Infante Diogo of Viseu (1450–1484) was the second son of
Ferdinand, Duke of Viseu
Infante Ferdinand, Duke of Viseu and Beja (or ''Fernando,'' , 17 November 1433 – 18 September 1470) was the third son of Edward, King of Portugal and his wife Eleanor of Aragon.
Biography
Ferdinand was born in Almeirim on 17 November ...
, and his wife
Beatriz, Duchess of Viseu.
History
In 1472, when his older brother
John, Duke of Viseu, died without issue, Diogo inherited his titles and estates as
Duke of Viseu
Duke of Viseu (in Portuguese ''Duque de Viseu'') was a Portuguese Royal Dukedom created in 1415 by King John I of Portugal for his third male child, Henry the Navigator, following the conquest of Ceuta.
When Henry the Navigator died without ...
and
Duke of Beja.
Diogo was a popular personality at the court of his cousin King
John II, and together with
Duke Fernando II of Braganza, he was the main target of King John's centralization policies. John II sought to limit the power of the upper nobility, which had increased greatly during the reign of John's father
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 Afri ...
.
Duke Fernando II of Braganza, husband of
Isabella of Viseu, the sister-in-law of King John II of Portugal and Diogo's sister, was the first victim of John's efforts against the Portuguese nobility. He was imprisoned, tried and executed in
Évora. Once his sister
Eleanor of Viseu was married to the king, Diogo thought he was protected from the king's anger.
On two occasions, the king's life was in danger and as Diogo of Viseu remained the leader of the upper nobility against the King's policies, John II accused him of high treason and personally killed him.
After the execution, King John II called the duke's younger brother,
Infante Manuel of Viseu, and showed him his brother's body. He promised Manuel that he would consider him his own son. At that moment, Manuel inherited his brother Diogo's titles and estates.
Duke Diogo never married, but when he was quite young he visited the
Crown of Castile, where he had a love affair with ''Doña'' Leonor de Sotomaior y Portugal (great-granddaughter of King
Pedro I of Portugal). With her he had a natural son, Afonso de Portugal. King Manuel I of Portugal granted this nephew, Afonso de Portugal, the position of 8th
Constable of Portugal. Afonso's daughter and heir, Beatrice of Lara, married the 3rd
Marquis of Vila Real.
Ancestry
See also
*
Duke of Beja
*
Duke of Viseu
Duke of Viseu (in Portuguese ''Duque de Viseu'') was a Portuguese Royal Dukedom created in 1415 by King John I of Portugal for his third male child, Henry the Navigator, following the conquest of Ceuta.
When Henry the Navigator died without ...
*
List of Portuguese Dukedoms
Bibliography
*”Nobreza de Portugal e do Brasil” – Vol. III, pages 544 and 545. Published by Zairol Lda., Lisbon 1989.
External links
Genealogy of Diogo, 4th Duke of Viseu, in Portuguese
House of Aviz
Portuguese infantes
Dukes of Beja
Dukes of Viseu
Medieval Portuguese nobility
1450 births
1484 deaths
15th-century Portuguese people
Donatários of the Azores
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