Afonso I of Portugal (Afonso Henriques)

Defeated his mother's faction to take the county, proclaimed himself king of Portugal, captured Lisbon and laid the foundations of the kingdom.

Life

Son of a Count

Afonso Henriques was the son of Count Henry of Portugal and Teresa, a princess of León. His birth year is variously given as 1106, 1109 or 1111, and his birthplace is usually thought to be Guimarães. He was still young when his father died, and his mother Teresa ruled as regent, relying on the Galician Traba family, which angered the native Portuguese nobility and clergy.

Proclaiming Himself King

In 1128 he defeated his mother's faction at the Battle of São Mamede and took control of the county. Thereafter he maneuvered against his cousin Alfonso VII, king of León and Castile, while pushing south against the Muslims. After the Battle of Ourique in 1139 he styled himself king, and in 1143 he won Alfonso VII's recognition in the Treaty of Zamora. In 1147 he took Santarém and, with the help of passing Crusaders, captured Lisbon.

Founder of the state

In 1169 he was defeated, wounded and captured at Badajoz, after which his son Sancho shared the burden of military affairs. In 1179 Pope Alexander III formally recognized his royal title. Holding power for nearly sixty years, he expanded a county into a kingdom stretching beyond the Tagus. Revered in Portugal as "the Founder," he is buried in the Monastery of Santa Cruz in Coimbra.

Legacy

Afonso I of Portugal (Afonso Henriques) was the founder of the Kingdom of Portugal. Through war and diplomacy he turned Portugal from a county subordinate to León into an independent kingdom recognized by the pope, and pushed its frontier south of the Tagus. His capture of Lisbon in 1147 laid the geographic foundation for Portugal's later development. The scale of the Battle of Ourique and legends such as the "apparition of Christ" before it are largely later embellishments meant to legitimize royal power.

Major works & achievements

• 1128: Wins the county at the Battle of São Mamede
• 1139: Proclaimed himself king after the Battle of Ourique
• 1147: Takes Santarém and Lisbon
• Royal title recognized by the pope in 1179

Did you know? Guimarães is called "the cradle of Portugal," and its city wall bears the words "Portugal was born here."

Key dates

• 1109Born around this year
• 1128Defeats his mother's faction at the Battle of São Mamede
• 1139Proclaims himself king after the Battle of Ourique
• 1143Recognized by León in the Treaty of Zamora
• 1147Takes Santarém and Lisbon
• 1169Defeated and captured at Badajoz
• 1179Pope recognizes his royal title
• 1185Died in Coimbra