Infante João, Duke of Valencia de Campos
Encyclopedia
Infante Dom John of Portugal (ʒuˈɐ̃w̃; ) (Coimbra
, 1349 – Salamanca
, 1397) was the son of Portuguese
King Peter I
and a Castilian
noblewoman named Inês de Castro
that had arrived in Portugal as a maid of Infanta Constance of Castile, recently married to Pedro I (heir at the time).
, the Prince after inheriting the throne admitted that he had married Inês secretly, and because of that she was a lawful Queen of Portugal and he was legitimized as Infante of Portugal.
Of Inês de Castro
Peter I had two sons and a daughter:
, very esteemed as a good knight
, dexterous and able hunter, valiant in hooting. He had a good friendship with the Master of Avis
, his half-brother, as him valiant and daring, but very different in the character. Infante John was dissimulated, ambitious, not backing in front of anything to satisfy his ambition.
He fell in love with Dona Maria Teles de Meneses (c. 1338 – House of Sub-Ripas, Coimbra
, 1378 or November 1379), a redheaded
beauty about eleven years older than he, sister of Queen Dona Leonor Teles de Meneses
, and widow (m. c. 1360) of Dom Álvaro Dias de Sousa, 2nd Lord of Mafra
, Ericeira
and Enxara dos Cavaleiros (c. 1330 – Spain
, 1365), by whom she had had Dom Lopo Dias de Sousa, 17th Lord of the House of Sousa and 3rd Lord of Mafra, Ericeira and Enxara dos Cavaleiros (Coimbra
, 1350 – Pombal, 9 February 1435), who later was Master in the Order of Christ
, and a stillborn. Having John once gone to her house for her, he found already an altar and a priest prepared by her for their wedding. The marriage was performed secretly in 1376 and, when it became of public domain, it provoked the rages of Dona Leonor Teles. By the death of Dom Ferdinand I and at the lack of a male heir, the people could acclaim Infante John, who was very beloved, which would raise her sister to the throne, with grave consequences to herself, hated as she was by the crowd of people.
Perfidiously, Dona Leonor Teles had her brother Dom João Afonso Telo de Meneses, 6th Count
of Barcelos, Alcaide-Mór of Lisbon
, Admiral and 33rd Major-Major-Domo, insinuating at the spirit of the Infante that his marriage to the heiress Dona Beatriz, who was promised to a Castilian Prince, would be pleasant to the people and open his way to the throne. The posterior insinuation that his wife was cheating on him, brought the Infante to the crime, stabbing her in Coimbra. In one single coup, Leonor Teles got disentangled of her sister and had fallen upon the name of the brother-in-law such an opprobium, that his hopes of a possible access to the throne were diluted without hopes.
Consummated the crime, Dom João fled to Beira. Dom Ferdinand I intended or pretended to intend to punish the culprit, but soon the assassin was forgiven and returned to the Court. When he spoke, however, in his marriage with the half-niece, the Queen herself disillusioned him. Recognized the Infante that he had been victim of a base snare and retired to the Douro
and then to Castile
, putting himself in cover of the persecution that, ruthlessly, was moved to him the cunning Leonor Teles.
Henry II called him to his Court and gave him in marriage his bastard daughter Constance of Castile, 1st Lady of Alba de Tormes
, in Valencia de Campos in 1378?. There he became the 1st Lord
and 1st Duke
of Valencia de Campos, thus renamed Valencia de Don Juan
. When the Castilian Army invaded Portugal, John came into its ranks and put siege to Elvas, which he couldn't take. Dead Dom Ferdinand I, John I of Castile
had him arrested, for being the most direct successor to the Portuguese Monarch. Meanwhile, his connections with Castile eventually lost him the throne, much thanks to the argumentation of Master João das Regras
at the Cortes of Coimbra in 1385, and at the time of the Battle of Aljubarrota
he was already out of the country like his brother Denis, who both left Portugal to Castile, although during the 1383-1385 Crisis he was one of the claimants to the throne along with Beatrice of Portugal
(his half-niece), John, Master of Aviz
(his half-brother) and Dinís (his brother). In prison, in Salamanca
, he eventually died in 1397 and was buried there.
From his second marriage he had three daughters:
Out of wedlock he had:
Coimbra
Coimbra is a city in the municipality of Coimbra in Portugal. Although it served as the nation's capital during the High Middle Ages, it is better-known for its university, the University of Coimbra, which is one of the oldest in Europe and the oldest academic institution in the...
, 1349 – Salamanca
Salamanca
Salamanca is a city in western Spain, in the community of Castile and León. Because it is known for its beautiful buildings and urban environment, the Old City was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1988. It is the most important university city in Spain and is known for its contributions to...
, 1397) was the son of Portuguese
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
King Peter I
Peter I of Portugal
Peter I , called the Just , was the eighth King of Portugal and the Algarve from 1357 until his death. He was the third but only surviving son of Afonso IV of Portugal and his wife, princess Beatrice of Castile....
and a Castilian
Kingdom of Castile
Kingdom of Castile was one of the medieval kingdoms of the Iberian Peninsula. It emerged as a political autonomous entity in the 9th century. It was called County of Castile and was held in vassalage from the Kingdom of León. Its name comes from the host of castles constructed in the region...
noblewoman named Inês de Castro
Inês de Castro
Inês Peres de Castro was a Galician noblewoman born of a Portuguese mother...
that had arrived in Portugal as a maid of Infanta Constance of Castile, recently married to Pedro I (heir at the time).
Background
Considering John an Infante of Portugal is a debatable subject. Some historians consider him a natural son of Peter I, so the title Infante of Portugal could never be attributed to him. Other opinions refer that after the death of Inês de Castro, ordered by Peter's father King Afonso IV of PortugalAfonso IV of Portugal
Afonso IV , called the Brave , was the seventh king of Portugal and the Algarve from 1325 until his death. He was the only legitimate son of King Denis of Portugal by his wife Elizabeth of Aragon.-Biography:...
, the Prince after inheriting the throne admitted that he had married Inês secretly, and because of that she was a lawful Queen of Portugal and he was legitimized as Infante of Portugal.
Of Inês de Castro
Inês de Castro
Inês Peres de Castro was a Galician noblewoman born of a Portuguese mother...
Peter I had two sons and a daughter:
- (Infante) Afonso of Portugal (1346-1346)
- (Infanta) Beatrice of Portugal (1347–1381)
- (Infante) John of Portugal (1349–1387)
- (Infante) Denis of Portugal (1354–1397)
Life
He lived at the Court of Ferdinand IFerdinand I of Portugal
Ferdinand I , sometimes referred to as the Handsome or rarely as the Inconstant , was the ninth King of Portugal and the Algarve, the second son of Peter I and his wife, Constance of Castile...
, very esteemed as a good knight
Knight
A knight was a member of a class of lower nobility in the High Middle Ages.By the Late Middle Ages, the rank had become associated with the ideals of chivalry, a code of conduct for the perfect courtly Christian warrior....
, dexterous and able hunter, valiant in hooting. He had a good friendship with the Master of Avis
John I of Portugal
John I KG , called the Good or of Happy Memory, more rarely and outside Portugal the Bastard, was the tenth King of Portugal and the Algarve and the first to use the title Lord of Ceuta...
, his half-brother, as him valiant and daring, but very different in the character. Infante John was dissimulated, ambitious, not backing in front of anything to satisfy his ambition.
He fell in love with Dona Maria Teles de Meneses (c. 1338 – House of Sub-Ripas, Coimbra
Coimbra
Coimbra is a city in the municipality of Coimbra in Portugal. Although it served as the nation's capital during the High Middle Ages, it is better-known for its university, the University of Coimbra, which is one of the oldest in Europe and the oldest academic institution in the...
, 1378 or November 1379), a redheaded
Red hair
Red hair occurs on approximately 1–2% of the human population. It occurs more frequently in people of northern or western European ancestry, and less frequently in other populations...
beauty about eleven years older than he, sister of Queen Dona Leonor Teles de Meneses
Leonor Telles de Menezes
Leonor Telles de Menezes was a queen consort of Portugal and regent during the years 1383–1385. She was the wife of a Portuguese nobleman from whom she was forcibly divorced by King Ferdinand I, who afterward married her...
, and widow (m. c. 1360) of Dom Álvaro Dias de Sousa, 2nd Lord of Mafra
Mafra, Portugal
Mafra is a town in Mafra Municipality in Portugal.The town is 28 km north-west from the center of Lisbon. It is mostly known for the sumptuous Palácio de Mafra , which also makes it a popular tourist destination in the Lisbon area...
, Ericeira
Ericeira
Ericeira is a fishing and seaside resort town on the west coast of Portugal, in the municipality of Mafra, about 35 km north-west of the centre of Lisbon...
and Enxara dos Cavaleiros (c. 1330 – Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, 1365), by whom she had had Dom Lopo Dias de Sousa, 17th Lord of the House of Sousa and 3rd Lord of Mafra, Ericeira and Enxara dos Cavaleiros (Coimbra
Coimbra
Coimbra is a city in the municipality of Coimbra in Portugal. Although it served as the nation's capital during the High Middle Ages, it is better-known for its university, the University of Coimbra, which is one of the oldest in Europe and the oldest academic institution in the...
, 1350 – Pombal, 9 February 1435), who later was Master in the Order of Christ
Order of Christ (Portugal)
The Military Order of Christ previously the Royal Order of the Knights of Our Lord Jesus Christ was the heritage of the Knights Templar in Portugal, after the suppression of the Templars in 1312...
, and a stillborn. Having John once gone to her house for her, he found already an altar and a priest prepared by her for their wedding. The marriage was performed secretly in 1376 and, when it became of public domain, it provoked the rages of Dona Leonor Teles. By the death of Dom Ferdinand I and at the lack of a male heir, the people could acclaim Infante John, who was very beloved, which would raise her sister to the throne, with grave consequences to herself, hated as she was by the crowd of people.
Perfidiously, Dona Leonor Teles had her brother Dom João Afonso Telo de Meneses, 6th Count
Count
A count or countess is an aristocratic nobleman in European countries. The word count came into English from the French comte, itself from Latin comes—in its accusative comitem—meaning "companion", and later "companion of the emperor, delegate of the emperor". The adjective form of the word is...
of Barcelos, Alcaide-Mór of Lisbon
Lisbon
Lisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...
, Admiral and 33rd Major-Major-Domo, insinuating at the spirit of the Infante that his marriage to the heiress Dona Beatriz, who was promised to a Castilian Prince, would be pleasant to the people and open his way to the throne. The posterior insinuation that his wife was cheating on him, brought the Infante to the crime, stabbing her in Coimbra. In one single coup, Leonor Teles got disentangled of her sister and had fallen upon the name of the brother-in-law such an opprobium, that his hopes of a possible access to the throne were diluted without hopes.
Consummated the crime, Dom João fled to Beira. Dom Ferdinand I intended or pretended to intend to punish the culprit, but soon the assassin was forgiven and returned to the Court. When he spoke, however, in his marriage with the half-niece, the Queen herself disillusioned him. Recognized the Infante that he had been victim of a base snare and retired to the Douro
Douro
The Douro or Duero is one of the major rivers of the Iberian Peninsula, flowing from its source near Duruelo de la Sierra in Soria Province across northern-central Spain and Portugal to its outlet at Porto...
and then to Castile
Crown of Castile
The Crown of Castile was a medieval and modern state in the Iberian Peninsula that formed in 1230 as a result of the third and definitive union of the crowns and parliaments of the kingdoms of Castile and León upon the accession of the then King Ferdinand III of Castile to the vacant Leonese throne...
, putting himself in cover of the persecution that, ruthlessly, was moved to him the cunning Leonor Teles.
Henry II called him to his Court and gave him in marriage his bastard daughter Constance of Castile, 1st Lady of Alba de Tormes
Alba de Tormes
Alba de Tormes is a municipality in the province of Salamanca, western Spain, part of the autonomous community of Castile-Leon. The town is on the River Tormes upstream from the city of Salamanca. Alba gave its name to one of Spain's most important dukedoms. St Teresa of Ávila died at a convent...
, in Valencia de Campos in 1378?. There he became the 1st Lord
Lord
Lord is a title with various meanings. It can denote a prince or a feudal superior . The title today is mostly used in connection with the peerage of the United Kingdom or its predecessor countries, although some users of the title do not themselves hold peerages, and use it 'by courtesy'...
and 1st Duke
Duke
A duke or duchess is a member of the nobility, historically of highest rank below the monarch, and historically controlling a duchy...
of Valencia de Campos, thus renamed Valencia de Don Juan
Valencia de Don Juan
Valencia de Don Juan is a municipality located in the province of León, Castile and León, Spain. According to the 2004 census , the municipality has a population of 4,165 inhabitants.It's well known by its medieval castle....
. When the Castilian Army invaded Portugal, John came into its ranks and put siege to Elvas, which he couldn't take. Dead Dom Ferdinand I, John I of Castile
John I of Castile
John I was the king of Crown of Castile, was the son of Henry II and of his wife Juana Manuel of Castile, daughter of Juan Manuel, Prince of Villena, head of a younger branch of the royal house of Castile...
had him arrested, for being the most direct successor to the Portuguese Monarch. Meanwhile, his connections with Castile eventually lost him the throne, much thanks to the argumentation of Master João das Regras
João das Regras
João das Regras, in English, literally John of the Rules, was a Portuguese jurist of the second half of the 14th-century. João das Regras was born in Lisbon in an unknown date and died there on 3 May 1404...
at the Cortes of Coimbra in 1385, and at the time of the Battle of Aljubarrota
Battle of Aljubarrota
The Battle of Aljubarrota was a battle fought between the Kingdom of Portugal and the Crown of Castile on 14 August 1385. Forces commanded by King John I of Portugal and his general Nuno Álvares Pereira, with the support of English allies, opposed the army of King John I of Castile with its...
he was already out of the country like his brother Denis, who both left Portugal to Castile, although during the 1383-1385 Crisis he was one of the claimants to the throne along with Beatrice of Portugal
Beatrice of Portugal
Beatrice was the only surviving child of King Ferdinand I of Portugal and his wife, Leonor Telles de Menezes. She married King John I of Castile. In the absence of a male heir, she claimed the throne of Portugal, supported by her husband. This led to the 1383–1385 Crisis, in which the Portuguese...
(his half-niece), John, Master of Aviz
John I of Portugal
John I KG , called the Good or of Happy Memory, more rarely and outside Portugal the Bastard, was the tenth King of Portugal and the Algarve and the first to use the title Lord of Ceuta...
(his half-brother) and Dinís (his brother). In prison, in Salamanca
Salamanca
Salamanca is a city in western Spain, in the community of Castile and León. Because it is known for its beautiful buildings and urban environment, the Old City was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1988. It is the most important university city in Spain and is known for its contributions to...
, he eventually died in 1397 and was buried there.
Issue
From his first marriage he had one son:- Infante Fernando, Lord of EçaInfante Fernando, Lord of EçaInfante Dom Fernando of Portugal, later de Eza or de Eça was the son of Portuguese Infant João, Duke of Valencia de Campos...
From his second marriage he had three daughters:
- Infanta Dona Maria Brites of Portugal, 2nd Lady of Valencia de Campos (born 1381), married as his second wife to Martim Vasques da Cunha or Martín Vásquez de Acuña, 1st Count of Valencia de Campos (c. 1360 – 1417), and had issue
- Infanta Dona Isabel Brites or Beatriz of Portugal (born 1382), who married Pedro Niño, 1st Count of CigalesCigalesCigales is a Spanish Denominación de Origen for wines located to the north of Valladolid along both banks of the River Pisuerga....
and 1st Count of Buelna (1378 – 1454), and had female issue - Infanta Dona Joana of Portugal (born 1384), married to Lopo Vaz da Cunha or Lope Vaz de Acuña, 1st Lord of Buendía, without issue
Out of wedlock he had:
- Dom Afonso, 2nd Lord Consort of CascaisCascaisCascais is a coastal town in Cascais Municipality in Portugal, 30 kilometres west of Lisbon, with about 35,000 residents. It is a cosmopolitan suburb of the Portuguese capital and one of the richest municipalities in Portugal. The former fishing village gained fame as a resort for Portugal's royal...
and 2nd Lord Consort of LourinhãLourinhãLourinhã is a municipality in Portugal with a total area of 147.2 km² and a total population of 24,601 inhabitants. The seat of the municipality is the village of Lourinhã, with a population of 8,800 inhabitants....
(born c. 1370, died ZamoraZamora, SpainZamora is a city in Castile and León, Spain, the capital of the province of Zamora. It lies on a rocky hill in the northwest, near the frontier with Portugal and crossed by the Duero river, which is some 50 km downstream as it reaches the Portuguese frontier...
, 1442), married firstly in 1388 to Branca da Cunha das Regras, 2nd Lady of Cascais and 2nd Lady of Lourinhã, and had female issue, and married secondly to Maria de Vasconcelos, ?th Lady of Soalhães (born c. 1375, died 1438), and had issue, now extinct in male line - Dom Pedro da Guerra (born c. 1380, died aft. 14 August 1385), married c. 1410 to Teresa Anes Andeiro (born c. 1380), and had issue, now extinct in male line, and had issue by Maria Anes (born c. 1380), now extinct in male line
- Dom Fernando de Portugal, 1st Lord of Bragança (c. 1385 – aft. 30 December 1410), married c. 1410 to Leonor Vasques Coutinho (born c. 1380), and had one son, Dom Duarte de Portugal, 2nd Lord of Bragança, who died in ÉvoraÉvoraÉvora is a municipality in Portugal. It has total area of with a population of 55,619 inhabitants. It is the seat of the Évora District and capital of the Alentejo region. The municipality is composed of 19 civil parishes, and is located in Évora District....
in 1442 unmarried and without issue - Dona Beatriz Afonso (born c. 1370), married to ... de Castro?, and had issue