D. Nuno Álvares Pereira,
O. Carm.
, image =
, caption = Coat of arms of the Carmelites
, abbreviation = OCarm
, formation = Late 12th century
, founder = Early hermits of Mount Carmel
, founding_location = Mount Ca ...
(; 24 June 1360 – 1 November 1431) was a Portuguese general of great success who had a decisive role in the
1383-1385 Crisis that assured
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 ...
's independence from
Castile. He later became a mystic and was
beatified
Beatification (from Latin ''beatus'', "blessed" and ''facere'', "to make”) is a recognition accorded by the Catholic Church of a deceased person's entrance into Heaven and capacity to intercede on behalf of individuals who pray in their nam ...
by
Pope Benedict XV
Pope Benedict XV (Latin: ''Benedictus XV''; it, Benedetto XV), born Giacomo Paolo Giovanni Battista della Chiesa, name=, group= (; 21 November 185422 January 1922), was head of the Catholic Church from 1914 until his death in January 1922. His ...
, in 1918, and
canonised
Canonization is the declaration of a deceased person as an officially recognized saint, specifically, the official act of a Christian communion declaring a person worthy of public veneration and entering their name in the canon catalogue of ...
by
Pope Benedict XVI
Pope Benedict XVI ( la, Benedictus XVI; it, Benedetto XVI; german: link=no, Benedikt XVI.; born Joseph Aloisius Ratzinger, , on 16 April 1927) is a retired prelate of the Catholic church who served as the head of the Church and the sovereign ...
in 2009.
Nuno Álvares Pereira is often referred to as the Saint Constable ( pt, Santo Condestável) or as Saint Nuno of Saint Mary ( pt, São Nuno de Santa Maria), his
religious name
A religious name is a type of given name bestowed for a religious purposes, and which is generally used in such contexts.
Christianity
Catholic Church Baptismal name
In baptism, Catholic Church, Catholics are given a Christian name, which should ...
.
[ He was ]count of Barcelos
Count of Barcelos (in Portuguese ''Conde de Barcelos'') is a title of nobility, the first to be granted in Portugal. It was created in 1298 by king Denis I and initially it was a non hereditary title, although most of the holders belonged to the ...
, Ourém
Ourém (), formerly known as Vila Nova de Ourém, is a municipality in the district of Santarém in Portugal. The population in 2011 was 45,932, in an area of 416.68 km2.
The municipality of Ourém contains two cities: Ourém (about 12,000 r ...
and Arraiolos
Arraiolos () is a municipality in Évora District in Portugal. The population in 2011 was 7,363, in an area of 683.75 km2. The town of Arraiolos has 3,351 inhabitants. The present Mayor is Silvia Pinto, elected by the Unitary Democratic Coalit ...
.
Family
Nuno Álvares Pereira was born on 24 June 1360 in Flor da Rosa, near Crato, central Portugal, the illegitimate son of Dom Álvaro Gonçalves Pereira, prior of Crato
The Prior of Crato (''Prior do Crato''), was the traditional title given to the head of the Order of the Knights of St. John of Jerusalem (Hospitaller) in Portugal. It is a reference to the domains of the order around Crato, Portugal.
The Port ...
and Iria Gonçalves do Carvalhal. His grandfather was Dom Gonçalo Pereira
Gonçalo (Gonçalves) Pereira (c.1280–1348) was a Portuguese prelate of the Catholic Church who served as the archbishop of Braga from 1326 until 1349.
Pereira was a son of Gonçalo Pires Pereira, who held the titles of count of the Kingdom of P ...
, the archbishop of Braga
The Archdiocese of Braga ( la, Archidioecesis Bracarensis) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or archdiocese of the Catholic Church in Portugal. It is known for its use of the Rite of Braga, a use of the liturgy distinct from the Roman R ...
from 1326 until 1349. He was descended from the oldest Portuguese and Galician nobility.
About a year after his birth, the child was legitimized by royal decree and so was able to receive a knightly education typical of the offspring of the noble families of the time.
At 13 years of age he became page to Queen Leonor
Leonor or Léonor is a short form of the given name Eleanor.
People bearing the name include:
*Leonor Beleza (born 1948), Portuguese politician
*Leonor Briones (born 1940), Filipino academic and civil servant
* Leonor de Cisneros (died 1568), S ...
.[ At age 16, he married ]Leonor de Alvim
Leonor de Alvim (1388) was a Portuguese noblewoman. She belonged to a family from Entre-Douro-e-Minho and was the daughter of João Pires de Alvim and his wife Branca Pires Coelho. She became the heir to her father due to the lack of male childre ...
, a rich young widow.[ Three children were born to the union, two boys who died early in life, and a girl, ]Beatriz
Beatriz (, ) is a Spanish, Galician and Portuguese female first name. It corresponds to the Latin name Beatrix and the English and Italian name Beatrice. The name in Latin means 'brings joy' and in other languages also means 'she who brings oth ...
, who married Afonso, son of King John I and founder of the House of Braganza
The Most Serene House of Braganza ( pt, Sereníssima Casa de Bragança), also known as the Brigantine Dynasty (''Dinastia Brigantina''), is a dynasty of emperors, kings, princes, and dukes of Portuguese origin which reigned in Europe and the Ame ...
.
Military life
Álvares Pereira began military service in 1373, when he was only 13, and helped stop an invasion from Castile. However, according to his own words, his first military campaigns were no more than skirmishes on the borders of Portugal. He was an impetuous and brave young man who soon showed himself to be an excellent leader.
When King Ferdinand I of Portugal
Ferdinand I ( pt, Fernando; 31 October 1345 – 22 October 1383), sometimes called the Handsome () or occasionally the Inconstant (), was the King of Portugal from 1367 until his death in 1383. His death led to the 1383–85 crisis, also k ...
died in 1383, his only heir was Beatrice, married to king John I of Castile
John I ( es, Juan I; 24 August 1358 – 9 October 1390) was King of Castile and León from 1379 until 1390. He was the son of Henry II and of his wife Juana Manuel of Castile.
Biography
His first marriage, to Eleanor of Aragon on 18 June 1375, ...
. In order to preserve Portuguese independence, the nobles supported the claim of King Ferdinand's half-brother John, Master of Aviz to the throne. After his first victory over the Castilians, in the Battle of Atoleiros
The Battle of Atoleiros () took place on 6 April 1384, between a Portuguese force and a punitive expedition from Castile sent by John I. The battle took place near the population centre of Fronteira in Alentejo. It was the first major battle o ...
(April 1384), John of Aviz named Nuno Álvares Pereira protector and constable of Portugal {{Short description, Defunct office created by King Ferdinand I of Portugal
Constable of Portugal ( pt, Condestável de Portugal) was an office created by King Ferdinand I of Portugal in 1382, to substitute the High Standard-bearer ('' Alferes-Mor' ...
, in practice supreme commander of Portugal's armies, and count of Ourém
Count of Ourém (in Portuguese ''Conde de Ourém'') is a Portuguese title granted in 1370 by King Fernando I of Portugal, to ''Dom'' João Afonso Telo, uncle of Queen Leonor Teles. Later he also became the fourth Count of Barcelos.
The title s ...
.[ He was only 24 years old.
Álvares Pereira used guerilla tactics trying to dislodge the Castilian army besieging Lisbon in 1384 but plague finally drove them away.
In April 1385, John of Aviz was recognized as king by the ]Cortes
Cortes, Cortés, Cortês, Corts, or Cortès may refer to:
People
* Cortes (surname), including a list of people with the name
** Hernán Cortés (1485–1547), a Spanish conquistador
Places
* Cortes, Navarre, a village in the South border of N ...
. This triggered an invasion of the country by King John I of Castile, in support of his wife's rights to the throne. Nuno Álvares Pereira was engaged against the northern cities loyal to the Castilians. During this time of war, he fed the hungry populations of his Castilian opposition at his own expense.[
On 14 August 1385, at ]Aljubarrota
Aljubarrota is a ''freguesia'' ("civil parish") in the municipality of Alcobaça, Portugal. It was formed in 2013 by the merger of the parishes of Prazeres and São Vicente. Its population in 2011 was 6,639[Mary
Mary may refer to:
People
* Mary (name), a feminine given name (includes a list of people with the name)
Religious contexts
* New Testament people named Mary, overview article linking to many of those below
* Mary, mother of Jesus, also calle ...]
, he fasted on Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays. The banner he chose as his personal standard bore the image of the cross, of Mary and of the saintly knights James and George. At his own expense he built numerous churches and monasteries, among which was the Carmelite church in Lisbon and the church of Our Lady of Victories at Batalha.[
After the 1383-1385 Crisis, Álvares Pereira was made the ]count of Arraiolos
Count of Arraiolos (in Portuguese ''Conde de Arraiolos'') is a Portuguese title granted, in 1377 by King Fernando I of Portugal, to ''Dom'' Álvaro Pires de Castro, a Galician noble, brother of Inês de Castro (King Pedro I of Portugal 2nd wife) ...
and Barcelos, which, along with the previous one, were the only three countships existing at the time and which had been taken from nobles who had taken the part of Castile. He was also made the major majordomo
A majordomo is a person who speaks, makes arrangements, or takes charge for another. Typically, this is the highest (''major'') person of a household (''domūs'' or ''domicile'') staff, a head servant who acts on behalf of the owner of a large ...
of the realm.
Not wanting to give the enemy room to manoeuvre, the king of Portugal and his supreme general took the offensive and raided several Castilian towns, defeating once again a much larger Castilian army at the Battle of Valverde
The Battle of Valverde, also known as the Battle of Valverde Ford, was fought from February 20 to 21, 1862, near the town of Val Verde at a ford of the Rio Grande in Union-held New Mexico Territory, in what is today the state of New Mexico. It ...
. He continued to watch out for the king of Castile, until his death in 1390. When hostilities ended, he gave the bulk of his wealth to the veterans.[
]
Religious life
After the death of his wife, he became a Carmelite
, image =
, caption = Coat of arms of the Carmelites
, abbreviation = OCarm
, formation = Late 12th century
, founder = Early hermits of Mount Carmel
, founding_location = Mount Car ...
friar (he joined the Order in 1423) at the Carmo Convent (Lisbon)
The Convent of Our Lady of Mount Carmel ( pt, Convento da Ordem do Carmo) is a former Catholic convent located in the civil parish of Santa Maria Maior, municipality of Lisbon, Portugal. The medieval convent was ruined during the sequence of the ...
which he had founded in fulfilment of a vow, and took the name of Friar Nuno of Saint Mary ( pt, Frei Nuno de Santa Maria). There he lived until his death on 1 November 1431. He was noted for his prayer, his practise of penance and his filial devotion to the Mother of God
''Theotokos'' (Greek: ) is a title of Mary, mother of Jesus, used especially in Eastern Christianity. The usual Latin translations are ''Dei Genitrix'' or ''Deipara'' (approximately "parent (fem.) of God"). Familiar English translations are " ...
. Nuno suffered from debilitating arthritis
Arthritis is a term often used to mean any disorder that affects joints. Symptoms generally include joint pain and stiffness. Other symptoms may include redness, warmth, swelling, and decreased range of motion of the affected joints. In som ...
.
During the last year of his life, King John I went to visit and embrace him for the last time. He wept for he considered Nuno Álvares Pereira his closest friend, the one who had put him on the throne and saved his country's independence.
Nuno Álvares Pereira's tomb was lost in the famous 1755 Lisbon earthquake
The 1755 Lisbon earthquake, also known as the Great Lisbon earthquake, impacted Portugal, the Iberian Peninsula, and Northwest Africa on the morning of Saturday, 1 November, Feast of All Saints, at around 09:40 local time. In combination with ...
. His epitaph read:
Legacy
Álvares Pereira was beatified
Beatification (from Latin ''beatus'', "blessed" and ''facere'', "to make”) is a recognition accorded by the Catholic Church of a deceased person's entrance into Heaven and capacity to intercede on behalf of individuals who pray in their nam ...
on 23 January 1918 by Pope Benedict XV
Pope Benedict XV (Latin: ''Benedictus XV''; it, Benedetto XV), born Giacomo Paolo Giovanni Battista della Chiesa, name=, group= (; 21 November 185422 January 1922), was head of the Catholic Church from 1914 until his death in January 1922. His ...
. He was celebrated liturgically on 1 April as an obligatory memorial by the Order of Carmelites
, image =
, caption = Coat of arms of the Carmelites
, abbreviation = OCarm
, formation = Late 12th century
, founder = Early hermits of Mount Carmel
, founding_location = Mount Car ...
and as an optional memorial by the Order of Discalced Carmelites
The Discalced Carmelites, known officially as the Order of the Discalced Carmelites of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel ( la, Ordo Fratrum Carmelitarum Discalceatorum Beatae Mariae Virginis de Monte Carmelo) or the Order of Discalced Carme ...
.
Álvares Pereira had been on the point of being canonised by decree in 1940 by Pope Pius XII
Pius ( , ) Latin for "pious", is a masculine given name. Its feminine form is Pia.
It may refer to:
People Popes
* Pope Pius (disambiguation)
* Antipope Pius XIII (1918-2009), who led the breakaway True Catholic Church sect
Given name
* Pius B ...
. According to a recent statement by the postulator general of the Carmelite Order, his canonisation
Canonization is the declaration of a deceased person as an officially recognized saint, specifically, the official act of a Christian communion declaring a person worthy of public veneration and entering their name in the canon catalogue of s ...
was postponed for diplomatic reasons (the Portuguese ambassador indicated that the time was not right).Comments by the Postulator General
''Centrum Informationalis Totius Ordinis Carmelitorum'' (CITOC), No. 3 – May–June 2000 (English edition)]
On 3 July 2008 Pope Benedict XVI
Pope Benedict XVI ( la, Benedictus XVI; it, Benedetto XVI; german: link=no, Benedikt XVI.; born Joseph Aloisius Ratzinger, , on 16 April 1927) is a retired prelate of the Catholic church who served as the head of the Church and the sovereign ...
signed two decrees in Rome, promulgating the heroic virtues of Nuno Álvares Pereira and the authenticity of a miracle that had already been previously confirmed as such by medical and theological commissions. By this act, the pope formally canonised Friar Nuno de Santa Maria Álvares Pereira. The public celebration of his canonisation
Canonization is the declaration of a deceased person as an officially recognized saint, specifically, the official act of a Christian communion declaring a person worthy of public veneration and entering their name in the canon catalogue of s ...
took place on 26 April 2009 in Saint Peter's Square
Saint Peter's Square ( la, Forum Sancti Petri, it, Piazza San Pietro ,) is a large plaza located directly in front of St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City, the papal enclave inside Rome, directly west of the neighborhood (rione) of Borgo. Bot ...
in the Vatican City
Vatican City (), officially the Vatican City State ( it, Stato della Città del Vaticano; la, Status Civitatis Vaticanae),—'
* german: Vatikanstadt, cf. '—' (in Austria: ')
* pl, Miasto Watykańskie, cf. '—'
* pt, Cidade do Vati ...
. The Carmelites now celebrate St Nuno on 6 November; the date also appointed for his feast in Portugal.
The Blessed Nuno Society is a mission society and prayer apostolate officially recognized by the Catholic
Church as a diocesan Private Association of the Christian Faithful and affiliated with, the Catholic Diocese of Duluth, Minnesota.[
]
See also
* Saint Nuno Álvares Pereira, patron saint archive
References
External links
Biography at Vatican News Service
, -
, -
, -
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pereira, Nuno Alvares
1360 births
1431 deaths
Portuguese soldiers
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 ...
Carmelites
Portuguese Roman Catholic saints
People of the 1383–1385 Portuguese interregnum
14th-century Portuguese people
15th-century Portuguese people
Constables of Portugal
Canonizations by Pope Benedict XVI
Venerated Catholics by Pope Benedict XVI
Roman Catholic royal saints
People from Sertã
Portuguese nobility