Afonso II of Portugal

Afonso II redirects here. It may also refer to Afonso II of Kongo.

Afonso II
King Afonso in Compendio de crónicas de reyes (c. 1312-1325)
King of Portugal
Reign	26 March 1212 – 25 March 1223
Predecessor	Sancho I
Successor	Sancho II
Born	23 April 1185 Coimbra, Kingdom of Portugal
Died	25 March 1223 (aged 37) Coimbra, Kingdom of Portugal
Burial	Santa Cruz Monastery, Coimbra, District of Coimbra, Portugal
Consort	Urraca of Castile
Issue among others...	Sancho II Afonso III Leonor, Queen of Denmark Fernando, Lord of Serpa
House	House of Burgundy
Father	Sancho I
Mother	Dulce of Aragon
Religion	Roman Catholicism

Afonso II (Portuguese pronunciation: [ɐˈfõsu]; English: Alphonzo), or Affonso (Archaic Portuguese), Alfonso or Alphonso (Portuguese-Galician) or Alphonsus (Latin version), nicknamed "the Fat" (Portuguese o Gordo), King of Portugal, was born in Coimbra on 23 April 1185 and died on 25 March 1223 in the same city. He was the second but eldest surviving son of Sancho I of Portugal by his wife, Dulce, Infanta of Aragon. Afonso succeeded his father in 1212.

Reign

A 17th century depiction of Afonso.

As a king, Afonso II set a different approach of government. Hitherto, his father Sancho I and his grandfather Afonso I were mostly concerned with military issues either against the neighbouring Kingdom of Castile or against the Moorish lands in the south. Afonso did not pursue territory enlargement policies and managed to insure peace with Castile during his reign. Despite this, some towns, like Alcácer do Sal in 1217, were conquered from the Moors by the private initiative of noblemen. This does not mean that he was a weak or somehow cowardly man. The first years of his reign were marked instead by internal disturbances between Afonso and his brothers and sisters. The king managed to keep security within Portuguese borders only by outlawing and exiling his kin.

Since military issues were not a government priority, Afonso established the state's administration and centralized power on himself. He designed the first set of Portuguese written laws. These were mainly concerned with private property, civil justice, and minting. Afonso also sent ambassadors to European kingdoms outside the Iberian Peninsula and began amicable commercial relations with most of them.

Other reforms included the always delicate matters with the pope. In order to get the independence of Portugal recognized by Rome, his grandfather, Afonso I, had to legislate an enormous number of privileges to the Church. These eventually created a state within the state. With Portugal's position as a country firmly established, Afonso II endeavoured to weaken the power of the clergy and to apply a portion of the enormous revenues of the Roman Catholic Church to purposes of national utility. These actions led to a serious diplomatic conflict between the pope and Portugal. After being excommunicated for his audacities by Pope Honorius III, Afonso II promised to make amends to the church, but he died in 1223 before making any serious attempts to do so.

Ancestry

Marriage and descendants

Afonso married Infanta Urraca of Castile, daughter of Alfonso VIII of Castile and Leonora of England, in 1206.

References

•  This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Alphonso". Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. 

External links

Monarchs of Portugal House of Burgundy (1139–1383) Afonso I Sancho I Afonso II Sancho II Afonso III Dinis I Afonso IV Pedro I Fernando I House of Aviz (1385–1580) João I Duarte I Afonso V João II Manuel I João III Sebastião I Henrique I House of Habsburg (1581–1640) Filipe I Filipe II Filipe III House of Braganza (1640–1853) João IV Afonso VI Pedro II João V José I Maria I with Pedro III João VI Pedro IV Maria II Miguel I Maria II with Fernando II House of Braganza-Coburg (1853–1910) Pedro V Luís I Carlos I Manuel II

Portuguese House of Burgundy   Henry, Count of Portugal Spouse(s) Theresa of León Children Urraca Henriques, Countess of Trastámara Sancha Henriques, Lady of Braganza de Langroiva and Noman Teresa Henriques Henrique Henriques Afonso Henriques Pedro Henriques Grandchildren Infante Henrique Infanta Mafalda Urraca, Queen of Léon Infanta Sancha Sancho I Infante João Theresa, Countess of Flanders and Duchess of Burgundy   Afonso I of Portugal Spouse(s) Mafalda of Savoy, Queen of Portugal Children Infante Henrique Infanta Mafalda Urraca, Queen of Léon Infanta Sancha Sancho I Infante João Theresa, Countess of Flanders and Duchess of Burgundy Grandchildren Theresa, Queen of León Infanta Sancha, Lady of Alenquer Infante Raimundo Infante Constance Afonso II of Portugal Peter I, Count of Urgell Ferdinand, Count of Flanders Infante Henrique Infanta Branca, Lady of Guadalajara Berengaria, Queen of Denmark Mafalda, Queen of Portugal   Sancho I of Portugal Spouse(s) Dulce of Aragon Children Theresa, Queen of León Infanta Sancha, Lady of Alenquer Infante Raimundo Infante Constance Afonso II of Portugal Peter I, Count of Urgell Ferdinand, Count of Flanders Infante Henrique Infanta Branca, Lady of Guadalajara Berengaria, Queen of Denmark Mafalda, Queen of Portugal Grandchildren Sancho II Afonso III Eleanor, junior Queen of Denmark Fernando, Lord of Serpa Infante Vicente Infanta Maria   Afonso II of Portugal Spouse(s) Urraca of Castile Children Sancho II Afonso III Eleanor, junior Queen of Denmark Fernando, Lord of Serpa Infante Vicente Grandchildren Infante Roberto Infanta Branca, Viscountess of Huelgas Infante Fernando Denis I of Portugal Afonso of Portugal, Lord of Portalegre Infanta Sancha Infanta Maria Infanta Constança Infante Vicente   Sancho II of Portugal Spouse(s) Mécia Lopes de Haro Notes Sancho had no children; he was deposed in 1247 and died the following year.   Afonso III of Portugal Spouse(s) Matilda II of Boulogne Beatrice of Castile Children Infante Roberto Infanta Branca, Lady of Las Huelgas Infante Fernando Denis I of Portugal Afonso of Portugal, Lord of Portalegre Infanta Sancha Infanta Maria Infanta Constança Infante Vicente Grandchildren Constance, Queen of Castile Afonso IV Infante Afonso, Lord of Leiria Infanta Maria, Lady of Menezes and Orduña Infanta Isabel, Lady of Penela Infanta Constança Infanta Beatriz, Lady of Lemos   Denis of Portugal Spouse(s) Saint Elizabeth of Portugal Children Constance, Queen of Castile Afonso IV Grandchildren Maria, Queen of Castile Infante Afonso Infante Denis Peter I Infanta Isabel Infante João Eleanor, Queen of Aragon   Afonso IV of Portugal Spouse(s) Beatrice of Castile Children Maria, Queen of Castile Infante Afonso Infante Denis Peter I Infanta Isabel Infante João Eleanor, Queen of Aragon Grandchildren Infante Luís Infanta Maria, Marchioness of Tortosa Ferdinand I Infante Afonso Infanta Beatrice, Countess of Alburquerque Infante John, Duke of Valencia de Campos Infante Denis, Lord of Cifuentes   Peter I of Portugal Spouse(s) Blanche of Castile Constanza Manuel Inês de Castro Children Infante Luís Infanta Maria, Marchioness of Tortosa Ferdinand I Infante Afonso1 Infanta Beatrice, Countess of Alburquerque1 Infante John, Duke of Valencia de Campos1 Infante Denis, Lord of Cifuentes1 Illegitimate children included John, Grand Master of the Order of Aviz (future John I) Grandchildren Beatrice, titular Queen of Portugal Infante Pedro Infante Afonso Infante Fernando, Lord of Eça1 Infanta Maria Brites, Countess of Valencia de Campos1 Infanta Isabel Brites, Countess of Cigales and Buelna1 Infanta Joana, Lady of Buendía1 Infante Fernando, Lord of Cifuentes1 Infante Pedro, Lord of Colmenarejo1 Infanta Beatrice1   Ferdinand I of Portugal Spouse(s) Leonor Telles de Menezes Children Beatrice, titular Queen of Portugal Infante Pedro Infante Afonso Notes 1 the descendants of King Peter I and Ines de Castro's children were recognized as legitimate and were Infantes and Infantas 2 also an Infante of Castile