Chief Armourer of the Kingdom ( pt, Armeiro-Mor do Reino, also given as ''Armador-Mor'' especially in older sources) was a courtly position in the

Kingdom of Portugal The Kingdom of Portugal ( la, Regnum Portugalliae, pt, Reino de Portugal) was a monarchy in the western Iberian Peninsula and the predecessor of the modern Portuguese Republic. Existing to various extents between 1139 and 1910, it was also kno ...

, instituted by King Afonso V. Their duties consisted of assisting the monarch with dressing in his armour, taking care of the monarch's weapons, and supplying him whenever he was to take arms. The Chief Armourer was also the depositary of the precious ''

Livro do Armeiro-Mor The Livro do Armeiro-Mor is an illuminated manuscript dating back to 1509, during the reign of Manuel I of Portugal, King Manuel I of Kingdom of Portugal, Portugal. The codex is an armorial, a collection of heraldic arms, authored by the King of A ...

'', the oldest and most important roll of arms of the Kingdom, starting with

Álvaro da Costa D. Álvaro da Costa (c. 1470–1540) was a Portuguese '' fidalgo'', diplomat and close advisor to King Manuel I. He is particularly well-remembered today for having filled the important court position of Chief Armourer of Portugal: the 1509 '' ...

, who occupied the position under King Manuel I in c. 1508–1522. The office became hereditary under Álvaro da Costa, and would later pass to the Counts and Viscounts of Mesquitela.

List of Chief Armourers of the Kingdom

Tentative list published in Luís Caetano de Lima's ''Geografia Histórica de Todos os Estados Soberanos da Europa'' (1734): # Vasco Anes Corte-Real # Antão de Faria # Gomes de Figueiredo # Agostinho Caldeira #

# Duarte da Costa # Álvaro da Costa # Francisco da Costa # Gonçalo da Costa # Pedro da Costa # António Estêvão da Costa # José da Costa e Sousa # José Francisco da Costa, 2nd Viscount of Mesquitela # Luís da Costa de Sousa Macedo e Albuquerque, 1st Count of Mesquitela

References

{{Reflist Portuguese noble titles