Order of Aviz (Brazil)

The Imperial Order of St. Benedict of Avis is a former Imperial Brazilian military order, originating from the ancient Portuguese Military Order of Aviz. Legend says that the order originated from Portugal in the twelfth century, under King Afonso Henriques.

The order was stripped of its religious characteristics by Decree on 9 September 1843.

Unlike the other orders that were abolished by the Provisional Government of the Republic, the Order of St. Benedict of Avis and the Order of the Southern Cross were initially preserved from extinction but were kept restricted to military personnel only, under the Decree of the Provisional Government number 227-F of 22 March 1890.

However, all remaining Orders of Knighthood, including the Order of St. Benedict of Avis, the Order of the Southern Cross, and even the newly created Order of Columbus (that had been created by the Provisional Government of the Republic on 6 June 1890) were declared abolished upon the adoption of the new Republic's first Constitution, on 24 February 1891 (due to a clause in the Constitution that extinguished all titles of nobility and orders of knighthood).

However, this constitutional provision was interpreted as prohibiting the granting of new titles and the awarding of new knighthoods, and as abolishing the Orders themselves (as organized entities), but not as prohibiting the use of titles and honours receiving in the past, and therefore people who had been granted noble titles or positions in the Orders of Knighthood before their extinction were allowed the said titles and the insignia of the Order. Accordingly, the Order of St. Benedict of Aviz only effectively died out once all those who had been admitted to it prior to 1981 had died.

In spite of the abolition of the Order, Decree No. 4328 of 15 November 1901 created a military medal named after the extinct Order: the Medal of the Military Order of Avis.