fled.

Even his brother-in-law, Diogo, the duke of Viseu, was found to have conspired against him and was killed in 1484 by the king's own hand. A bloody persecution of other nobles followed where they were suspected of plotting against the king's life.

With the nobility under control, in 1486, he requested a bull from the Pope for a crusade into Africa. Diogo Cão had already discovered the Congo River and Bartolomeu Dias was shortly to round the Cape of Good Hope. Land expeditions were sent to India and Ethiopia in search of Prester John.

His plans for the future of the Iberian Peninsula rested in his son Afonso, whom he had married to Isabela of Aragon, the eldest child of Fernando and Isabela. Any child of the young couple stood to inherit everything for the current heir to Castile and Aragon was Juan, a feeble child who was not expected to survive. Whether it was pure accident or a contrived plot, this was not to be, for, in 1471, the 17 year old Crown prince suffered a fatal riding accident on the banks of the Tagus. Their Catholic Majesties had tried to have the marriage dissolved, when Juan's health failed, even applying directly to the Pope. So this 'accident' was very convenient for them. The suspicious circumstances were that the Prince was known as an excellent rider; his groom, an exiled Castilian, had completely disappeared and Isabela was free to marry again in any new alliance.

When Christopher Columbus applied to King João of Portugal for help, João II refused him. According to the historical theory of Portugese pre-eminence, Columbus was an inexperienced Atlantic captain, chasing an idea the king knew was wrong, wanting to go to a place the King already knew how to get to; there was no reason to hire him.

Feeling unwell, and not sure if he had been poisoned or not, the King travelled south to the Algarve, where he stayed at Alvor, whilst taking the waters of Monchique as a cure. After a long illness he eventually succumbed on the 25th October, 1495. Initially buried in Silves Cathedral his remains were later removed to the Monastery of Batalha.

King Manuel I (1495 - 1521)

The Fortunate

Manuel was João II?s first cousin, the son of Fernando³, duke of Viseu, and Beatriz, granddaughter of King João I, born on the 31st May, 1469.

After King João II had killed his brother, Manuel had been created duke of Beja. Keeping his head down and clear of all the accusations that were going round, Manuel attended an interview with the King in trepidation, only to find that with the death of Crown Prince Afonso, he was now the heir to the throne.

On coming to the throne, one of his first acts was to decree the expulsion of all Jews. However, in an attempt to keep some of the expertise and riches in the country, he allowed all those who would convert to Christianity to stay. Those complying with this were known as 'New Christians'.

In 1497 he married Afonso's widow, Isabela of Aragon. The previous year's expulsion of the Jews may have been one of the conditions imposed by 'Their Catholic Majesties' for this marriage to take place.

The same year saw the departure of Vasco da Gama on the search for the route to India via the Cape of Good Hope.

In 1498 Isabela was delivered of a son, Miguel da Paz, heir to all the thrones of the Iberian Peninsula. Isabela died soon after, and Miguel only lived a couple of years.

In 1500, Manuel married again, taking as his new bride his sister-in-law, Maria of Aragon. Together they had nine children; João, Isabela (who was to marry the Emperor Charles V), Beatriz, Luis, Fernando, Afonso, Henrique, Maria (died young) and Duarte. In this year also Pedro Álvares Cabral officially discovered Brazil.

In 1501, Gaspar Corte Real discovered Newfoundland.

An alliance was established with the kingdom of Cochim and teachers were sent to the kingdom of the Congo.

In 1504 there was a great riot and uprising in Lisbon against the 'New Christians' which was dealt with severely. Several harsh punishments were meted out to the perpetrators and to Lisbon itself.

In 1509 an embassy from the Emperor of Abyssinia was received. Diogo Lopes de Sequeira was sent to gather news of China and see if the route to the Moluccas could be found. At home, a University College was set up in Braga.

Three years later a further University College was founded in the city of Guimarães.

An embassy was sent to Pope Leo X and in 1516 a new crusade proposed to retake Jerusalem.

Maria died in 1517, so Manuel took for his third wife Leonor, the sister of Emperor Charles V. They had two children, Carlos, who died young, and Maria.

Yet another University College was established in Evora in 1520, and a Portuguese embassy sent to Abyssinia.

Manuel was indeed fortunate. The riches of the world were now readily available to Portugal and Manuel was able to indulge in his passion for building and the arts. The Monastery of the Jerónimos in Belém, Lisbon shows the style and magnificence of the architecture known as Manuelin; full of symbolism, natural detail and tracery.
After ruling for just over fifty years Manuel died on the 13th December, 1521, and is buried in his foundation of the Monastery of the Jerónimos.

King João III (1521 - 1557)

The Pious

Born in Lisbon on the 6th June, 1502, he was declared the heir at the Council of Lisbon in 1503.

On the death of his father very little changed as he maintained the policies and officials of the previous reign.

In 1524 Vasco da Gama was sent to India as Viceroy.

In 1525 João III married Caterina, the sister of his step-mother and the Emperor Charles V. Their eight children were Afonso (died young), Maria, Isabela (died young), Beatriz (died young), Manuel (died young), Filipe (died young), João and Antonio (died young).

It was during this reign that the Holy Office of the Inquisition was set up in Portugal and began to hold inquiries in 1539.

In regard to overseas territories, he began to work towards Brazil being independent, sending many colonists there. Many of the various towns held by the Portuguese in Morocco no longer had any significant benefit, so after long consultations it was decided that Azamor, Safim, Alcácer Ceguer, Arzila and Agadir should be abandoned.

João III died of apoplexy on the 11th June, 1557. He had outlived all his children.

King Sebastião (1557 - 1578?)

The Regretted

The son of the Crown prince João and his wife Joana of Hapsburg was born on the 20th January, 1554, shortly after the death of his father, at the age of sixteen, from tuberculosis on the 2nd January. When his grandfather died he was only three years old. His grandmother, Queen Caterina, was appointed regent, and held this office until 1562. The regency was then assumed by his great uncle, the Cardinal-Prince Henrique.

Two princesses were considered as a possible bride for the youngster, Margaret de Valois, daughter of Henry II of France and Isabela de Hapsburg, daughter of Emperor Maximillian II.

After a predominantly Jesuit upbringing, Sebastião eventually reached his majority at the age of fourteen in 1568 and commenced to reign in his own right.

In 1570 he created the Institute of Santa Marta, to care for the widows and orphans of those who had died in the plague of 1569.

In 1577 he published a law favourable to the New Christians, and at the urging of his Council, considered another bride, this time Isabela, the daughter of Philip II of Spain.

Troops were prepared for an expedition to Morocco, for the young king fancied himself as the leader of a grand crusade. The muster had been intended to be sent to Ireland to help the Catholics there against Elizabeth I of England, but Sebastião diverted them for his own use.

On the 14th March, 1578, he requested that the Monastery of Santa Cruz, Coimbra, send him the sword of that vanquisher of the Moors, his ancestor, Afonso Henriques. In June he declared that he was against the joining of Portugal and Spain, so Isabela had been rejected as a possible bride. This was probably a save-face, as it was Philip II who had decided against the marriage.

The 24th June he reviewed his troops and embarked them at Lagos, in the Algarve, whereupon they set sail for Morocco.

Against the advice of his commanders the young king pushed deep inland into Morocco and was brought to battle at Alcácer Quibir on the 4th August. Nothing more is known of his fate, and even the remains entombed in his sepulchre in the Monastery of the Jerónimos, in Lisbon, are probably not his. His death was never declared and he attained a mythical, almost Arthurian, image of 'The King who would return'.

King Henrique (1578 - 1580)

The Cardinal King

Born in Lisbon on the 31st January 1512, the son of Manuel I and his second wife, Maria. He was very well educated, particularly in the areas of medicine and music.

In 1537 Henrique was appointed Archbishop of Braga and took the office of Inquisitor-General in 1539.

1540 saw him Archbishop of Evora. He was advanced to the Cardinalate on the 16th December, 1545.

1559 the Queen Regent and the Pope authorised him to found the University in Evora. This year, he had hoped to be Ambassador to Rome. A visit to the Vatican could have aided him in an attempt to be elected Pope, for Pope Paulo IV had died and he could have sought for extra votes in the conclave. As it was, in his absence, he achieved 15 votes.

1562 he was called by the Council to replace Queen Catherine as regent.

1568 the regency finished, as Sebastião took over the government himself. This was despite the will of João III who had desired that his minority should last until he was 20 years old.

Henrique left the court and retired to the Monastery of Alcobaça. Sebastião's enthusiasm and vain glorious attitude of 'Christ's General on earth to crusade against the Muslims in Morocco' was not conducive to good government.

In 1576 Henrique went to stay in the Archbishop's palace in Evora.

In 1578, with the King about to leave for Morocco, he was offered the regency again, but this he refused, retiring again to religious contemplation at Alcobaça. It was here that he heard of the disaster of Alcácer Quibir.

Avoiding all show of pomp on his accession, one of his earlier acts was to convene the Council to discuss the Royal Succession. He considered the two most proper heirs to be Philip II of Spain and Catherine, duchess of Bragança. His application to the Pope to be allowed to marry was denied.

Henrique died on the 31st January, 1580 in Almeirim and is buried in the Monastery of the Jerónimos, Lisbon. In his will he stated that there should be 5 governors to rule the kingdom until the succession was decided between them.

The House of Avis, which started its reign so promisingly, had died out, possibly by excessive interbreeding. Sebastião had had but four great grandparents, and two of them were sisters. The House of Hapsburg was encountering similar problems.

The possible heirs to the throne were:

King Antonio (1580 - 1583)

Antonio was the illegitimate son of Luis, João III?s brother, born in Lisbon in 1531. Destined for an eccleciastical career he was educated at Guimarães, Coimbra and Evora.

On the death of his father in 1555 he was appointed the Prior of Crato. Crato was the headquarters of the Order of the Knights Hospitallers in Portugal.
Between 1568 and 1571 he saw action in Morocco and distinguished himself militarily. Sebastião appointed him governor of Tangiers.

Although present, and captured, at the battle of Alcácer Quibir, he had been easily ransomed.

Antonio was recognised as one of the possible heirs by Cardinal-king Henrique. The Prior of Crato was actually acclaimed King spontaneously in Santarem and other towns in Portugal. Although his reign in Portugal itself only lasted for 2 or 3 months in 1580, he was recognised as King for much longer in Teirceira and other islands of the Açores.

Antonio requested help from England and France, and although some was forthcoming, it was never enough to defeat the forces of King Philip.

Antonio died in Paris on 26th August, 1595 and was buried there in the Convent of S. Francisco. His remains were scattered during the French Revolution.

As a churchman, he had never married, but he did father some 10 illegitimate children. He has several descendants today in the French canton of Switzerland.