Alphonse V of Portugal

Alphonse V, called the African because of his conquests in the North of Africa, thirteenth king de Portugal and third of dynasty of Aviz, were born with Sintra on January 15th, 1432 and died in the same city on August 28th, 1481. He was the son of the king Edouard Ier of Portugal and his wife Aliénor d' Aragon. He succeeded his father in 1438.

Regency

Alphonse is only 6 years old with died of his father who had designated his wife, Aliénor as regent. This choice is very unpopular because the queen is foreign and, after various adventures, whose test of Co-regency, the municipality of Lisbon prefers Pierre to him, duke of Coimbra, brother of the late one. The other assemblies of the country confirm this choice, and Pierre obtains regency definitively.

The new regent tries to limit the development of the large aristocratic houses, true kingdoms in the kingdom, and to concentrate the capacity in the hands of the king. Under its administration, the country knows one period of economic prosperity but the political climate is degraded and the nobility plots. In 1442, at the 10 years age, the king marries his cousin Isabelle, the girl of Pierre, which consolidates the position of the regent but the same year it names his uncle Alphonse duke of Bragance. With this title, this rival of the regent becomes the most powerful man of the Portugal and one of richest of Europe.

When Alphonse reaches his 14 years, lawful age to reign, it maintains his/her uncle Pierre in his functions of regent. This one is then shown to want to confiscate the sceptre with its profit. The opponents of Pierre end up convincing the king who, on June 9th, 1448, cancels regency and assumes only the capacity. The king cancels all the decisions taken under regency and, under a false pretext, declares the duke of Coimbra rebellious. He follows an armed conflict which costs the life Pierre with the Bataille of Alfarrobeira. Thus the most remarkable prince of the dies illustrates generation.

Ordering of the kingdom

The reign of Alphonse sees the result of an old project of compilation and modernization of the laws which govern the kingdom of Portugal. These laws were numerous and emanated from various sources (moyenageuses charters, monarchical decrees, canon law), so that legal dispersion was very large. Work was initiated under the reign of Jean Ier under the control of João Mendes, then continued, after the death of this last, by Rui Fernandes under the reign of Edouard Ier, regency, then under the reign of Alphonse V.

The result is published in 1446 under the name of " Ordenações C Senhor Rei Afonso V". There is no systematic division by subjects; it is thus not a code. Its structure is not based on the objectives of the texts but of course their origin. A precedence is established in the event of conflict: in the order, come initially the general laws from the nation, then the canonical laws and, finally, the Roman laws. Although rudimentary, this work constitutes an major advance in the evolution of the Portuguese right.

The continuation of the discoveries

As from 1440, under the influence of infant Henri the Navigator, uncle d' Alphonse, maritime forwardings begin again:

of 1441 to 1445 Antão Gonçalves carries out three voyages to the south of the Cape Bojador and brings back for Rio Negro some negros who are the first to be unloaded in Portugal, initiating the Traite blacks. In reward of this act of " bravoure" , Antão is armed knight by Nuno Tristão, the captain-mor of forwarding.

* In 1445, Lançarote, Gonçalo de Sintra and Dinis Dias reach the Cap Verde, João Gonçalves Zarco accosts on the island of Gorée and with the Cape of the Chechmates and João Fernandes opens the first counter on the island of Argum, in the south of the Cape Blanc.

In 1461 one quotes that Madeira, discovered virgin of human occupation in 1419, exported already grain but the production of sugar was prevalent there (the techniques used were copied later with the Brésil)

In 1479, the Treated of Alcáçovas reserve the the Canaries with the Castille and the archipelagoes of Madeira, the the Azores and the Cap Verde, with the Portugal. Portugal receives also the right to conquer Fez and the exclusive trade with the Guinea.

Conquests in Morocco

The fall of Constantinople, on May 29th, 1453, had been an event traumatisant for the Christian world causing of the calls to the crusade. Alphonse V gathers his troops but the other Western monarchs do not answer the call. The king then launches his men in the conquest of the Morocco. Quickly, the Portuguese seize Alcácer Ceguer (1458) but are there trapped by the troops of the king of Fez. In 1463, they fail in the catch of Tangier and Asilah. One second attempt in 1471 is more success which sees the catch of very populeuse and thrives Asilah, whereas Tangier goes without fighting.

The crisis of succession in Castille

The king Henri IV of Castille had married in second weddings, Jeanne, posthumous girl of the king Edouard of Portugal. From this union had been born the princess Jeanne, second wife of Alphonse V. The legitimacy of Jeanne to the throne of Castille is disputed by the sister of Henri, Isabelle, wife of Ferdinand II of Aragon. The death of Henri in 1474 starts the war of succession to the throne of Castille. To take advantage of the rights of his wife, Alphonse invades Castille, constant by the king of France, Louis XI. The Portuguese troops are overcome by the troops of Isabelle and Ferdinand to the Bataille of Toro in 1476, mainly because of the defection of the Castilians, anxious of the alliance of Alphonse with foreign powers.

Abdication and end of reign

Finally, in 1471, the future king Jean II of Portugal managed to make peace with his neighbors with a project of marriage between his son Alphonse and Isabelle, heiress of Castille. The Jeanne princess finishes her days in a convent and Alphonse V died on August 28th, 1481.

A king well-read man

Alphonse V had the scholarship in blood. He did not write original works, like Edouard or Pierre, but it formed a library and supported the literature. In that, it was an example.

Descent

First wife, Isabelle de Coimbra, princess of Portugal (1432-1455)

Jean (1451)
Jeanne, Princess of Portugal (Holy Jeanne) (1452-1490)
Jean II, King de Portugal (1455-1481)

Second wife, Jeanne de Castille, known as the " Beltraneja" , princess of Castille (1462-1530)

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