Afonso Henriques (Alfonso Henry translated to
english) was the first Portuguese King and the one that ruled over
Portugal during more years, he has the longest reigning years record on
the throne in the Portuguese Monarchy history, a amazin
gly
57 years! Is beloved till today by all Portuguese and saw as the father
of the nation. Was a stubborn man that fought against all odds and all
around him (including is own mother, Lady Theresa) for a land he saw as
his own and the shy dream of a independent kingdom. A dream that became
this small land full of contrasts named Portugal.
Historians think he was born on 25 June of 1109, in the city of Guimarães or in Viseu.
He was nicknamed "O Conquistador" (The Conqueror), "o Fundador" (the Founder) or "o Grande" (the Great) by the Portuguese, and El-Bortukali ("the Portuguese") and Ibn-Arrik ("son of Henry", "Henriques") by the Moors whom he fought during the reconquest (Reconquista) of the Iberian Peninsula.
He achieved the independence of the southern part of the Kingdom of Galicia, the County of Portugal, from Galicia's overlord, the King of León, in 1139, establishing a new kingdom and doubling its area with the Reconquista, an objective that he pursued until his death, in 1185, after forty-six years of wars against the Moors.
Alfonso Henry was the son of Henry of Burgundy and Theresa of León, the natural daughter of King Alfonso VI of León. The pair reigned jointly as Count and Countess of "Portucale" (name the county had before was called Portugal) until Henry's death, after which Theresa reigned alone.
When the young Alfoso became a man (at 14 years old the adult age in the 12th century) He made himself a knight on his own account in the Cathedral of Zamora, raised an army, and proceeded to take control of his mother's lands, she had married a second time with a powerful lord of Galicia and that alliance was not seem with good yes by her son or the ones that supported him! Near Guimarães, at the Battle of St. Mamede (1128) he overcame the troops under his mother's second husband, exiling her forever to a monastery in Galicia. Alfonso became this way sole ruler of the county and was known as Duke of Portugal.
In 1179 the privileges and favours given to the Roman Catholic Church were finally compensated. Pope Alexander III acknowledged Afonso as King and Portugal as an independent kingdom with the right to conquer lands. With this papal blessing, Portugal was at last secured as a kingdom.
In spite of his great age, he still had sufficient energy to go to battle, but he was wounded not by a sword or spear but by a bolt of a door while riding a horse, the wound never healed completely, and then he passed the government of the country to his eldest son, Don Sancho.
The Portuguese revere him as a hero, both on account of his personal character and as the mythical founder of their nation. There are stories that it would take 10 men to carry his sword!
Afonso died, on 6 December 1185 in Coimbra.
(some parts of the text was taken from the internet)
Historians think he was born on 25 June of 1109, in the city of Guimarães or in Viseu.
He was nicknamed "O Conquistador" (The Conqueror), "o Fundador" (the Founder) or "o Grande" (the Great) by the Portuguese, and El-Bortukali ("the Portuguese") and Ibn-Arrik ("son of Henry", "Henriques") by the Moors whom he fought during the reconquest (Reconquista) of the Iberian Peninsula.
He achieved the independence of the southern part of the Kingdom of Galicia, the County of Portugal, from Galicia's overlord, the King of León, in 1139, establishing a new kingdom and doubling its area with the Reconquista, an objective that he pursued until his death, in 1185, after forty-six years of wars against the Moors.
Alfonso Henry was the son of Henry of Burgundy and Theresa of León, the natural daughter of King Alfonso VI of León. The pair reigned jointly as Count and Countess of "Portucale" (name the county had before was called Portugal) until Henry's death, after which Theresa reigned alone.
When the young Alfoso became a man (at 14 years old the adult age in the 12th century) He made himself a knight on his own account in the Cathedral of Zamora, raised an army, and proceeded to take control of his mother's lands, she had married a second time with a powerful lord of Galicia and that alliance was not seem with good yes by her son or the ones that supported him! Near Guimarães, at the Battle of St. Mamede (1128) he overcame the troops under his mother's second husband, exiling her forever to a monastery in Galicia. Alfonso became this way sole ruler of the county and was known as Duke of Portugal.
In 1179 the privileges and favours given to the Roman Catholic Church were finally compensated. Pope Alexander III acknowledged Afonso as King and Portugal as an independent kingdom with the right to conquer lands. With this papal blessing, Portugal was at last secured as a kingdom.
In spite of his great age, he still had sufficient energy to go to battle, but he was wounded not by a sword or spear but by a bolt of a door while riding a horse, the wound never healed completely, and then he passed the government of the country to his eldest son, Don Sancho.
The Portuguese revere him as a hero, both on account of his personal character and as the mythical founder of their nation. There are stories that it would take 10 men to carry his sword!
Afonso died, on 6 December 1185 in Coimbra.
(some parts of the text was taken from the internet)
