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Count of Abrantes

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Count of Abrantes (in Portuguese Conde de Abrantes) was a Portuguese title of nobility created by a royal decree, dated from June 13, 1476, by King Afonso V of Portugal, and granted to his 4th cousin, Lopo de Almeida.

Contents

Dom Lopo was closely related to the Portuguese royal House, once his great-grandfather was Infante João, Duke of Valencia de Campos (son of King Peter I of Portugal and of Inês de Castro).

This title became extinct when the 4th Count, Miguel de Almeida, a hero of the Portuguese uprising of December 1, 1640, died without issue in 1650.

Genealogical Summary

Pedro I (1320–1367) King of Portugal | __________________________|............................. | | : | | : Fernando I Infante João João I (1345–1383) (1349–1397) (1357–1433) King of Portugal Duke of Valencia de Campos King of Portugal | (Spanish title) | | : | | : | | : | Beatrice Pedro da Guerra Duarte I (1372–1408) (c.1380- ? ) (1391–1438) Queen de jure | King of Portugal | | | | Brites Anes | (c.1380-1431) | m.Diogo Fernandes de Almeida | Mayor of Abrantes | | | | | | | Lopo de Almeida Portuguese Royal House (1416–1486) 1st Count of Abrantes

List of the Counts of Abrantes (1476)

  • Lopo de Almeida (1416–1486), 1st Count of Abrantes
  • João de Almeida (1445–1512), 2nd Count of Abrantes (son of the previous)
  • Lopo de Almeida (1470- ? ), 3rd Count of Abrantes (son of the previous)
  • Miguel de Almeida (1575–1650), 4th Count of Abrantes (2nd cousin of the previous)

    • Family Name

    The family name associated with the Counts of Abrantes was Almeida.

    The Almeida clan was closely associated with King John II of Portugal played a pivotal role in the 1490s succession crisis, strongly backing John II's preferred candidate, Jorge de Lencastre against the eventual winner, Manuel, Duke of Beja.

    According to Subrahmanyam (1997: 49), Lopo de Almeida, the first Count of Abrantes, had at least six notable sons:

  • 1. D. João de Almeida - 2nd Count of Abrantes married D. Inês de Noronha (a niece of Christopher Columbus)
  • 2. D. Diogo Fernandes de Almeida - tutor of Jorge de Lencastre and, from 1492, Prior of Crato (Portuguese branch of St. John Hospitaller).
  • 3. D. Jorge de Almeida, Bishop of Coimbra from mid-1490s.
  • 4. D. Pedro da Silva - used his mother's surname, sent on king's 1494 mission to Pope Alexander VI.
  • 5. D. Fernando de Almeida - sent with Pedro on the papal mission.
  • 6. D. Francisco de Almeida - commander of 1505 expedition to India, first Vice-roy of Portuguese India.

    • The Almeida clan remained the principal political opponents of Manuel I of Portugal throughout his reign.

    References

    Count of Abrantes Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA