Cunha family

The Maison of Cunha ( Put da Cunha ) is one of the noble Houses of the Portugal and the Spain, where it is established since the beginning of the 12th century.

Weapons

Of gold, with new corners of test card from azure, three and three, put out of stake.

Origins

It was Alfonse-Henriques king of Portugal which gave these weapons to Payo Gutierres de Cisneros , member of a branch junior by the family of the kings of the Asturies. It took part in the reconquest of the territory near Alfonse-Henriques , was distinguished and contributed there much to the victories that this prince gained over the Moor S.

One owes him the catches of Coïmbra, Leiria and Torres Novas. But especially it was distinguished with the catch from Lisbon in 1147, or it received the name of Cunha and the grounds which bore name, by Alfonse-Henriques , after having broken the doors of the city using “cunhas” i.e. of large corners of test card.

Become thus Payo da Cunha (“da” being a particle nobilière, which one can translate by “” or rather “of”), founder of the Family Cunha , it was powerful, rich and extremely piles. One owes him in others the foundation of the monastery of Saint Simon de Junqueira. It was called “O Cunha”, i.e. “Cunha”.

Contemporary period

The most known branches belonging still nowadays to the Portuguese nobility, are that of the lords of Tabúa, the counts de Castro Marim, the lords of Gestaçô and of the counts de Cunha, that is to say a little less than one hundred people, on more: 4500 people nowadays carrying the patronym Cunha (da) throughout the world.

Relative importance of the patronym

In Portugal, since good before the revolution of 1910, the Family name can be transmitted by the women, even while being married. Thus the children can bear, keep and transmit the name of their mothers. In this manner, many famous names of Portugal were found “standardized”. However, to Portugal the quality of noble is transmitted only by the men, except in rare exceptions which do not apply to the Cunha .

That thus explains why the name of “Cunha” was found quickly diffused, and why among them, exists only one negligible handle people belonging to the Portuguese nobility.

This Iberian house with also a branch installed in Spain, the Acuña (of) , from which certain dukes from Huete, Escalona and Osone come.

Some famous characters

One also must at this house, of many large characters:

Tristan da Cunha : large explorer, whose islands still bear its name nowadays
D. António Álvares da Cunha : count de Cunha, Vice King of Brazil
João Nunes da Cunha : count de São Vicente, Vice King of the Indies
D. Luis da Cunha , ambassador of Portugal in many countries of Europe, whose France, under the reign of Louis XV and who wrote a political legacy (see lens external)
D. José Manuel da Cunha : Minister of Portugal

See too

External bonds

Bond towards a retranscription of the political legacy of D. Luis da Cunha

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