TWELFTH GENERATION

537. ALFONSO I HENRIQUES of Portugal was born on 25 Jul 1110 in Guimaräaes, Portugal. He died on 6 Dec 1185 in Coimbra, Portugal. From Encyclopedia Britannica Online, article titled "Alfonso I:"

"also called Afonso Henriques, byname AFONSO THE CONQUEROR, Portuguese AFONSO O
CONQUISTADOR, the first king of Portugal (1139-85), who conquered Santarâem and Lisbon from the Muslims (1147) and secured Portuguese independence from Leon (1139).

"Alfonso VI, emperor of Leon, had granted the county of Portugal to Afonso's father, Henry of Burgundy, who successfully defended it against the Muslims (1095-1112). Henry married Alfonso VI's illegitimate daughter, Teresa, who governed Portugal from the time of her husband's death (1112) until her son Afonso came of age. She refused to cede her power to Afonso, but his party prevailed in the Battle of Säao Mamede, near Guimaräaes (1128). Though at first obliged as a vassal to submit to his cousin Alfonso VII of Leon, Afonso assumed the title of king in 1139.

"By victory in the Battle of Ourique (1139) he was able to impose tribute on his Muslim neighbours; and in 1147 he further captured Santarâem and, availing himself of the services of passing crusaders, successfully laid siege to Lisbon. He carried his frontiers beyond the Tagus River, annexing Beja in 1162 and âEvora in 1165; in attacking Badajoz, he was taken prisoner but then released. He married Mafalda of Savoy and associated his son, Sancho I, with his power. By the time of his death he had created a stable and independent monarchy."

He was married to MATILDA de MAURIENNE (daughter of AMADEUS III de MAURIENNE and MATILDE of Vienne) in 1146. MATILDA de MAURIENNE was born about 1125. She died on 4 Nov 1157 in Coimbra, Portugal. ALFONSO I HENRIQUES of Portugal and MATILDA de MAURIENNE had the following children:

623 i. Henrique of Portugal was born on 5 Mar 1146/47. Died young.
624 ii. Mafalda was born in 1149. She died in 1173.
+625 iii. Queen Urraca of Portugal.
626 iv. Sancha was born about 1153. She died after 1159.
627 v. Sancho I Martino of Portugal was born on 11 Nov 1154 in Coimbra, Portugal. He died on 26 Mar 1212 in Coimbra, Portugal. From Encyclopedia Britannica Online, article titled "Sancho I:"

"byname SANCHO THE FOUNDER, OR THE POPULATOR, Portuguese SANCHO O FUNADOR, OR O POVOADOR, second king of Portugal (1185-1211), son of Afonso I. Sancho's reign was marked by a resettlement of the depopulated areas of his country, by the establishment of new towns, and by the rebuilding of frontier strongholds and castles. To facilitate his plans, he encouraged foreign settlers and enlisted bishops, religious orders, and nobles in his colonization projects, granting vast territories to the
military orders (the Hospitalers, the Templars, the Orders of Calatrava and Santiago). After an invasion by the Almohad prince Abu Yusuf Ya'qub al-Mansur, Sancho used the help of a passing crusader fleet to capture Silves from the Moors (1189), but lost it (1191) and other lands south of the Tagus River when al-Mansur again attacked. Sancho quarreled both with his bishops and with Rome over the payment of tribute."
628 vi. Joao was born in 1156. Died young.
629 vii. Teresa (Matilda) of Portugal was born in 1157. She died on 6 May 1218 in drowned off Flanders.

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