Pedro de Meneses, 1st Count of Vila Real
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Pedro de Menezes Portocarrero, (1370 – Ceuta, September 22, 1437) was a 15th-century Portuguese nobleman and military figure. Pedro de Menezes (sometimes modernized as 'de Meneses') was the 2nd Count of Viana do Alentejo, 1st. Count of Vila Real and the first Portuguese governor of Ceuta. Pedro de Menezes was the grandson of the powerful 14th-century nobleman João Afonso Telo, 1st Count of Ourém, 1st Count of Viana do Alentejo, and 4th Count of Barcelos, and his wife
Maior Portocarrero y Silva ''Maior'' (also spelled ''major'') (Latin, 'greater') gives its name to several occupations such as maior domus, major, and mayor, and thus many surnames, especially German surnames like Maier, Meier, Meyer, Meir, Mayer, Meyr, and the Dutch surn ...
, lady of Vila Real. Pedro was the cousin of
Leonor Teles Leonor Teles (or Teles de Meneses; ) was queen consort of Portugal by marriage to King Ferdinand I, and one of the protagonists, along with her brothers and her daughter Beatrice, of the events that led to the succession crisis of 1383–1385 ...
, the scandalous but powerful consort of 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 ...
. During the 1383–1385 Crisis, Pedro's father, also called João Afonso Telo like his father, had supported Beatrice of Portugal against the pretender John, Master of Aviz (the future John I). Nonetheless, unlike many other nobles, Pedro de Menezes had been allowed to inherit his father's title of Count of Viana do Alentejo and proved himself a faithful loyalist of the usurper king John I He also inherited the Castilian lordships of
Ayllón Ayllón () is a municipality located in the province of Segovia, Castile and León, Spain. According to the 2019 census (INE), the municipality had a population of 1,196 inhabitants. In 1411 a treaty, known as the Treaty of Ayllón, was signed ...
and Aguilar from relatives, but these titles were not recognized in Portugal.


Legend

While
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 ...
was canvassing for governors, the young Pedro was nearby, distractedly playing ''choca'' (a kind of Medieval hockey) with a stick of ''zambujeiro'' or Aleo (wild olive tree). Hearing all the high nobles making excuses to avoid the job, the young Pedro de Menezes stepped forward and approached the king with his gaming stick (''aleo'') in hand and told him that, with only that stick, he could defend Ceuta from all the power of Morocco. As a result of this story, all future Portuguese governors of Ceuta would be presented with a ''zambujeiro'' staff as a symbol of their office upon their investiture.) The aleo that was used by Pedro is kept in the
Church of Santa María de África The Santuario de Santa María de África (English: Sanctuary of Saint Mary of Africa) is a Roman Catholic church in the Spanish city of Ceuta which is located in a small Spanish exclave on the north coast of Africa. History The history of the chu ...
in Ceuta, the statue of Mary holds the aleo.


First Governor of Ceuta

Pedro de Menezes participated and distinguished himself in the 1415
Conquest of Ceuta The conquest of Ceuta by the Portuguese on 21 August 1415 marks an important step in the beginning of the Portuguese Empire in Africa. History In 711, shortly after the Arab conquest of North Africa, the city of Ceuta was used as a stagin ...
, and, in the aftermath, was appointed by 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 ...
as the first Portuguese governor of Ceuta. Allegedly, he was the only Portuguese noble willing to remain in charge of the Portuguese garrison, which was sure to be attacked by the full force of Marinid Morocco in due time. Pedro de Menezes was left with a garrison of 1600 soldiers. In 1416, Prince
Henry the Navigator ''Dom'' Henrique of Portugal, Duke of Viseu (4 March 1394 – 13 November 1460), better known as Prince Henry the Navigator ( pt, Infante Dom Henrique, o Navegador), was a central figure in the early days of the Portuguese Empire and in the 15t ...
was placed in charge of supplying provisions to the Ceuta garrison from Portugal. In 1418 (or 1419), the armies of the Marinid rulers of Morocco, assisted by auxiliary forces from the
Nasrid The Nasrid dynasty ( ar, بنو نصر ''banū Naṣr'' or ''banū al-Aḥmar''; Spanish: ''Nazarí'') was the last Muslim dynasty in the Iberian Peninsula, ruling the Emirate of Granada from 1230 until 1492. Its members claimed to be of Ara ...
Emirate of Granada, finally gathered and laid siege to the citadel. Pedro de Menezes managed the defenses of the citadel, while princes
Henry the Navigator ''Dom'' Henrique of Portugal, Duke of Viseu (4 March 1394 – 13 November 1460), better known as Prince Henry the Navigator ( pt, Infante Dom Henrique, o Navegador), was a central figure in the early days of the Portuguese Empire and in the 15t ...
and
John of Reguengos Infante John, Constable of Portugal ( pt, João, ; 13 January 1400 – 18 October 1442) was a Portuguese ''infante'' (prince) of the House of Aviz, Constable of Portugal and master of the Portuguese Order of St. James (Santiago). In Portugal, ...
were dispatched with a relief fleet from Portugal. According to the chroniclers, the relief fleet turned out to be quite unnecessary. In a bold gambit, Pedro de Menezes led the Portuguese garrison in a sally against the Marinid siege camp and forced the lifting of the siege before the relief fleet even arrived. Blamed for losing Ceuta, the Marinid sultan was assassinated in a coup in
Fez Fez most often refers to: * Fez (hat), a type of felt hat commonly worn in the Ottoman Empire * Fez, Morocco (or Fes), the second largest city of Morocco Fez or FEZ may also refer to: Media * ''Fez'' (Frank Stella), a 1964 painting by the moder ...
in 1420, leaving only a child as his heir. Morocco descended into anarchic chaos, as rival pretenders vied for the throne and local governors carved out regional fiefs for themselves, selling their support to the highest bidder. The political crisis in Morocco released the pressure on Ceuta for the next few years, leaving Pedro de Menezes and the Portuguese garrison with little to do, but entrench themselves in the largely empty fortress-citadel. They were only occasionally pestered by small parties of Moroccan nobles, who came to challenge Portuguese knights to feats of arms and personal combat, or scrappy columns of
Sufi Sufism ( ar, ''aṣ-ṣūfiyya''), also known as Tasawwuf ( ''at-taṣawwuf''), is a mystic body of religious practice, found mainly within Sunni Islam but also within Shia Islam, which is characterized by a focus on Islamic spirituality, ...
-inspired religious radicals looking for Holy War. Although the Portuguese crown was losing substantial amounts of money maintaining the expensive garrison, Pedro de Menezes is said to have accumulated a small personal fortune from ransoming Moroccan knights captured in skirmishes and from kickbacks from the corsairs he allowed to operate out of Ceuta. He is said to have lent substantial sums to the perennially-indebted Henry the Navigator. In 1423, Pedro de Menezes briefly returned to Portugal to settle some domestic affairs. In 1424, Pedro de Menezes was invested with his mother's dominions as the first Count of Vila Real by 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 ...
and appointed the ''alferes-mor'' (standard-bearer) of the royal prince and heir Infante Edward. That same year, he secured from the king a royal letter legitimizing his natural son, Duarte de Menezes. Around 1430 Pedro de Menezes once again returned to Portugal, leaving Ceuta under the command of the 16-year-old son Duarte de Menezes and his lieutenant (and son-in-law)
Ruy Gomes da Silva Ruy may refer to: Arts and Entertainment *Ruy, the Little Cid, Spanish animated television series *Ruy Blas, a character in the eponymous tragic drama by Victor Hugo People *another form of Rui, a Portuguese male given name *another form of the S ...
. During this second sojourn, Pedro de Menezes received the title of Admiral of Portugal in 1433, as dowry for his marriage to Genebra Pereira (daughter of the admiral Carlos II Pessanha). Pedro de Menezes returned to Ceuta soon after (c. 1434), but his bride did not survive the journey. In 1436-37, preparations were underway in Portugal for a renewed Battle of Tangier (1437), campaign against Morocco, seeking to capture Tangier and several other coastal citadels. In anticipation, in 1436, Pedro de Menezes ordered the Ceuta garrison, led by young Duarte, to attack and raze the citadel of Tétouan, to prevent it from becoming a threat to the Portuguese operations. The Portuguese expeditionary force, led by
Henry the Navigator ''Dom'' Henrique of Portugal, Duke of Viseu (4 March 1394 – 13 November 1460), better known as Prince Henry the Navigator ( pt, Infante Dom Henrique, o Navegador), was a central figure in the early days of the Portuguese Empire and in the 15t ...
, arrived in Ceuta in August 1437, and were greeted with great pomp by D. Pedro de Menezes, who offered to join the force and personally lead the Ceuta garrison in the campaign. As the ageing governor was already evidently ill, Henry turned down the offer and took his son Duarte de Menezes instead. Pedro de Menezes condition took a turn for the worse shortly after and he died within the first week of the Battle of Tangier (1437), siege of Tangier. His son Duarte managed to rush back in time to receive his father's blessing on his deathbed. Despite having married four times, Pedro de Menezes did not have any direct male heirs. His legitimized bastard son Duarte de Menezes inherited his father's old dominion of Count of Viana do Alentejo, but the crown-granted title of Count of Vila Real went to his eldest daughter Brites de Menezes, 2nd Countess of Vila Real, Brites de Menezes and her consort, Fernando de Noronha, 2nd Count of Vila Real, Fernando de Noronha. The title of Admiral of Portugal was inherited by his nephew, Lançarote da Cunha. An account of the life and career of Pedro de Menezes was written down in 1463 by Portuguese chronicler Gomes Eanes de Zurara, ''Chronica do Conde D. Pedro de Menezes'', which helped cement his reputation. Among the many legendary stories that have circulated is that Pedro de Menezes wore a coat of mail continuously for sixteen years, wearing it out before ever taking it off. Pedro de Menezes is sometimes denoted as Peter I, to distinguish him from his namesake grandson Peter II, the first Marquis of Vila Real, who was to serve as a later governor of Ceuta. Pedro de Menezes was originally buried in the Cathedral of St Mary of the Assumption (Ceuta), cathedral of Ceuta (a converted mosque), but his remains were later translated by his daughter to the Augustinian monastery church of Igreja da Graça (Santarém), Igreja da Graça in Santarém, Portugal. His remains are still found there, in an effigy tomb alongside his third wife, Brites Coutinho. The Menezes tomb is decorated with carved wild olive tree branches, and repeatedly embossed with the word ''aleo'', a reference to the gaming stick which Pedro de Menezes made famous. The same motif and slogan, "aleu", is found in the coat of arms of the town of Vila Real Municipality, Vila Real, the seat of Pedro de Menezes's fief, it is also found on the coat of arms of the town of Alcoutim, where Pedro's descendants were later made Count of Alcoutim, Count's of Alcoutim. Sixteenth-century poet Luís de Camões is believed to be referring to Pedro de Menezes's ''aleo'' episode in his first ''Ecloga'', where the poet writes: "So long as from sturdy, wild olive trees, the shepherds of Luso can find gaming sticks (''cajados'') and the ancient valor that first made them so famous in the world, do not fear, Frondelio, my companion, that they shall be subdued at any time."Luís de Camões, ''Ecloga'' "Enquanto do seguro azambujeiro nos pastores de Luso houver cajados, e o valor antigo que primeiro os fez no mundo tão assinalados, não temas tu, Frondélio companheiro, que em nenhum tempo sejam sojugados, nem que a cerviz indómita obedeça a outro jugo algum que se ofereça.


Descendency

Pedro de Menezes was married four times. * The first marriage to Margarida de Miranda, the natural daughter of Martinho Afonso Pires de Charneca, Roman Catholic Diocese of Coimbra, Bishop of Coimbra (and soon Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Braga, Archbishop of Braga), produced two daughters: ** Brites de Menezes, 2nd Countess of Vila Real, Brites de Menezes, 2nd Count of Vila Real, Countess of Vila Real, who married Fernando de Noronha, 2nd Count of Vila Real, Fernando de Noronha (co-count) ** Leonor de Menezes, who married Fernando II, 3rd Duke of Braganza. * The second marriage with Filipa Coutinho, daughter of Gonçalo Vasques Coutinho, 2nd Marshal of Portugal, did not produce offspring. * The third marriage to Brites Coutinho, daughter of Fernando Martins Coutinho, Lord of Castelo Rodrigo Castle, Castelo Rodrigo, produced one daughter: ** Isabel Coutinho, lady of Mafra, Portugal, Mafra; * The fourth marriage with Genebra Pereira, daughter of Carlos II Pessanha, Admiral of Portugal produced no offspring. Illegitimate children of Pedro de Menezes include the following: * from ? ** Inês de Menezes, who married Gonçalo Nunes Barreto, 1st Lord of Morgado da Quarteira; * from Isabel Domingues, a Pixegueira: ** Duarte de Menezes, 3rd Count of Viana, first captain-governor of Ksar es-Seghir, Alcácer-Ceguer; ** Aldonça de Menezes; ** Isabel de Menezes, countess of Portalegre, who had 11 children with Rui Gomes da Silva, first alcalde, Magistrate of Campo Maior, Portugal, Campo Maior, who served as Menezes' lieutenant in Ceuta; two are venerated in the Roman Catholic Church: ***Blessed Amadeus of Portugal, O.F.M., a Franciscan friar who established a reformed branch of the Order of Friars Minor which existed independently for about a century; ***Saint Beatrice of Silva, O.I.C., who founded the Conceptionists, Conceptionist Order of contemplative nuns in Toledo, Spain


References


External links


Fundación Casa Ducal de Medinaceli
{{DEFAULTSORT:Menezes, Pedro de 1437 deaths Portuguese nobility, Vila Real 1370 births Governors of Portuguese Ceuta 14th-century Portuguese people 15th-century Portuguese people