António Luís de Meneses, 1st Marquis of Marialva and 3rd

Count of Cantanhede {{for, the Condal title, Count of Marialva Count of Cantanhede (in Portuguese ''Conde de Cantanhede'') was a Portuguese title of nobility created by a royal decree, dated from 6 August 1479, by King Afonso V of Portugal, and granted to '' D.'' P ...

(13 December 1596 – 16 August 1675) was a member of the

Forty Conspirators The Forty Conspirators (Portuguese: ''Os Conjurados'') were a Portuguese nationalist group during the Iberian Union. The Conspirators were composed of forty men of the Portuguese nobility, and many clergy and soldiers. Their goal was to depo ...

and a Portuguese general who fought in the Portuguese Restoration War, that ended the

Iberian Union pt, União Ibérica , conventional_long_name =Iberian Union , common_name = , year_start = 1580 , date_start = 25 August , life_span = 1580–1640 , event_start = War of the Portuguese Succession , event_end = Portuguese Restoration War , ...

between

Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic ( pt, República Portuguesa, links=yes ), is a country whose mainland is located on the Iberian Peninsula of Southwestern Europe, and whose territory also includes the Atlantic archipelagos of ...

and

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

Biography

Meneses was born in a noble family - his father was Dom Pedro de Menezes, 2nd count of Cantanhede, and his mother Dona Constança de Gusmão (daughter of Rui Gonçalves da Câmara, 1st count of Vila Franca). Meneses was one of the

involved in the revolution against the

Spanish Habsburgs Habsburg Spain is a contemporary historiographical term referring to the huge extent of territories (including modern-day Spain, a piece of south-east France, eventually Portugal, and many other lands outside of the Iberian Peninsula) ruled be ...

on 1 December 1640. He took active part in the storming of the residence and the capture of the

Duchess of Mantua Lady of Mantua House of Gonzaga, 1328–1433 Marchioness of Mantua House of Gonzaga, 1433–1530 Duchess of Mantua House of Gonzaga, 1530–1627 House of Gonzaga ) , type = Noble house , country = , estates ...

, who governed Portugal in the name of

Philip IV of Spain Philip IV ( es, Felipe, pt, Filipe; 8 April 160517 September 1665), also called the Planet King (Spanish: ''Rey Planeta''), was King of Spain from 1621 to his death and (as Philip III) King of Portugal from 1621 to 1640. Philip is remembered ...

(Philip III of Portugal). In 1641 he was assigned as general-commander (''mestre-de-campo'') of the Portuguese forces loyal to

John IV of Portugal John IV ( pt, João, ; 19 March 1604 – 6 November 1656), nicknamed John the Restorer ( pt, João, o Restaurador), was the King of Portugal whose reign, lasting from 1640 until his death, began the Portuguese restoration of independence from H ...

, and he organized the defences against Spanish attacks. He participated in almost every battle of the Portuguese Restoration War between 1641 and 1665. His greatest victories were the

Battle of the Lines of Elvas The Battle of the Lines of Elvas (), was fought on 14 January 1659, in Elvas, between Portugal and Spain during the Portuguese Restoration War. It ended in a decisive Portuguese victory. Background By 1659, the Portuguese Restoration War whic ...

in 1659 and the

Battle of Montes Claros The Battle of Montes Claros was fought on 17 June 1665, near Vila Viçosa, between Spanish and a combined Anglo-Portuguese force as the last major battle in the Portuguese Restoration War. The battle resulted in a decisive Portuguese victory an ...

in 1665. After the success in the first battle the Count of Cantanhede received among several honors, the title of Marquis of Marialva on 11 June 1661. He was present at the signing of the

Treaty of Lisbon The Treaty of Lisbon (initially known as the Reform Treaty) is an international agreement that amends the two treaties which form the constitutional basis of the European Union (EU). The Treaty of Lisbon, which was signed by the EU member s ...

on 13 February 1668. After his victory at Montes Claros, he also worked to establish the Convent of São Pedro de Alcântara.

References

External links

1596 births 1675 deaths People from Cantanhede, Portugal Portuguese generals Portuguese military commanders of the Portuguese Restoration War 17th-century Portuguese people Portuguese nobility Portuguese revolutionaries {{Portugal-noble-stub