Miguel de Vasconcelos

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Miguel de Vasconcelos (or Vasconcellos) e Brito (c. 1590 - Lisbon, 1 December 1640), pron. IPA: [mi'ɣɛɫ dɨ vaʃkõ'sɛluʃ], was the last Secretary of State (Prime Minister) of the Kingdom of Portugal, during the Iberian Union, in which both kingdoms of Portugal and Spain remained separated but united by the same king and foreign policy (See: History of Portugal (1578-1777)). He was in office from 1635 to 1640, serving under the Vice-Queen of Portugal, Margarita of Savoy, the Duchess of Mantua, a Spanish-Italian noblewoman of Portuguese ancestry.

He was probably the most hated collaborator with the Spanish, considered a traitor during the last years of the Iberian Union, especially after the revolts of 1637. On the morning of 1 December 1640, a group of Portuguese noblemen who wanted to restore full independence started a revolution, immediately supported by the people. They would eventually find Miguel de Vasconcelos hidden in a closet. He was stabbed to death and defenestrated, leaving his corpse to the angry public.

Preceded by Unknown

Prime Minister of Portugal (Secretary of State) 1635–1640

Succeeded by Francisco de Lucena

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