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: ...

Vimioso Vimioso (, ) is a municipality in the district of Bragança in the northern part of Portugal. The population in 2011 was 4,669, in an area of 481.59 km². It is recognised as having a significant number of Mirandese speakers. In 1516, Vimio ...

(in Portuguese ''Conde de Vimioso'') is 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 ...

which have its origins in Alphonse, Bishop of

Évora Évora ( , ) is a city and a municipality in Portugal. It has 53,591 inhabitants (2021), in an area of 1307.08 km2. It is the historic capital of the Alentejo and serves as the seat of the Évora District. Due to its well-preserved old to ...

, the natural son of Alphonse, 4th Count of Ourém and 1st Marquis of Valença (eldest son of Alphonse I, Duke of Braganza). Therefore, the Counts of

were closely related to the Braganzas. This title was created on February 2, 1515, by 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 ...

for his 3rd cousin, Francisco de Portugal (Francis of Portugal), also known as Francis I, 1st Count of Vimioso, a natural son of Alphonse of Portugal, Bishop of

. The House of the Counts of Vimioso had also close links with the Portuguese Royal family, as members of the King's Council, ambassadors, and viceroys. The 2nd Count, Alphonse I of Portugal, joined King

Sebastian Sebastian may refer to: People * Sebastian (name), including a list of persons with the name Arts, entertainment, and media Films and television * ''Sebastian'' (1968 film), British spy film * ''Sebastian'' (1995 film), Swedish drama film ...

in his crusade in

Morocco Morocco (),, ) officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is the westernmost country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria to ...

, and died there (during the Battle of Alcácer Quibir in 1578 or, according to others, imprisoned by the

moors The term Moor, derived from the ancient Mauri, is an exonym first used by Christian Europeans to designate the Muslim inhabitants of the Maghreb, the Iberian Peninsula, Sicily and Malta during the Middle Ages. Moors are not a distinct or ...

after the battle). This was one of the few Portuguese high aristocracy families to support

António, Prior of Crato António, Prior of Crato (; 153126 August 1595; sometimes called ''The Determined'', ''The Fighter'', ''The Independentist'' or ''The Resistant''), was a grandson of King Manuel I of Portugal who claimed the Portuguese throne during the 1580 d ...

against

Philip II of Spain Philip II) in Spain, while in Portugal and his Italian kingdoms he ruled as Philip I ( pt, Filipe I). (21 May 152713 September 1598), also known as Philip the Prudent ( es, Felipe el Prudente), was King of Spain from 1556, King of Portugal from ...

claims, during the War of the Portuguese Succession (1580–1583). The 3rd Count, ''Dom'' Francisco de Portugal (Francis II), was appointed António

Constable A constable is a person holding a particular office, most commonly in criminal law enforcement. The office of constable can vary significantly in different jurisdictions. A constable is commonly the rank of an officer within the police. Other peop ...

, leading the Portuguese armies in the Battle of Alcântara (1580); he found death, two years later, in the naval Battle of Vila Franca, off São Miguel Island, in the

Azores ) , motto =( en, "Rather die free than subjected in peace") , anthem= ( en, "Anthem of the Azores") , image_map=Locator_map_of_Azores_in_EU.svg , map_alt=Location of the Azores within the European Union , map_caption=Location of the Azores wi ...

. The family supported the 1640 revolution against 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 ...

, receiving a new title from the Braganzas (Marquis of Aguiar, in 1643). In 1687, the 7th Count, Dom Miguel de Portugal (Michael of Portugal), died without legitimate issue. To avoid that such an illustrious family would be extinct, the King

Pedro II of Portugal ''Dom'' Pedro II (Peter II; 26 April 1648 – 9 December 1706), nicknamed "the Pacific", was King of Portugal from 1683 until his death, previously serving as regent for his brother Afonso VI from 1668 until his own accession. He was the fifth a ...

, through a special decree, issued on December 13, 1681, legitimated the count's natural son, Francisco de Paula (or Francis III), as 8th Count, giving him all his father's honours and titles. During the ''romantic period'', the 13th Count of Vimioso (1817–1865) was quite a popular personality not only among aristocracy but also throughout the Portuguese society: he was a remarkable horse-rider, participating in

bullfighting Bullfighting is a physical contest that involves a bullfighter attempting to subdue, immobilize, or kill a bull, usually according to a set of rules, guidelines, or cultural expectations. There are several variations, including some forms wh ...

s, with a bohemian life style; his mistress was the quite known fado singer, Maria Severa, and the story was later popularized by literature, music (the famous ''Fado do Conde de Vimioso''), theatre and movies ( A Severa).

List of the Counts

# Francisco de Portugal (1485–1549), Francis I, 1st Count of Vimioso in 1515 # Afonso de Portugal (1519–1579), Alphonse I #

Francisco de Portugal, 3rd Count of Vimioso Francisco de Portugal, also known as Francis II of Portugal, 3rd Count of Vimioso (c. 1550 – 1582), was the eldest son and heir of the 2nd Count of Vimioso, Afonso de Portugal (Alphonse of Portugal). He was one of the few high-ranking Portugues ...

(1550–1582), Francis II # Luis de Portugal (1555–1637), Louis I # Afonso de Portugal (1591–1649), Alphonse II # Luis de Portugal (1620–1655), Louis II # Miguel de Portugal (1631–1687), Michael # Francisco de Paula de Portugal e Castro (1679–1749), Francis III, became 2nd Marquis of Valença # José Miguel João de Portugal e Castro (1706–1775), José I # Francisco José Miguel de Portugal e Castro (1736–1771), Francis IV # Afonso Miguel de Portugal e Castro (1748–1802), Alphonse III #

José Bernardino de Portugal e Castro José Bernardino de Portugal e Castro (20 May 1780 - 26 February 1840) was a Portuguese marquis and the President of the Council of Ministers from 4 to 5 November 1836. He was the 5th Marquis of Valença. Origin He was a distant relative of rei ...

(1780–1840), José II # Francisco de Paula de Portugal e Castro (1817–1865), Francis V # José Luis de Sousa Coutinho Castelo-Branco e Menezes (1859–1930) # António Luis de Sousa Coutinho (1925–2007) # Fernando Patrício de Portugal de Sousa Coutinho (b. 1956)

Other titles

Other titles granted to this family were: * Marquis of Valença, in 1451, by King

Alphonse V Alfonso V (Spanish), Afonso V (Portuguese), Alfons V (Catalan) or Alphonse V (French) may refer to: * Alfonso V of León (999–1028) * Alfonso V of Aragon (1416–1458), The Magnanimous * Afonso V of Portugal (), The African * Afonso V of Kongo Af ...

; * Marquis of Aguiar, in 1643, by King John IV; * Count of Aguiar, in 1808, by Queen

Maria I 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 ...

Family name

The Counts' family name was ''de Portugal'', as they descended from King

John I of Portugal John I ( pt, João �uˈɐ̃w̃ 11 April 1357 – 14 August 1433), also called John of Aviz, was King of Portugal from 1385 until his death in 1433. He is recognized chiefly for his role in Portugal's victory in a succession war with Casti ...

. In the late 17th Century, the 8th Count, Francisco de Paula, also known as Francis III, joined the name ''Castro'', given that he had inherited from an aunt properties and titles belonging to the ''Castro'' family and, from then on, the Counts bore ''de Portugal e Castro'' (of Portugal and Castro) as their family name. In the late 19th Century, the Counts' family name became ''Sousa Coutinho'', due to the marriage of Maria José de Portugal e Castro, the 13th Count's heir, with Fernando Luis de Sousa Coutinho (

Marquis of Borba A marquess (; french: marquis ), es, marqués, pt, marquês. is a nobleman of high hereditary rank in various European peerages and in those of some of their former colonies. The German language equivalent is Markgraf (margrave). A woman w ...

Genealogical summary

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External links

Genealogy of the Counts of Vimioso, in Portuguese

Bibliography