Count of Atouguia
Count of Atouguia (in Portuguese ''Conde de Atouguia'') was a Portuguese title of nobility created by a royal decree, dated from 17 December 1448, by King Afonso V of Portugal, and granted to D. Álvaro Gonçalves de Ataíde.
The title was ...
, he was one of the two brothers whom his famous mother armed with knights, sending them to fight to defend the independence of the country, becoming one of the brave noble restorers who carried out the ''coup d'état'' on 1 December 1640, and it is even said that he was one of those who entered
Ribeira Palace
Ribeira Palace (; ) was the main residence of the Kings of Portugal, in Lisbon, for around 250 years. Its construction was ordered by King Manuel I of Portugal when he found the Royal Alcáçova of São Jorge unsuitable. The palace complex underw ...
, who went to the room of the traitor Miguel de Vasconcelos to kill him.
He was commander of
Adaúfe
Adaúfe is a Portuguese ''freguesia'' ("civil parish"), located in the municipality of Braga
Braga (; ) is a cities of Portugal, city and a Municipalities of Portugal, municipality, capital of the northwestern Portugal, Portuguese Braga (dis ...
and
Vila Velha de Ródão
Vila Velha de Ródão () is a municipality in the district of Castelo Branco in Portugal. The population in 2011 was 3,521,Order of Christ.
Positions held
He was the nobleman of the Royal House; he would be governor of Peniche in 1640, governor of arms of the provinces of
Trás-os-Montes
Trás-os-Montes () is a geographical, historical and cultural region of Portugal.
Portuguese language, Portuguese for "behind the mountains", Trás-os-Montes is located northeast of the country in an highland, upland area, landlocked by the Douro ...
in 1649 and 1652, governor and captain-general of the State of Brazil (appointed by charter of 21 February 1653, took office on 14 December 1654), governor of the Arms of
Alentejo
Alentejo ( , , ) is a geographical, historical, and cultural region of south–central and southern Portugal. In Portuguese, its name means "beyond the Tagus" ().
Alentejo includes the regions of Alto Alentejo Province, Alto Alentejo and Bai ...
in 1659, captain general of the Royal Armada on 25 June 1662, president of the Board of Commerce in 1664, war advisor in 1661, and of the
council of state
A council of state is a governmental body in a country, or a subdivision of a country, with a function that varies by jurisdiction. It may be the formal name for the cabinet or it may refer to a non-executive advisory body associated with a head ...
in 1662; gentleman from the Chamber of King
Afonso VI of Portugal
'' Dom'' Afonso VI (; 21 August 164312 September 1683), known as "the Victorious" (), was the second king of Portugal of the House of Braganza from 1656 until his death. He was initially under the regency of his mother, Luisa de Guzmán, until ...
.
While serving as Arms governor of the province of
Trás-os-Montes
Trás-os-Montes () is a geographical, historical and cultural region of Portugal.
Portuguese language, Portuguese for "behind the mountains", Trás-os-Montes is located northeast of the country in an highland, upland area, landlocked by the Douro ...
, he repelled a Spanish invasion across the border of Chaves.
Governor-general of Brazil
In the general government of Brazil, he received the embassy of the people of São Paulo who tried to put an end to the war between Pires and Camargos that was disturbing the captaincy of the south, writing the famous ordinance of 24 November 1655 in which he granted general
amnesty
Amnesty () is defined as "A pardon extended by the government to a group or class of people, usually for a political offense; the act of a sovereign power officially forgiving certain classes of people who are subject to trial but have not yet be ...
. It was determined that the votes in the portfolios for the election of aediles were organized by three Pires supporters, as many opponents, and one neutral. These organizers of the tickets would not be "the leaders of the gang, but men among the most zealous and timid." The constitution of the municipal chambers would be such that there would always be a judge and a councilor from each of the fighting parties, a neutral councilor, and the council's attorney. His provision was received with expressions of joy in São Paulo, and the king greatly appreciated his delegate's decision.
It was up to him to celebrate the final victory of arms against the Dutch. He repressed acts of rebellion by the Indians (''Nobreza de Portugal'', volume II, page 335) and exercised a model administration full of honesty and balance, unfortunately almost limited to the
captaincy of Bahia The Captaincy of Bahia, fully the Captaincy of the Bay of All Saints (Modern ), was a captaincy of Portuguese Brazil.
History Donatary Captaincy
King João III of Portugal bestowed the donatary captaincy on Francisco Pereira Coutinho on 5 Mar ...
, because, from the death of
Mem de Sá
Mem de Sá ( – 2 March 1572) was a Governor-General of the Portuguese colony of Brazil from 1557 to 1572. He was born in Coimbra, Kingdom of Portugal, around 1500, the year of discovery of Brazil by a naval fleet commanded by Pedro Álvares Cabra ...
, the governors of the other captaincies were arrogating successive prerogatives, only theoretically recognizing the hegemony of the Governor-General. The difficulty of communications and the size of Brazil also contributed to these facts.
He was succeeded in the government of Brazil by Francisco Barreto de Meneses.
Marriages and descendants
He married twice.
His first marriage was in 1658, to his cousin D. Maria de Castro (d. 1661), daughter of Francisco de Sá e Meneses, 2nd
Count of Penaguião
Count of Penaguião (in Portuguese ''Conde de Penaguião'') is a Portuguese title of nobility, created by King Philip I of Portugal, on 10 February 1583, for '' Dom'' João Rodrigues de Sá.
The noble family of Sá were elevated as Marquises o ...
, and Countess D. Joana de Castro. She gave birth to D. Manuel Luís de Ataíde, 7th Count of Atouguia.
His second marriage was to D. Leonor de Meneses, widow of the 1st Count of Serém, daughter and heiress of D. Fernando de Meneses, commander of Castelo Branco, and D. Jerónima de Toledo (this daughter of D. Manuel da Câmara, 2nd
Count of Vila Franca
The Count of Vila Franca () was a title of nobility granted to a hereditary line of nobles from the island of São Miguel Island, São Miguel in the Portugal, Portuguese archipelago of the Azores, most closely associated with the House of Cámara, ...
. D. Leonor de Meneses was heiress, among other ties, of the former morgado of Carvalho, which would thus pass to the house of Atouguia, remaining there until the execution of the 11th count in 1759, in the so-called Távoras process. Inventories of the House of Tavora, Atoguia, and Aveiro. After that, Carvalho's estate would pass into the possession of the family of the 1st
Marquis of Pombal
A marquess (; ) 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 with the rank of a marquess or the wife (or widow) ...
genealogy
Genealogy () is the study of families, family history, and the tracing of their lineages. Genealogists use oral interviews, historical records, genetic analysis, and other records to obtain information about a family and to demonstrate kin ...
, he wrote «''Nobiliario das Familias d'este Reyno''», four volumes, a manuscript that was preserved in the bookstore of the convent of Graça, in
Lisbon
Lisbon ( ; ) is the capital and largest city of Portugal, with an estimated population of 567,131, as of 2023, within its administrative limits and 3,028,000 within the Lisbon Metropolitan Area, metropolis, as of 2025. Lisbon is mainlan ...
.
He is buried in the main chapel of the convent of Santa Maria de Xabregas, patronage of his house.