Sanche Ier of Portugal

Sanche Ier , known as the Plowman , the Founder , the Colonizer or Popular the , second king de Portugal and king of the Algarves as from 1189, was born the November 11th 1154 (perhaps in 1153) with Coimbra, is deceased the March 27th 1211 and is buried with the monastery of Holy-Cross of Coimbra. He was the son of Alphonse Ier and Mathilde of Savoy.

In 1181 (or perhaps 1174), it married Douce of Aragon, deceased on September 1st 1198 which was the girl of Pétronille d' Aragon and Raymond-Berenger IV, count de Barcelone.

Facts

In 1170, Sanche was armed knight by his father and became his right-hand man as well from the military point of view as administrative. During these first times of independence, the Crown had many enemies, to start with the Kings de Castille and León which had been the Masters of Portugal. Moreover, the Catholic church still did not bless the independence of Portugal. In compensation, Sanche sought allies in the Iberian peninsula, in particular at the traditional enemy of Castille, the Royaume of Aragon, which was thus the first to recognize Portugal. An agreement was sealed with Aragon by the marriage of Sanche, which was then crown prince, with the infante Douce of Aragon.

At the time of died of Alphonse Ier in 1185, Sanche became the second king of Portugal. With Coimbra like centers of its kingdom, Sanche believed to have finished the wars of borders by the conquest of the Galicia and intensified the war against the Moors in the south. With the assistance of the cross , in 1191, Sanche conquered Silves, an important administrative and economic center of the south, with a population of 20.000 people, at the time (in 1193, its population was of 10.500 inhabitants). Sanche made strengthen the city and build the castle which is still visited today. The possession of Silves was transitory because, when king de Castille and of León threatened north again, the Moors took again the city.

Sanche Ier worked much with the political organization, administrative and economic of its kingdom. It accumulated a royal treasure and encouraged with the creation of industries and the development of the middle-class of tradesmen and of going. It dissolved various cities and populated the withdrawn places of the kingdom by emigrants of Flanders and Burgundy. This king is also known for his taste of arts and the literature. He left some books of poetry.

Descent

Of its Soft wife, of Barcelona, infante of Aragon (1152-1198):

  • Therese, infante of Portugal (1176-1250), Maria with the king Alphonse IX of Castille.
  • Sancha, infante of Portugal (env.1180-1229), abbess of Lorvão.
  • Raymund (approx. 1180-1189).
  • Constancy, infante of Portugal (1182-1202).
  • Alphonse II of Portugal (1185-1202).
  • Pierre, infant of Portugal (1187-1258), count of the Canary islands; it Maria with Aurembiax Armanfel, countess of Urgel.
  • Ferdinand, infant of Portugal (1188-1223); he was prisoner in Bouvines and Maria with Jeanne of Constantinople, countess of Flanders.
  • Henri (1190-?)
  • White, infante of Portugal (approx. 1192-1240), lady of Guadalajara.
  • Berénguère, infante of Portugal (1194-1221) married with Valdemar II of Denmark.
  • Mafalda, infante of Portugal (approx. 1200-1257) married with Henri Ier de Castille.

And of the illegitimate children

Of Maria Feed Ribeira, Ribeirinha

  • Rodrigo Sanches
  • Gil Sanches
  • Nuno Sanches
  • Maior Sanches
  • Therese Sanches married with Afonso Teles of Menezes de Albuquerque
  • Constance Sanches

Of Maria Surfaces of Fornelos

  • Martin Sanches of Portugal, comt of Trastamara
  • Urraque Sanches

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