Joanna of Portugal OP (6 February 1452 – 12 May 1490; , ) was a Portuguese regent

princess Princess is a title used by a female member of a regnant monarch's family or by a female ruler of a principality. The male equivalent is a prince (from Latin '' princeps'', meaning principal citizen). Most often, the term has been used for ...

of the

House of Aviz The House of Aviz (Portuguese language, Portuguese: ''Casa de Avis'' ), also known as the Joanine Dynasty (''Dinastia Joanina''), was a dynasty of Portuguese people, Portuguese origin which flourished during the Portuguese Renaissance, Renaissanc ...

, daughter of King

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 Africa. ...

and his first wife Queen

Isabel of Coimbra Infanta Isabel of Coimbra (Isabella of Portugal) (1 March 1432 – 2 December 1455) was a Portuguese infanta and Queen of Portugal This is a list of Portuguese monarchs who ruled from the establishment of the Kingdom of Portugal, in 1139, ...

. She served as regent during the absence of her father in 1471. In 1475 she became a cloistered nun of the

Dominican Order The Order of Preachers (, abbreviated OP), commonly known as the Dominican Order, is a Catholic Church, Catholic mendicant order of pontifical right that was founded in France by a Castilians, Castilian priest named Saint Dominic, Dominic de Gu ...

. She is venerated in the

Catholic Church The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

with the title ' Blessed', is commemorated by a

feast A banquet (; ) is a formal large meal where a number of people consume food together. Banquets are traditionally held to enhance the prestige of a host, or reinforce social bonds among joint contributors. Modern examples of these purposes inc ...

on May 12, and is commonly known in Portugal as Holy Princess Joan ().

Early life

Joanna was the second child of Afonso, but after the early death of her older brother

John John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Second E ...

in 1451, she was recognized as heir presumptive and given the title of Princess of Portugal. Other children of the king were infantes. Upon the birth of her younger brother, the future

John II of Portugal John II (; ; 3 May 1455 – 25 October 1495), called the Perfect Prince (), was King of Portugal from 1481 until his death in 1495, and also for a brief time in 1477. He is known for reestablishing the power of the Portuguese monarchy, reinvigo ...

in 1455, she ceased to be heir presumptive, but among the people she continued to be known as Princess Joanna. From a young age, Joanna expressed a desire to become a

nun A nun is a woman who vows to dedicate her life to religious service and contemplation, typically living under vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience in the enclosure of a monastery or convent.''The Oxford English Dictionary'', vol. X, page 5 ...

; however, as she was second-in-line to the throne, her father did not allow it.Capes, Florence. "Blessed Joanna of Portugal." The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 8. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1910. 25 Jul. 2014
/ref> During his military expedition to

Tangier Tangier ( ; , , ) is a city in northwestern Morocco, on the coasts of the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. The city is the capital city, capital of the Tanger-Tetouan-Al Hoceima region, as well as the Tangier-Assilah Prefecture of Moroc ...

in 1471, Joanna served as Regent of the Portuguese Kingdom.

Marriage proposals

After vehemently refusing several proposals of marriage, Joanna joined the Dominican Convent of Jesus in Aveiro in 1475. Her brother had by then fathered an heir, so the family line was no longer in danger of extinction, and thus she entered the convent that same year her nephew

Afonso Afonso is the Portuguese and Galician form of Alphons. Middle Ages Iberian royal families ;Portugal *Afonso I of Portugal (1109–1185) *Afonso II of Portugal (1185–1223) *Afonso III of Portugal (1210–1279) *Afonso IV of Portugal (1291� ...

was born in 1475. Still, she was compelled several times to leave the convent and return to court. She turned down an offer of marriage from

Charles VIII of France Charles VIII, called the Affable (; 30 June 1470 – 7 April 1498), was King of France from 1483 to his death in 1498. He succeeded his father Louis XI at the age of 13. His elder sister Anne acted as regent jointly with her husband Peter II, Du ...

, 18 years her junior. Her father abdicated in 1477, died in 1481, and was succeeded by her brother. In 1485, she received another offer, from the recently widowed

Richard III of England Richard III (2 October 1452 – 22 August 1485) was King of England from 26 June 1483 until his death in 1485. He was the last king of the Plantagenet dynasty and its cadet branch the House of York. His defeat and death at the Battle of Bosw ...

, who was only 8 months younger. This was to be part of a double marital alliance, with his niece

Elizabeth of York Elizabeth of York (11 February 1466 – 11 February 1503) was List of English royal consorts, Queen of England from her marriage to King Henry VII of England, Henry VII on 18 January 1486 until her death in 1503. She was the daughter of King E ...

marrying her cousin, the future

Manuel I Manuel I may refer to: *Manuel I Komnenos Manuel I Komnenos (; 28 November 1118 – 24 September 1180), Latinized as Comnenus, also called Porphyrogenitus (; " born in the purple"), was a Byzantine emperor of the 12th century who reigned ov ...

. However, his death in battle, of which Joanna allegedly had a prophetic dream, halted these plans.

Later life

She continued to be a great supporter of her brother,

, throughout his reign and her life. Joanna died on 12 May 1490 in Aveiro and was buried in the Convent of Jesus in Aveiro. She bequeathed all her wealth to the convent. She was

beatified Beatification (from Latin , "blessed" and , "to make") is a recognition accorded by the Catholic Church of a deceased person's entrance into Heaven and capacity to intercede on behalf of individuals who pray in their name. ''Beati'' is the ...

in 1693 by

Pope Innocent XII Pope Innocent XII (; ; 13 March 1615 – 27 September 1700), born Antonio Pignatelli, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 12 July 1691 to his death in September 1700. He took a hard stance against nepotism ...

. In honor of her beatification, an official account of her life was issued in Italian. Although she has not been canonized, in Portugal she is known as the Princess Saint Joanna.

Revival

In the early 18th century, the

Portuguese nobility Portuguese may refer to: * anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Portugal ** Portuguese cuisine, traditional foods ** Portuguese language, a Romance language *** Portuguese dialects, variants of the Portuguese language ** Portu ...

, clergy, and court had a revival in interest in the princess. During this time, the Portuguese artist Manuel Ferreira e Sousa was the most famous artist in this revival. He was contracted by various religious institutions, noblemen, and even the royal family to paint scenes from her life.

Gallery

File:Retrato da Princesa Santa Joana com o Menino - Joao Baptista Pachim.jpg, ''Princess Saint Joanna with the Infant Jesus''; by Joao Baptista Pachim, 18th century. File:Joana, Princess of Portugal Women of the Book Collection.jpg, Engraving depicting the ‘saintly princess’ holding a skull, a crucifix, and a crown of thorns. Credit: Women of the Book Collection, Sheridan Libraries, Johns Hopkins University. Printed in iarchive:wotb_6743746, Breve Narratione Della Vita della Beata Giovanna Principessa di Portogallo Dell’Ordine di San Domenico. Appellata communemente la Santa Principessa. Raccolta da un religioso Dell'istess' Ordine di Lei Devoto, Rome, 1693.

Ancestry

Notes

Sources

* * * * * * *

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Joan, Princess Of Portugal Princes of Portugal

Joan of Portugal Joan of Portugal ( �uˈɐnɐ 31 March 1439 – June 13, 1475) was the Queen of Castile as the second wife of King Henry IV of Castile. The posthumous daughter of King Edward of Portugal and Eleanor of Aragon, she was born in the Quinta ...

Regents of Portugal 15th-century Portuguese nuns Portuguese royal saints

Nobility from Lisbon 15th-century women regents 15th-century regents Daughters of kings Beatifications by Pope Innocent XII Patrons of World Youth Day