Count Count (feminine: countess) is a historical title of nobility in certain European countries, varying in relative status, generally of middling rank in the hierarchy of nobility. Pine, L. G. ''Titles: How the King Became His Majesty''. New York: ...

Alcoutim Alcoutim () is a town and a municipality in southeastern Portugal near the Portugal–Spain border. The population in 2011 was 2,917, in an area of 575.36 km². It is the least densely populated municipality in Portugal. The municipality is ...

(in Portuguese ''Conde de Alcoutim'') 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 characteristi ...

, subsidiary to the one of

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 o ...

, created by a royal decree, dated from November 15, 1496, by King

John II of Portugal John II ( pt, João II; ; 3 March 1455 – 25 October 1495), called the Perfect Prince ( pt, o Príncipe Perfeito, link=no), was King of Portugal from 1481 until his death in 1495, and also for a brief time in 1477. He is known for re-establishi ...

, and granted to ''Dom'' Fernando de Menezes, also known as Ferdinand II of Menezes, 2nd

, 4th

Count of Vila Real Count of Vila Real (in Portuguese ''Conde de Vila Real'') was a Portuguese title of nobility created by a royal decree, in 1424, by King John I of Portugal, and granted to ''Dom'' Pedro de Menezes, also known as Peter I of Menezes, 1st Count o ...

and 2nd

Count of Valença Count of Valença (in Portuguese ''Conde de Valença'') was a Portuguese title of nobility, created by a royal decree, dated from July 20, 1464, by King Afonso V of Portugal, and granted to ''Dom'' Henrique de Menezes, who was already 3rd Coun ...

. Ferdinand of Menezes had married ''Dona'' Maria Freire de Andrade, Lady of Alcoutim, and through her wife he inherited these estates.

List of the Counts of Alcoutim

# Fernando de Menezes, 2nd Marquis of Vila Real (1463- ? ), also known as Ferdinand II of Menezes, 4th

Pedro de Menezes, 3rd Marquis of Vila Real Pedro is a masculine given name. Pedro is the Spanish, Portuguese, and Galician name for '' Peter''. Its French equivalent is Pierre while its English and Germanic form is Peter. The counterpart patronymic surname of the name Pedro, meani ...

(1486- ? ), also known as Peter III of Meneses, 5th

# Miguel de Menezes, 4th Marquis of Vila Real (1520- ? ), also known as Michael I of Menezes, 6th

# Manuel de Meneses, 5th Marquis of Vila Real (1530- ? ), also known as Manuel of Menezes, 1st

Duke of Vila Real Duke of Vila Real (in Portuguese ''Duque de Vila Real'') was a Portuguese title of nobility created by royal decree, dated from February 28, 1585, by King Philip I of Portugal (also known as Philip II of Spain), and granted to ''Dom'' Manuel de M ...

and 7th

; # Miguel Luís, 6th Marquis of Vila Real (1565-1637), also known as Michael II of Menezes, 1st

Duke of Caminha Duke of Caminha (Portuguese: ''Duque de Caminha'') was a title created by royal decree, dated 14 December 1620, by King Philip III of Portugal (also known as Philip IV of Spain) for ''Dom'' Miguel Luís de Menezes, 6th Marquis of Vila Real and ...

and 8th

; #

Luis de Noronha e Meneses, 7th Marquis of Vila Real Luis is a given name. It is the Spanish form of the originally Germanic name or . Other Iberian Romance languages have comparable forms: (with an accent mark on the i) in Portuguese and Galician, in Aragonese and Catalan, while is archai ...

(1570- ? ), also known as Louis of Menezes, 9th

The Spanish Counts of Alcoutim

When the 7th Marquis of Vila Real, 6th Count of Alcoutim, along with his son the Duke of Caminha, was executed in Portugal for high treason in 1641, his daughter, Beatrice of Menezes, married to the Spanish Count of Medellin, remained in Spain. To reward her fidelity towards the Spanish

Habsburgs The House of Habsburg (), alternatively spelled Hapsburg in Englishgerman: Haus Habsburg, ; es, Casa de Habsburgo; hu, Habsburg család, it, Casa di Asburgo, nl, Huis van Habsburg, pl, dom Habsburgów, pt, Casa de Habsburgo, la, Domus Hab ...

, 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 f ...

gave her, the 23 March 1660, the title of Countess of Alcoutim as a Spanish title with, included today among the titles of the

House of Medinaceli Duke of Medinaceli () is an hereditary title in the Spanish nobility, peerage of Spain, accompanied by the dignity of Grandee. The Catholic Monarchs, Ferdinand II of Aragon and Isabella I of Castile, created the title and awarded it on 31 Octo ...

. Beatrice of Menezes never returned to her homeland and this title was never recognized in

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 ...

Counts of Alcoutim (1660-)

Princess Victoria of Hohenlohe-Langenburg, 20th Duchess of Medinaceli Princess Victoria Elisabeth of Hohenlohe-Langenburg, 20th Duchess of Medinaceli, GE (born 17 March 1997) is a Spanish-German noblewoman. Holding 43 officially recognised titles in the Spanish nobility, she is the most titled aristocrat in the wo ...

, Current Countess of Alcoutim (b.1997)http://www.fundacionmedinaceli.org/casaducal/fichaestado.aspx?id=49

External links

Genealogy of the Counts of Alcoutim, in Portuguese

Bibliography

”Nobreza de Portugal e do Brasil" – Vol. II, page 220. Published by Zairol Lda., Lisbon 1989.

References