Nuno Mendes or Nuño Menéndez (died February 1071) was the last

count of Portugal The County of Portugal ( pt, Condado de Portugal, Condado Portucalense, Condado de Portucale; in documents of the period the name used was Portugalia) refers to two successive medieval counties in the region around Braga and Porto, today corresp ...

from the family of

Vímara Peres Vímara PeresVímara is an originally Visigothic name of Germanic origin (cognate with Weimar or Guimar) and Peres is a patronymic, meaning son of Pedro or Peter. The name can then be equated to Weimar/Guimar Peterson. (died in Galicia, 873) wa ...

. The son of Count Mendo Nunes (Menendo Núñez), his desires for greater autonomy for Portugal led him to face King Garcia II of Galicia. On 18 February 1071 he fought in the

Battle of Pedroso The Battle of Pedroso was fought on 18 January 1071, in Pedroso, near Braga, Portugal. Forces under García II, the King of Galicia, defeated those under Nuno II Mendes, the last count of Portugal of the House of Vímara Peres Vímara PeresV� ...

, near the Monastery of São Martinho de Tibães, and his defeat and death led the winning Garcia II to call himself King of Galicia and Portugal. The County of Portugal was then subsumed into the crowns of Galicia and León until regranted by King

Alfonso VI of León and Castile Alphons (Latinized ''Alphonsus'', ''Adelphonsus'', or ''Adefonsus'') is a male given name recorded from the 8th century (Alfonso I of Asturias, r. 739–757) in the Christian successor states of the Visigothic kingdom in the Iberian peninsula. ...

a quarter-century later. A patron of the

Monastery of Guimarães A monastery is a building or complex of buildings comprising the domestic quarters and workplaces of Monasticism, monastics, monks or nuns, whether living in Cenobitic monasticism, communities or alone (hermits). A monastery generally includes ...

, he first appears in the curia regis of King

Ferdinand I of León Ferdinand I ( 1015 – 24 December 1065), called the Great (''el Magno''), was the count of Castile from his uncle's death in 1029 and the king of León after defeating his brother-in-law in 1037. According to tradition, he was the first to have h ...

in 1059, and with the title of count for the first time in 1070 when he appears confirming a donation made by King Garcia II. He married Goncina with whom he appears on 17 February 1071 making a donation to the Monastery of Santo Antonino de Barbudo of some properties in Luivão, not far from Cávado, confirming as ''Ego comes Nunus Menendiz et uxor mea comitissa domna Goncina'' ("I, Count Nuno Menéndez and my wife Countess dona Goncina"). He owned properties in Nogueira, Santa Tecla, Dadim, Cerqueda, Gualtar, and

Barros Barros is a Portuguese and Galician surname. It may refer to: People *Alejandra Barros, Mexican actress *Alex Barros, Brazilian motorcycle road racer *Ana Beatriz Barros, Brazilian model * Ana P. Barros, American civil and environmental engineer * ...

, which were probably confiscated after his defeat and given later by King

Alfonso VI of León Alphons (Latinized ''Alphonsus'', ''Adelphonsus'', or ''Adefonsus'') is a male given name recorded from the 8th century (Alfonso I of Asturias, r. 739–757) in the Christian successor states of the Visigothic kingdom in the Iberian peninsula. ...

to his son-in-law Sisnando. Although the battle of Pedroso has been mistakenly dated in January of that year, as mentioned in the ''

Chronica Gothorum The ''Chronicon Lusitanum'' or ''Lusitano'' (also ''Chronica Lusitana'' or ''Chronica/Chronicon Gothorum'') is a chronicle of the history of Portugal from the earliest migrations of the Visigoths (which it dates to 311) through the reign of Portu ...

'', this donation proves that the battle took place in February rather than in January. With his wife Goncina, he had at least one daughter, Loba "Aurevelido" Nunes, who married

Sisnando Davides Sisnando (or Sesnando) Davides (also Davídez, Davídiz, or Davidiz, and sometimes just David; died 25 August 1091) was a Mozarab nobleman and military leader of the Reconquista, born in Tentúgal, near Coimbra. He was a contemporary and acquain ...

, the parents of Elvira Sisnandes whose husband, Count Martim Moniz, son of Munio Fromarigues, succeeded Sisnando as the governor of the county. He could also have been the father of Count

Gómez Núñez Gómez Núñez (or Gomes Nunes in Portuguese; ''floruit'' 1071–1141) was a Galician and Portuguese political and military leader in the Kingdom of León. His power lay in the valley of the Minho, mainly on the north side, bounded by the Atlan ...

and his brother Count Fernando.

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Bibliography

* * * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Mendes, Nuno Year of birth missing 1071 deaths Counts of Portugal County of Portugal 11th-century counts of Portugal (Asturias-León)