Count of

Linhares Linhares is the name of a municipality in the state of Espírito Santo, Brazil, north of the state capital, Vitória. It is the largest municipality by area in the state, at 9,501.6 km², and has a population of 176,688 people (2020). The ...

(in Portuguese ''Conde de Linhares'') was a Portuguese

title of nobility Nobility is a social class found in many societies that have an aristocracy. It is normally ranked immediately below royalty. Nobility has often been an estate of the realm with many exclusive functions and characteristics. The characterist ...

created by a royal decree of king John III of Portugal dated from May 13th, 1532, and granted to '' Dom'' António de Noronha, 2nd son of Pedro de Menezes, 1st

Marquis of Vila Real Marquis of Vila Real (in Portuguese ''Marquês de Vila Real'') was a Portuguese title of nobility created by a royal decree, dated from 1 March 1489, by King John II of Portugal, and granted to ''Dom'' Pedro de Menezes, also known as Peter II ...

. This family went to live in

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 ...

and remained faithful to the Spanish Habsburgs even after the Portuguese revolution of 1 December 1640, so the new Dynasty of Braganza no longer recognized them as Counts of Linhares. Later, in the 19th Century, Queen

Maria I of Portugal Dom (title), Dona Maria I (17 December 1734 – 20 March 1816) was Queen of Portugal from 24 February 1777 until her death in 1816. Known as Maria the Pious in Portugal and Maria the Mad in Brazil, she was the first undisputed queen regnant of Por ...

, granted again the title of count of Linhares (second creation), by a royal decree dated from December 17th, 1808, to Rodrigo de Sousa Coutinho, 1st Count of Linhares Governor of

Portuguese Angola Portuguese Angola refers to Angola during the historic period when it was a territory under Portuguese rule in southwestern Africa. In the same context, it was known until 1951 as Portuguese West Africa (officially the State of West Africa). I ...

, Portuguese ambassador in

Turin Turin ( , Piedmontese: ; it, Torino ) is a city and an important business and cultural centre in Northern Italy. It is the capital city of Piedmont and of the Metropolitan City of Turin, and was the first Italian capital from 1861 to 1865. The ...

and a remarkable statesman.

List of the counts of Linhares

First creation (1532)

#António de Noronha (1464–1551), 1st Count of Linhares; #Francisco de Noronha (1507–1574), 2nd Count of Linhares; #Fernando de Noronha (c. 1540 – 1608), 3rd Count of Linhares; # Miguel de Noronha (c. 1585 – 1647), 4th Count of Linhares; #Fernando de Noronha (c.1600- ? ), 5th Count and 1st Duke of Linhares (not recognized in Portugal); #Miguel de Noronha (1645- ? ), 6th Count and 2nd Duke of Linhares (not recognized in Portugal).

Second creation (1808)

# Rodrigo de Sousa Coutinho, 1st Count of Linhares (1755–1812); # Vitório Maria de Sousa Coutinho, 2nd Count of Linhares (1790–1857); #Rodrigo de Sousa Coutinho (1823–1894), 3rd Count of Linhares; #Fernando de Sousa Coutinho (1850–1897), 4th Count of Linhares; #Nuno de Sousa Coutinho (1854–1929), 5th Count of Linhares; #Carlos de Sousa Coutinho (1880- ? ), 6th Count of Linhares; #Nuno de Sousa Coutinho (1914–2006), 7th Count of Linhares.

The Dukes of Linhares/Liñares (Spanish title)

After 1640, to reward Fernando de Noronha, 5th Count of Linhares, fidelity to 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 ...

, King

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 ...

upgraded the title of Count to Duke of Linhares. However, as he was no longer King of Portugal, this title was never recognized in Portugal, but it still exists in Spain as Duke of Liñares once, in 1667, King

Charles II of Spain Charles II of Spain (''Spanish: Carlos II,'' 6 November 1661 – 1 November 1700), known as the Bewitched (''Spanish: El Hechizado''), was the last Habsburg ruler of the Spanish Empire. Best remembered for his physical disabilities and the War ...

changed it to the Spanish spelling. The title of Duke of Liñares was later inherited by the Spanish Fernando de Lancastre y Noroña, Marquis of Porto Seguro,

Duke of Abrantes Duke of Abrantes ( es, Duque de Abrantes) is a hereditary title in the Peerage of Spain, accompanied by the dignity of Grandee and granted in 1642 by Philip IV to Alfonso de Láncaster, son of the 3rd Duke of Aveiro and a great-grandchild ...

and Duke of Liñares (all these three titles were granted by King Philip IV after 1640, to reward the fidelity of some Portuguese aristocrats to the Habsburgs and are not valid in Portugal).

External links

Genealogy of the Counts of Linhares (first creation), in PortugueseGenealogy of the Counts of Linhares (second creation), in PortugueseGenealogy of the Dukes of Linhares, in PortugueseGenealogy of the Spanish Dukes of Linares, in Spanish

Bibliography

"Nobreza de Portugal e do Brasil" – Vol. II, pages 688/692. Published by Zairol Lda., Lisbon 1989.