The House of Abrantes (

Portuguese Portuguese may refer to: * anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Portugal ** Portuguese cuisine, traditional foods ** Portuguese language, a Romance language *** Portuguese dialects, variants of the Portuguese language ** Portu ...

: ''Casa de Abrantes'') descends from the ancient and noble Almeida family.

King Afonso V Afonso V () (15 January 1432 – 28 August 1481), known by the sobriquet the African (), was King of Portugal from 1438 until his death in 1481, with a brief interruption in 1477. His sobriquet refers to his military conquests in Northern Africa. ...

granted the land around

Abrantes Abrantes () is a concelho, municipality in the Centro Region, Portugal, central Médio Tejo Subregion, Médio Tejo subregion of Portugal. The population was 39,325, in an area of . The municipality includes several parishes divided by the Tagus ...

to his cousin, Lopo de Almeida, 1st

Count of Abrantes Count of Abrantes (in Portuguese ''Conde de Abrantes'') was a Portuguese title of nobility created by a royal decree, dated from June 13, 1476, by King Afonso V of Portugal, and granted to his 4th cousin, Lopo de Almeida. ''Dom'' Lopo was close ...

in 1476. The title and lands descended in the Almeida family until 1650 when its male line expired and the estate reverted to the Crown. The estate and

noble title Traditional rank amongst European royalty, peers, and nobility is rooted in Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages. Although they vary over time and among geographic regions (for example, one region's prince might be equal to another's grand duke), ...

were granted to the

Sá Sá is a Portuguese language, Portuguese, Spanish language, Spanish and Sephardic Jewish surname. It has a high incidence in Portuguese-speaking countries, such as Portugal, Brazil and Angola. It is still very common in countries like India, Cambod ...

family, Counts of Penaguião in 1718 and devolved via the Lancastres, Counts of Vila Nova, now represented by the ''Lancastre e Távora'' branch of the family.

The Counts of Abrantes

In 1476, King

Afonso V of Portugal Afonso V () (15 January 1432 – 28 August 1481), known by the sobriquet the African (), was King of Portugal from 1438 until his death in 1481, with a brief interruption in 1477. His sobriquet refers to his military conquests in Northern Africa. ...

granted

Dom Dom or DOM may refer to: People and fictional characters * Dom (given name), including fictional characters * Dom (surname) * Dom La Nena (born 1989), stage name of Brazilian-born cellist, singer and songwriter Dominique Pinto * Dom people, an et ...

Lopo de Almeida, a descendant of King

Pedro I of Portugal Peter I (Portuguese: ''Pedro I'', ; 8 April 1320 – 18 January 1367), called the Just (''o Justiceiro'') or the Cruel (''o Cruel''), was King of Portugal from 1357 until his death. He was the third but only surviving son of Afonso IV of Portuga ...

through an illegitimate line, the title of

, which became extinct when Dom Miguel de Almeida, 4th Count of Abrantes and a

Restoration Restoration is the act of restoring something to its original state and may refer to: * Conservation and restoration of cultural heritage ** Audio restoration ** Film restoration ** Image restoration ** Textile restoration * Restoration ecology ...

hero, died without issue. When Isabel de Mendonça, the Count of Abrantes’ heir, married

João Rodrigues de Sá João Rodrigues de Sá (c.1555 – ? ) was the first Count of Penaguião, a Portuguese title. He was succeeded by his son Francisco de Sá de Menezes (1598–1647) and then his son João Rodrigues de Sá e Menezes (1619–1658). His son Francisco d ...

, 1st

Count of Penaguião Count of Penaguião (in Portuguese ''Conde de Penaguião'') is a Portuguese title of nobility, created by King Philip I of Portugal, on 10 February 1583, for '' Dom'' João Rodrigues de Sá. The noble family of Sá were elevated as Marquises of ...

, the Count of Abrantes revived for the Sá family.

The Marquesses of Abrantes

In 1659, King Afonso VI granted Francisco de Sá e Menezes (1640–1677), 4th Count of Penaguião, the new title of 1st Marquess of Fontes, which was replaced in 1718 with the title of Marquess of Abrantes according to

King King is the title given to a male monarch in a variety of contexts. The female equivalent is queen, which title is also given to the consort of a king. *In the context of prehistory, antiquity and contemporary indigenous peoples, the tit ...

John V John V may refer to: * Patriarch John V of Alexandria or John the Merciful (died by 620), Patriarch of Alexandria from 606 to 616 * John V of Constantinople, Patriarch from 669 to 675 * Pope John V (685–686), Pope from 685 to his death in 686 * J ...

’s decree.

The Duchesses of Abrantes

Twice, on exceptional occasions, the title of Duchess of Abrantes was granted to two Marchionesses of Abrantes upon becoming the Queen of Portugal's

Maid of Honour A maid of honour is a junior attendant of a queen in royal households. The position was and is junior to the lady-in-waiting. The equivalent title and office has historically been used in most European royal courts. Role Traditionally, a queen r ...

(in Portuguese ''Camareiras-Môr''), the highest court position for a lady: *In 1753, King

Joseph I of Portugal Dom Joseph I ( pt, José Francisco António Inácio Norberto Agostinho, ; 6 June 1714 – 24 February 1777), known as the Reformer (Portuguese: ''o Reformador''), was King of Portugal from 31 July 1750 until his death in 1777. Among other activ ...

granted the 3rd Marchioness of Abrantes, Ana Maria Catarina Henriqueta de Lorena, the title of Duchess of Abrantes for life. *In 1757, her daughter, Maria Margarida de Lorena, 4th Marchioness of Abrantes, was created Duchess of Abrantes also for life.

House of Lancastre e Távora

When Maria Margarida, Duchess of Abrantes died without issue in 1780, the Abrantes estates and titles were inherited by the Lancastre family, Counts of Vila Nova de Portimão (who descended from infante George of Lencastre, 2nd

Duke of Coimbra Duke of Coimbra ( pt, Duque de Coimbra) was an aristocratic Portuguese title with the level of royal dukedom, that is, associated with the Portuguese royal house, created in 1415, by King John I of Portugal to his 2nd male son, Infante Pedr ...

). The union of Isabel de Lancastre e Menezes with Manuel Rafael de Távora formed the ''Lencastre e Távora'' (or Lancastre e Távora) family, the current representatives of the noble title. Dom José Maria da Piedade de Lencastre e Távora (born 1960) is the 11th and present Marquess of Abrantes.

Titles used by members of the House of Abrantes

*Count of Abrantes - granted by King

Afonso V Afonso V () (15 January 1432 – 28 August 1481), known by the sobriquet the African (), was King of Portugal from 1438 until his death in 1481, with a brief interruption in 1477. His sobriquet refers to his military conquests in Northern Africa. ...

in 1476, but became extinct in 1650 when the 4th Count died without issue; *Count of Vila Nova de Portimão - granted by King

Manuel I Manuel I may refer to: *Manuel I Komnenos, Byzantine emperor (1143–1180) *Manuel I of Trebizond, Emperor of Trebizond (1228–1263) *Manuel I of Portugal Manuel I (; 31 May 146913 December 1521), known as the Fortunate ( pt, O Venturoso), was ...

in 1504; *Count of Matosinhos e São João da Foz - granted by the Cardinal-King

Henry I Henry I may refer to: 876–1366 * Henry I the Fowler, King of Germany (876–936) * Henry I, Duke of Bavaria (died 955) * Henry I of Austria, Margrave of Austria (died 1018) * Henry I of France (1008–1060) * Henry I the Long, Margrave of the ...

in 1580; *Count of Penaguião - granted by King

Philip I Philip(p) I may refer to: * Philip I of Macedon (7th century BC) * Philip I Philadelphus (between 124 and 109 BC–83 or 75 BC) * Philip the Arab (c. 204–249), Roman Emperor * Philip I of France (1052–1108) * Philip I (archbishop of Cologne) (1 ...

in 1583; *Marquess of Fontes - granted by King Afonso VI in 1659 and absorbed into the marquisate of Abrantes in 1718; *Marquess of Abrantes - granted by King

in 1718; *Duchess of Abrantes - granted by King

Joseph I Joseph I or Josef I may refer to: *Joseph I of Constantinople, Ecumenical Patriarch in 1266–1275 and 1282–1283 *Joseph I, Holy Roman Emperor (1678–1711) *Joseph I (Chaldean Patriarch) (reigned 1681–1696) *Joseph I of Portugal (1750–1777) ...

in 1753 and again 1757 as dukedoms for life; the title expired in 1780.

The Palace of Santos

The Palace of Santos, or Palace of the Marquesses of Abrantes, where the French embassy is located in

Lisbon Lisbon (; pt, Lisboa ) is the capital and largest city of Portugal, with an estimated population of 544,851 within its administrative limits in an area of 100.05 km2. Grande Lisboa, Lisbon's urban area extends beyond the city's administr ...

, resulted from a major historical and architectural evolution. The name "Santos" refers to three Christian martyrs executed on the top of a Lisbon hill and, in 589, when the Visigoth King

Reccared I Reccared I (or Recared; la, Flavius Reccaredus; es, Flavio Recaredo; 559 – December 601; reigned 586–601) was Visigothic King of Hispania and Septimania. His reign marked a climactic shift in history, with the king's renunciation of Arianis ...

converted to Christianity, a temple in remembrance of the three saints was built there; it was later destroyed. Following the conquest of Lisbon, King

Afonso I of Portugal Afonso I of PortugalOr also ''Affonso'' (Archaic Portuguese-Galician) or ''Alphonso'' (Portuguese-Galician) or ''Alphonsus'' (Latin version), sometimes rendered in English as ''Alphonzo'' or ''Alphonse'', depending on the Spanish or French inf ...

rebuilt the church and gave it to the

Order of Santiago The Order of Santiago (; es, Orden de Santiago ), is a religious and military order founded in the 12th century. It owes its name to the Patron Saint of Spain, "Santiago" ( St. James the Greater). Its initial objective was to protect the pilgr ...

, which made it their headquarters. When the knights left to the

Reconquista The ' (Spanish, Portuguese and Galician for "reconquest") is a historiographical construction describing the 781-year period in the history of the Iberian Peninsula between the Umayyad conquest of Hispania in 711 and the fall of the Nasrid ...

, the building was converted on the south into a noble ladies' convent (the ''Comendadeiras''). In 1490, they abandoned the building in favor of a new convent, and the building then took the name of ''Santos-o-Velho'' (in Portuguese, literally, "the old Santos"). In 1497, under King

Manuel I of Portugal Manuel I (; 31 May 146913 December 1521), known as the Fortunate ( pt, O Venturoso), was King of Portugal from 1495 to 1521. A member of the House of Aviz, Manuel was Duke of Beja and Viseu prior to succeeding his cousin, John II of Portugal, a ...

, the building was transformed into a royal residence due to its unique location facing the

Tagus The Tagus ( ; es, Tajo ; pt, Tejo ; see #Name, below) is the longest river in the Iberian Peninsula. The river rises in the Montes Universales near Teruel, in mid-eastern Spain, flows , generally west with two main south-westward sections ...

river and between the centre of Lisbon and the new area of

Belém Belém (; Portuguese for Bethlehem; initially called Nossa Senhora de Belém do Grão-Pará, in English Our Lady of Bethlehem of Great Pará) often called Belém of Pará, is a Brazilian city, capital and largest city of the state of Pará in t ...

. It was frequently used by Kings Manuel I, John III and Sebastian. In 1510,

Gil Vicente Gil Vicente (; c. 1465c. 1536), called the Trobadour, was a Portuguese playwright and poet who acted in and directed his own plays. Considered the chief dramatist of Portugal he is sometimes called the "Portuguese Plautus," often refe ...

presented some of his plays (in Portuguese: ''autos'') there, and from that location King

Sebastian of Portugal Sebastian ( pt, Sebastião I ; 20 January 1554 – 4 August 1578) was King of Portugal from 11 June 1557 to 4 August 1578 and the penultimate Portuguese monarch of the House of Aviz. He was the son of João Manuel, Prince of Portugal, and hi ...

left to join the

Battle of Alcácer Quibir The Battle of Alcácer Quibir (also known as "Battle of Three Kings" ( ar, معركة الملوك الثلاثة) or "Battle of Wadi al-Makhazin" ( ar, معركة وادي المخازن) in Morocco) was fought in northern Morocco, near the t ...

. Following Alcácer Quibir, the palace was abandoned and, in 1629, it was acquired by Francisco Luís de Lencastre, 3rd high-

Commendator In canon law, commendam (or ''in commendam'') was a form of transferring an ecclesiastical benefice ''in trust'' to the ''custody'' of a patron. The phrase ''in commendam'' was originally applied to the provisional occupation of an ecclesiastica ...

(in Portuguese ''Comendador-Môr'') of the

Order of Aviz The Military Order of Saint Benedict of Aviz ( pt, Ordem Militar de São Bento de Avis, ), previously to 1910 ''Royal Military Order of Saint Benedict of Aviz'' ( pt, Real Ordem Militar de São Bento de Avis), previously to 1789 ''Knights'' (of ...

, a descendant of

infante ''Infante'' (, ; f. ''infanta''), also anglicised as Infant or translated as Prince, is the title and rank given in the Iberian kingdoms of Spain (including the predecessor kingdoms of Aragon, Castile, Navarre, and León) and Portugal to t ...

George of Lencastre (natural son of King

John II John II may refer to: People * John Cicero, Elector of Brandenburg (1455–1499) * John II Casimir Vasa of Poland (1609–1672) * John II Comyn, Lord of Badenoch (died 1302) * John II Doukas of Thessaly (1303–1318) * John II Komnenos (1087–1 ...

), and it was kept in the family for the next 300 years. Meanwhile, the family also inherited the title of Marquess of Abrantes. It is not known how extensively the palace was damaged by the 1755 earthquake, but several relatives took shelter there at the time. In the beginning of the 19th century, the palace was restored and the façade was rebuilt, which gave greater dignity to the building. In 1833, the infanta Ana de Jesus Maria and her husband, the 1st

Duke of Loulé Duke of Loulé is a Portuguese title of nobility created by a royal decree of King Luis I of Portugal, dated from October 3, 1862, to his grand-uncle Nuno José Severo de Mendoça Rolim de Moura Barreto, 2nd Marquis of Loulé and 9th Count of V ...

, rented part of the palace, as did

Amélie de Beauharnais ''Amélie'' (also known as ''Le Fabuleux Destin d'Amélie Poulain''; ; en, The Fabulous Destiny of Amélie Poulain, italic=yes) is a 2001 French-language romantic comedy film directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet. Written by Jeunet with Guillaume La ...

(widow of

Pedro I of Brazil Don (honorific), Dom Pedro I (English: Peter I; 12 October 1798 – 24 September 1834), nicknamed "the Liberator", was the founder and List of monarchs of Brazil, first ruler of the Empire of Brazil. As King Dom Pedro IV, he List of ...

), who lived there between 1841 and 1849. Following the death of the 8th Marquess in 1870, the palace was rented to Count Armand, French Minister in Lisbon, who established legation services there. The French government finally acquired the building in 1909. Today, the rooms are decorated with paintings and tiles and house an excellent furniture collection dating from the 17th and 18th centuries. Special attention was given to the pyramidal roof room, which was completely covered with porcelains, and to the chapel tiles, which date from the 16th century. The gardens provide a wonderful view over the Tagus. Visitors are welcome, depending on availability in accord with the needs of the embassy of France, which usually opens some rooms to public viewing on International Museum Day (18 May).

Bibliography

"Nobreza de Portugal e do Brazil" – Vol. II, pages 203/205. Zairol Lda., Lisbon 1989.

External links

The Palace of Santos – PowerPoint presentation (in French)
{{authority control Portuguese nobility