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Birth:          9 Oct 1261 Lisboa, Portugal
Death:          7 Jan 1325 Santarben, Portugal
Burial:         Sdao Diniz A Odivelas, Lisboa, Portugal

Notes
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Denis_of_Portugal
Denis (Portuguese: Dinis or Diniz, IPA: [di'ni?]; Lisbon, 9 October 1261 – Santarém, 7 
January 1325), called the Farmer King (Rei Lavrador)[1] and the Poet King (Rei 
Poeta), was King of Portugal and the Algarve. The eldest son of Afonso III of Portugal 
by his second wife, Beatrice of Castile, and grandson of king Alfonso X of Castile 
(known as the Wise), Denis succeeded his father in 1279. His marriage to Elizabeth of 
Aragon, who was later canonised as a saint of the Roman Catholic Church,[2] was 
arranged in 1281 when she was 10 years old.

Denis ruled the Kingdom of Portugal and the Algarves for over 46 years and is 
remembered as a major contributor to the formation of a sense of national identity and 
an awareness of Portugal as a nation-state. He worked to reorganise his country's 
economy and gave an impetus to Portuguese agriculture. He ordered the planting of a 
large pine forest (that still exists today) near Leiria to prevent the soil degradation that 
threatened the region and as a source of raw materials for the construction of the 
royal ships.[3] He was also known for his poetry,[4] which constitutes a major 
contribution to the development of Portuguese as a literary language.
Reign[edit]

In 1290, Denis began to pursue the systematic centralisation of royal power by 
imposing judicial reforms, instituting the Portuguese language as the official language 
of the court, creating the first university in Portugal, and ridding the military orders in 
the country of foreign influences. His policies encouraged economic development with 
the creation of numerous towns and trade fairs.[5] He advanced the interests of the 
Portuguese merchants, and set up by mutual agreement a fund called the Bolsa de 
Comércio, the first documented form of marine insurance in Europe, approved on 10 
May 1293.[6][7] Always concerned with development of the country's infrastructure, 
he encouraged the discovery and exploitation of sulphur, silver, tin and iron mines and 
organised the export of excess production of agricultural crops, salt, and salted fish to 
England, Flanders, and France.[5]

Denis signed the first Portuguese commercial agreement with England in 1308, and 
secured a contract in 1317 for the services of the Genoese merchant sailor Manuel 
Pessanha (Portuguese form of the Italian "Pezagno") as hereditary admiral of his 
fleet,[8] with the understanding that Pessanha and his successors should provide 
twenty Genoese captains to command the king's galleys,[9] thus effectively founding 
the Portuguese navy.[10]

In 1289 Denis had signed an agreement with Pope Nicholas IV, swearing to protect 
the Church's interests in Portugal. When Pope Clement V allowed the annihilation of 
the Knights Templar throughout most of Europe on charges of heresy, Denis created in 
1319 a Portuguese military order, the Order of Christ, for those knights who survived 
the purge.[11][12] The new order was designed to be a continuation of the Order of 
the Temple.[13] Denis negotiated with Clement's successor, John XXII, for recognition 
of the new order and its right to inherit the Templar assets and property.[14]

Cultural pursuits[edit]
During Denis' reign, Lisbon became one of Europe's centres of culture and learning.
[15][16] The first university in Portugal, then called the Estudo Geral (General Study), 
was founded with his signing of the document Scientiae thesaurus mirabilis in Leiria on 
3 March 1290.[17] Lectures in the arts, civil law, canon law, and medicine were given, 
and on 15 February 1309, the king granted the university a charter, the Magna Charta 
Privilegiorum.[18] The university was moved between Lisbon and Coimbra several 
times, and finally installed permanently in Coimbra in 1537[19] by order of King John 
III.

As a devotee of the arts and sciences, Denis studied literature and wrote several 
books on topics ranging from government administration to hunting, science and 
poetry, as well as ordering the translation of many literary works into Galician-
Portuguese (Portuguese had not yet fully evolved into a distinct language), among 
them the works attributed to his grandfather Alfonso X. He patronised troubadours, 
and wrote lyric poetry in the troubadour tradition himself. His best-known work is the 
Cantigas de Amigo, a collection of love songs as well as satirical songs, which 
contributed to the development of troubador poetry in the Iberian Peninsula. All told, 
137 of the songs attributed to him, in the three main genres of Galician-Portuguese 
lyric,[20] are preserved in the two early 16th-century manuscripts, the Cancioneiro da 
Biblioteca Nacional and the Cancioneiro da Vaticana.[21] A spectacular find in 1990 
by American scholar Harvey Sharrer brought to light the Pergaminho Sharrer, which 
contains, albeit in fragmentary form, seven cantigas d'amor by King Denis with musical 
notation.[22][23] These poems are found in the same order in the two previously 
known codices.

Administration[edit]

As heir-apparent to the throne, Infante (Prince) Denis was summoned by his father 
Afonso III to share governmental responsibilities. The country was again in conflict 
with the Catholic Church at the time, Afonso having been excommunicated in 1277, 
and only being absolved in 1279 when he acceded to Rome's demands on his 
deathbed.[16][24][25] Consequently, the church was favorably inclined to reach an 
agreement with the new monarch upon his accession to the throne.

In 1284, however, Denis emulated the example of his grandfather and father, and 
launched a new series of inquiries to investigate the expropriation of royal property; 
this was to the detriment of the church. The next year he took further steps against 
ecclesiastical power when he promulgated amortisation laws.[26] These prohibited the 
church and religious orders from buying lands, and required that they sell or forfeit any 
they had purchased since the start of his reign. Several years later he issued another 
decree forbidding them to inherit the estates of recruits to the orders.[27]

In 1288, Denis managed to persuade Pope Nicholas IV to issue a papal Bull that 
separated the Order of Santiago in Portugal from that in Castile, to which it had been 
subordinate.[28] With the extinction of the Knights Templar, he was able to transfer 
their assets in the country to the Order of Christ, specially created for this purpose.

Denis was essentially an administrator and not a warrior king. He went to war with the 
kingdom of Castile in 1295, relinquishing the villages of Serpa and Moura. In 1297, he 
signed the Treaty of Alcañices with Castile, which defined the current borders 
between the two Iberian countries,[29] and reaffirmed Portugal’s possession of the 
Algarve. The treaty also established an alliance of friendship and mutual defense, 
leading to a peace of 40 years between the two nations.

Denis pursued his father's policies on legislation and centralisation of power, and 
promulgated the nucleus of a Portuguese civil and criminal law code, protecting the 
lower classes from abuse and extortion. These edicts survived in the Livro das Leis e 
Posturas (Book of Laws and Postures),[30][31] and the Ordenações Afonsinas 
(Afonsine Ordinances), proclaimed during the reign of Afonso V.[32][33] These are not 
legislative "codes" as we understand them today, but rather compilations of laws and 
customary municipal law, as amended and restated by the Portuguese crown.[34]

As king, Denis travelled around the country to resolve various problems. He ordered 
the construction of numerous castles, created new towns, and granted the privileges 
due cities to several others. He declared in 1290 that 'the language of the people' 
was to become the language of the state,[35] and officially known as Portuguese.[36] 
Denis also decreed that Portuguese replace Latin as the language of the law courts in 
his kingdom.[37] His wife Elizabeth donated much of the large income generated by 
her lands and properties to charities,[38][39] inspiring Denis to help improve the life of 
the poor and found several social institutions.[40]

The frequent procedural issues that arose when he issued his decrees increasingly 
occupied Denis in his quest to frame the common law as being within the scope of the 
crown's jurisdiction, and in exercising royal power in the realm. The restrictions he 
placed on the actions of alvazis (local council officials), judges, as well as proctors 
and advocates in the courts, show that a merely nominal power of the monarchy over 
all the inhabitants of the kingdom, as was typical in the Middle Ages, was not 
compatible with his effort to assert a royal prerogative to scrutinise legal procedures, 
or moralise on the exercise of justice. The appointment of magistrates clearly marks 
the start of the process of the crown claiming territorial jurisdiction, thus expanding 
the royal domain, along with the growing importance of Lisbon as the nation's de facto 
capital.[41] The preference for Lisbon as a venue of the royal court was accentuated 
during Denis's long reign. There was as yet no official capital of the country, but 
Lisbon's location, as well as its advanced urban, economic and commercial 
development, made the city the most viable choice for a national centre of 
administration.

Its geographical situation between the ancient divisions of the country, i.e., the north 
and the south, enhanced Lisbon's status as the most practical centre for an emergent 
united Portuguese nation, the south now receiving as much royal attention as the 
north and becoming the residence of the monarchy. Their different characters created 
a realm where the two regions complemented each other. The great manors were 
closer together in the north, and the vast dominions conquered from the Muslims in the 
south, as well as the large areas of unclaimed land there, expanded the domain of the 
crown, and much of the territory of the extreme south came under the control of the 
military orders.[42]

Denis promoted development of the rural infrastructure, earning the nickname of "the 
Farmer" (o Lavrador).[43] He redistributed land,[44] founded agricultural schools to 
improve farming techniques,[45] and took a personal interest in the expansion of 
exports. He set up regular markets in a number of towns and regulated their activities. 
One of his principal achievements was to protect agricultural lands from advancing 
coastal sands by ordering the planting of a pine forest near Leiria.[46] which also 
provided a source of raw materials for construction of a naval fleet.[3] This forest, 
known as the Pinhal de Leiria (Leiria Pinewood), still exists, and is an important 
conservation area.[47]

Latter years and death[edit]

The latter part of Denis' generally peaceful reign was nevertheless marked by internal 
conflicts. The contenders were his two sons: Afonso, the legitimate heir, and Afonso 
Sanches, his bastard son, who quarreled frequently among themselves for royal 
favour. At the time of Denis' death in 1325, he had placed Portugal on an equal 
footing with the other Iberian Kingdoms.

Afonso, born in Lisbon, was the rightful heir to the Portuguese throne. However, he 
was not Denis' favourite son, the old king preferring Afonso Sanches, his illegitimate 
son by Aldonça Rodrigues Talha.[48][49][50] The notorious rivalry between the half 
brothers led to civil war several times. Elizabeth would serve as intermediary between 
her husband and Afonso during the civil war of 1322–1324.

The Infante Afonso greatly resented the king, whom he accused of favoring Afonso 
Sanches. Denis had little popular support in the war because of the many privileges 
he had granted to the nobles in the last years of his reign, while the infante had the 
support of the county's cities; these circumstances were rooted in the longstanding 
conflict between the upper and lower classes of Portuguese society. Repulsed to the 
town of Alenquer, which supported the Infante, Denis was prevented from killing his 
son through the intervention of the Queen. As legend holds, in 1323, Elizabeth, 
mounted on a mule, positioned herself between the opposing armies on the field of the 
Battle of Alvalade in order to prevent the combat. Peace returned in 1324 when 
Afonso Sanches was sent into exile and the Infante swore loyalty to the king.[51]

King Denis died on 7 January 1325 at Santarém,[52] and was buried in the Monastery 
of Saint Denis in Odivelas, near Lisbon.[53] Afonso then became king, whereupon he 
exiled his rival to Castile, and stripped him of all the lands and fiefdoms bestowed by 
their father. From Castile, Afonso Sanches orchestrated a series of attempts to usurp 
the crown. After he failed several times to mount an invasion of Portugal, the brothers 
signed a peace treaty, arranged by Afonso IV's mother Queen Elizabeth.[54]

Appraisal of reign[edit]

Bearing in mind the many centuries that separate Denis from the present, an 
impression of his personality can be gathered from the historical record: he was 
determined, even obstinate, in his attempts to systematically centralise the 
government and consolidate royal power.[55] For example, he launched general 
inquiries (Inquirições gerais) at a remarkably accelerated pace to investigate land 
ownership and identify cases where abuses were committed.[56]

Denis revealed early on his ability as an effective strategist in the pursuit of his goals, 
and as an innovator of proactive legislative policy. With the benefit of a posteriori 
scrutiny, it is clear that his administrative decisions were not made randomly or without 
consideration of his ideal of a well-governed nation. The wide range of his policies is 
indicated by a few examples: the concomitant creation of new towns and trade fairs, 
the fortification of the country's borders and the increasing dependence of the military 
orders on the royal power. He was recognized as an intelligent, perceptive ruler with 
demonstrated success, both by contemporaries and by later historians.

Denis was not lacking in political skill. Being adroit in negotiation and a student of 
human nature, he knew how to go about "opposing and appeasing alternately the 
secular and the ecclesiastical manorial interests. He confiscated the properties of the 
clergy, but made the concordat [of 1289] with the Portuguese bishops;[24][57] he 
restricted the comedoria (victuals) rights of the monasteries, but replaced those rights 
with a fixed annual sum of money. His actions were sufficiently [statesmanlike, and his 
political position was strong] enough, for him to secure the confiscation laws and 
check the erosion of the state patrimony".[58][59] As administration of the royal 
properties became more efficient and he became richer, Denis gained fame for his 
wealth, even being mentioned in Dante Alighieri's Divine Comedy.[60]

Nevertheless, Denis is described in contemporary chronicles as a wise and able ruler. 
Although most of the legislative work of his reign focused on procedural juridical 
issues, the purpose of much of this new legislation was to avoid excessive delays and 
court costs and to prevent abuse by attorneys and prosecutors.The personal 
determination that allowed Denis to achieve so much in the political realm could 
sometimes harden into obstinacy and arrogance. He was described occasionally as 
cruel, especially in family relations, shown for example in the way he dealt with his 
legitimate son and rightful heir, Afonso (never his favorite), and his wife, Elizabeth, to 
whom he turned over the children born of his infidelities,[61] leaving her the 
responsibility of their care and education.

An inescapable figure in the history of the Iberian Peninsula in the 13th and the 
beginning of the 14th centuries, Denis was first called "father of his country" (Pai da 
Pátria) by the historian Duarte Nunes de Leão in 1600.[62]

Physical Description[edit]

The historical sources of King Denis's time, as well as later authors, failed to provide 
any detailed physical description of the monarch. The information known comes from 
an accidental opening of his tomb during a restoration in 1938. It was discovered that 
the legend of a figure of towering height was not an accurate one as he was only 
about 1.65 metres (5 feet 5 inches) tall. Denis made his will when he was 61 and died 
at age 63. He apparently enjoyed excellent health throughout his life, as he traveled 
frequently, got involved in wars from an early age and at age 60 still hunted. He died 
with complete dentition,[63] a rarity for the time, something that even today continues 
to be fairly unusual.

A distinctive feature of his physiognomy revealed by examination of the body was that 
his hair and beard were auburn. This is a curious fact, as he was the first of the 
Portuguese royal line up to that time to have that hair color. This genetic trait could 
have been passed on the maternal side, as his uncle Ferdinand, called "La Cerda", or 
"the bristly one", had red hair as well. Denis may have inherited the trait from Henry II 
of England, who was his ancestor on both the paternal and maternal sides, or even 
possibly from his maternal great grandmother Elisabeth of Hohenstaufen, 
granddaughter of the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick Barbarossa ("barbarossa" means 
"red beard" in Italian).[64]

Marriage and descendants[edit]

Denis' only wife was Isabel or Elizabeth of Aragon, daughter of Peter III of Aragon. 
They married in 1288 and she bore him a son and a daughter. Like other monarchs of 
the time, he had several illegitimate children as well.[65]

Name

Birth

Death

Notes

By Elizabeth of Aragon (1271–1336; married in 1282) 
Infanta Constança (Constance) 3 January 1290 18 November 1313 Queen of Castile 
by marriage to Ferdinand IV of Castile. 
Infante Afonso 8 February 1291 28 May 1357 Succeeded him as Afonso IV, 7th King 
of Portugal. 
By Maria Pires (?-?) 
João Afonso c. 1280 1325 Lord of Lousã 
By Marinha Gomes (c. 1260-?) 
Maria Afonso c. 1290 a. 1340 married Juan Alfonso de la Cerda   
Maria Afonso (nun) ? 1320 Religious at the Monastery of Odivelas 
By Grácia Froes (c. 1265-?) 
Pedro Afonso 1287 1354 3rd Count of Barcelos 
By Aldonça Rodrigues Talha (c. 1260-?) 
Afonso Sanches b. 1289 1329 Lord of Albuquerque and rival of his half-brother Afonso 
IV 
Other natural offspring 
Fernão Sanches c. 1280 1329   

Parents
____ Alfonso III "the Restorer" (5 May 1210 - 16 Feb 1279)
____ Beatrix (1242 - 27 Oct 1303)

Siblings
____ Diniz (Denis) "the Just" (9 Oct 1261 - 7 Jan 1325)

Marriage To ____ Elizabeth (Isabel) (4 Jan 1271 - 4 Jul 1336)
    m. 1282 

Notes

Parents
OF ARAGON Pedro III "the Great" (1239 - 2 Nov 1285)
OF SICILY Constance (Costanza) (1249 - 1302)

Children by ____ Elizabeth (Isabel) 4 Jan 1271 - 4 Jul 1336
DINISEZ Constanca (3 Jan 1290 - 18 Nov 1313)
DINISEZ Affonso IV "the Brave" (8 Feb 1291 - 28 May 1357)

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