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74-519: The coat of arms of Alcoutim - a wreath of zambujeiro (wild olive tree) and the slogan Aleo - is derived from the decorative motif of the tomb of Pedro de Menezes, 1st Count of Vila Real , found in the Igreja da Graça in Santarém . 'Aleu' or 'aleo' is an old Portuguese term for a 'gaming stick' (as used in hockey or shuffleboard ). It refers to a famous episode concerning Pedro de Menezes from shortly after

148-455: A Pixegueira : "Enquanto do seguro azambujeiro nos pastores de Luso houver cajados, e o valor antigo que primeiro os fez no mundo tão assinalados, não temas tu, Frondélio companheiro, que em nenhum tempo sejam sojugados, nem que a cerviz indómita obedeça a outro jugo algum que se ofereça. Conquest of Ceuta About 200 ships: The Portuguese conquest of Ceuta took place on 21 August 1415, between Portuguese forces under

222-612: A bold gambit, Pedro de Menezes led the Portuguese garrison in a sally against the Marinid camp and forced the lifting of the siege before the relief fleet even arrived. Blamed for losing Ceuta, the Marinid sultan was assassinated in a coup in Fez in 1420, leaving only a child as his heir. Morocco descended into anarchic chaos, as rival pretenders vied for the throne and local governors carved out regional fiefs for themselves, selling their support to

296-435: A notorious pirate haven, where Berber pirates sold their prey after raiding Iberian coasts and shipping. Ceuta's position opposite the straits of Gibraltar gave it control of one of the main outlets of the trans-African Sudanese gold trade; and it could enable Portugal to flank its most dangerous rival, Castile . It was defended by a composite system of walls, built and added to by various Moroccan dynasties throughout

370-463: A numerous corps of well-equipped men. Among them was Aires Gonçalves de Figueiredo, a 90 year old fidalgo at the command of a nau. The Portuguese fleet probably numbered 59 galleys, 33 carracks or naus and 120 smaller vessels, bearing as many as 50,000 men, of which about 20,000 were combat personnel. It featured English, French and German mercenaries or soldiers of fortune. One German baron commanded 50 men of his household, while an Englishman by

444-784: A period of political instability, under competing interests from the Marinid Empire and the Kingdom of Granada . A Nasrid fleet sent by Abu Said Faraj , Governor of Málaga , conquered Ceuta from the 'Azafids in May 1306; later, in 1309, the city was taken by the Marinids with the support of an Aragonese fleet . The city featured rich trade with the Levant , Egypt , Libya , abundant tuna fishing stocks in its surrounding waters as well as coral , which constituted its main export industry, besides being also

518-461: A portion of the True Cross , "enjoining them to preserve their faith and to fulfil the duties of their rank". Though he had been reluctant to marry her, the king had grown quite fond of his wife, and it is said that he was "so grieved by [her] mortal illness… that he could neither eat nor sleep". In her final hours, Philippa was said to be lucid and without pain. According to legend she was roused by

592-572: A public audience in which he offered such a rude reply that it might be understood as a declaration of war. As a result, rumour thus spread that King John was about to depart on an expedition to attack Holland . In the Spring of 1415, plague broke out in Lisbon, forcing the Court to relocate to the nearby town of Sacavém . On July 10, 1415, Prince Henry called at Lisbon with a fleet of 7 galleys and 20 naus bearing

666-714: A response. After defeating a Castillian army that had invaded Portugal in 1385 at the Battle of Aljubarrota , the recently crowned King John I of Portugal signed a peace treaty with Castille, in 1411. Even before signing peace with its only neighbour, King John I cast an eye at gaining Ceuta and began preparations as early as 1409. The chief promoter of the Ceuta expedition was João Afonso , royal overseer of finance. The children of King John, prince-heir Duarte , prince Peter and Prince Henry (later nicknamed 'the Navigator') eagerly supported

740-406: A wind which blew strongly against the house and asked what wind it was, upon hearing it was the north wind, she claimed it quite beneficial for her son's and husband's voyage to Africa , which she had coordinated. At her death she prayed with several priests and, "without any toil or suffering, gave her soul into the hands of Him who created her, a smile appearing on her mouth as though she disdained

814-415: Is found in the coat of arms of the town of Vila Real , the seat of Pedro de Menezes' fief. It is also found on the coat of arms of the town of Alcoutim , where Pedro's descendants were later made Counts of Alcoutim . Sixteenth-century poet Luís de Camões is believed to be referring to Pedro de Menezes' aleo episode in his first Ecloga , where the poet writes: "So long as from sturdy, wild olive trees,

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888-458: Is one of the hottest places in Portugal and Europe during the summer months. [REDACTED] Pedro de Menezes, 1st Count of Vila Real Pedro de Menezes Portocarrero , (1370 – Ceuta , 22 September 1437) was a 15th-century Portuguese nobleman and military figure. Pedro de Menezes (sometimes modernized as 'de Meneses') was the 2nd Count of Viana do Alentejo , 1st Count of Vila Real and

962-462: Is supposed to have replied that "such is the end which soldiers must expect". Salah ben Salah held the citadel of Ceuta till sundown, but seeing no way to resist the Portuguese, he fled the city with a number of his men, taking their families and all they could carry. Only in the following morning of 21 August did the Portuguese realize the citadel was deserted. Ceuta was entirely in Portuguese hands and fighting ceased. Most of Ceutas residents fled

1036-533: The Conquest of Ceuta on September 2, 1415 (commemorated on Ceuta Day ). Pedro de Menezes was engaged in an outdoor game in the king's presence when a messenger arrived reporting an imminent Moroccan attack on Portuguese-held Ceuta . Menezes is said to have raised his gaming stick ( aleo ) and told the king that "with that stick alone" he could defend Ceuta from all the power of Morocco. Pedro's descendants were later made Counts of Alcoutim . Similar design can be seen on

1110-447: The Kingdom of Portugal were added to the center. John's son Henry the Navigator distinguished himself in the battle, being wounded during the conquest. On the 21st of August the Portuguese consecrated the main mosque into the city's cathedral. The Portuguese later found in its minaret two bells, which had previously been plundered by pirates from a Portuguese church in Lagos . Ceuta

1184-598: The Orders of Christ Dom Lopo Dias de Sousa, the grandmaster of the Portuguese order of Santiago Dom Fernando Afonso de Albuquerque, the grandmaster of Aviz Fernão Rodrigues de Sequeira, the prior of the Hospitallers Álvaro Gonçalves Camelo, the Marshal of Portugal Gonçalo Vasques Coutinho , lord Martim Afonso de Mello , and the royal ensign João Gomes da Silva. By order of the King,

1258-735: The Strait of Gibraltar . In 711, shortly after the Arab conquest of North Africa , the city was used as a departure point for the Umayyad conquest of Hispania . However, the city was destroyed in 740 and only rebuilt in the 9th century, passing to the Caliphate of Córdoba in the 10th century. In the subsequent centuries it was ruled by the Almoravids , the Almohads as well as various Andalusian Taifas . Ceuta then experienced

1332-634: The Tagus River , the Portuguese fleet sailed south along the south-western coast of Portugal and rounded the Cape St. Vincent on July 26, and that night anchored at Lagos . The king disembarked at Lagos the day after arriving to hear Sunday mass, at the cathedral of Lagos by the royal chaplain the Franciscan João de Xira, who on the occasion read to the royal family and commanders the Crusade bull issued by

1406-456: The cathedral of Ceuta (a converted mosque ), but his remains were later translated by his daughter to the Igreja da Graça in Santarém, Portugal . His remains are still found there, in an effigy tomb alongside his third wife, Brites Coutinho. His tomb is decorated with carved wild olive tree branches, and repeatedly embossed with the word aleo , a reference to the gaming stick that Pedro de Menezes made famous. The same motif and slogan, "aleu",

1480-534: The Constable expressed his vote in favor of the expedition first, the council then voting unanimously in favour too. The secretive nature of the expeditions purpose caused numerous theories to rise among Portuguese society as to its true objective, some speculating the King meant to undertake a Crusade to the Levant, others to conquer the Kingdom of Sicily , still others (correctly) guessing Ceuta. By that point, rumours of

1554-621: The English, in France. King John II of Castile , King Ferdinand I of Aragon and the emir of Granada Yusuf III all sent embassies to the Portuguese Court enquiring on the purpose of King John's preparations; the Castilian and Aragonese ambassadors were reassured that the purpose of the armada aimed neither Kingdom, but the ambassador of Granada was only given evasive answers. In order to conceal

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1628-472: The Pope in favour of all who would participate in the attack against Ceuta. On 30 July the fleet weighted anchor to Faro , and as the wind blew weak, the fleet remained by that city till August 7, when they got on their way again. By late afternoon the Portuguese sighted Cape Espartel and turned out to sea, that night entered the Strait of Gibraltar and anchored by the Castilian town of Tarifa . Many members of

1702-539: The Portuguese and the defenders of Ceuta then took place, with the Portuguese galleys being shot at from the walls, the vessel of the Admiral Carlos Pessanha being damaged the worst, as it was the closest to shore. Despite the separation of the fleet, Pessanha landed a detachment of men to skirmish with the Moroccans ashore. Having gathered the armada in front of Ceuta on the 16th, King John determined to assault

1776-461: The Portuguese carracks east almost as far as Málaga , while the oarships proceeded to Ceuta and anchored in its harbour. After the Portuguese galleys were in the harbour, the Marinid governor of Ceuta Salah ben Salah evacuated many of the women and children to the surrounding lands and was reinforced by the tribal inhabitants of the region, voluntarily led by religious leaders. So many took up arms in

1850-503: The Portuguese crown was losing substantial amounts of money maintaining the expensive garrison, Pedro de Menezes is said to have accumulated a small personal fortune from ransoming Moroccan knights captured in skirmishes and from kickbacks from the corsairs he allowed to operate out of Ceuta. He is said to have lent substantial sums to the perennially-indebted Henry the Navigator. In 1423, Pedro de Menezes briefly returned to Portugal to settle some domestic affairs. In 1424, Pedro de Menezes

1924-412: The Portuguese fleet returned home with most of the army, the residents of Ceuta who had sought refuge in the surrounding hills and orchards attempted to recover the city numerous times, however they were easily fought back by the garrison in almost daily skirmishes. Dom Pedro had the houses, towers, orchards and groves around the city pulled down and ditches filled up so as to clear the line of sight around

1998-420: The advance of the attackers in the narrow streets, so the residents could at least flee in time with their families and belongings. Disregarding the open gate through which Prince Henry had breached into the city, Vasco Fernandes de Ataíde attempted to open another gate at the head of a squadron of men, however they were repulsed and Ataíde mortally wounded. Prince Henry left behind a detachment of men to secure

2072-445: The aftermath, was appointed by King John I of Portugal as the first Portuguese governor of Ceuta . Allegedly, he was the only Portuguese noble willing to remain in charge of the Portuguese garrison, which was sure to be attacked by the full force of Marinid Morocco in due time. Pedro de Menezes was left with a garrison of 1600 soldiers. In 1416, Prince Henry the Navigator was placed in charge of supplying provisions from Portugal to

2146-553: The ageing governor was already evidently ill, Henry turned down the offer and took his son Duarte de Menezes instead. Pedro de Menezes' condition took a turn for the worse shortly after and he died within the first week of the siege of Tangier . His son Duarte managed to rush back in time to receive his father's blessing on his deathbed. Despite having married four times, Pedro de Menezes did not have any direct male heirs. His legitimized bastard son Duarte de Menezes inherited his father's old dominion of Count of Viana do Alentejo , but

2220-451: The beach. As a compensation for this spirited act, the King and the royal princes gifted Porto-Carreiro rich jewels and 1000 dobras . From Tarifa, the fleet next anchored at Algeciras , then belonging to the Emirate of Granada , subject to the Marinids of Morocco. King John ordered the attack on Ceuta from Tarifa on August 12, but when they moved out strong currents and contrary winds blew

2294-635: The centuries, most recently the Marinids, and with a high number of gates which could prove difficult to defend. It included a strong citadel built by the Marinids. Relations between the Muslim Marinids of Morocco and the Nasrids Granada in southern Iberia were strained after Abu Said Uthman III had attempted to capture Gibraltar in 1411, while Yusuf of Granada in turn instigated a revolt in Morocco as

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2368-462: The city of Porto . Henry's brother Peter was tasked with enlisting in the southern provinces of Extremadura , Alentejo and Algarve , with the gathering point at Lisbon . Prince-heir Duarte handled paperwork and judicial matters, though he fell into depression . In order to scout the defenses of Ceuta beforehand, King John nominated the Prior of Crato Dom Álvaro Gonçalves Camelo as ambassador to

2442-457: The city the following day, but heavy winds then scattered the Portuguese fleet once more, forcing the king to seek refuge in the bay of Algeciras with the oarships, while the carracks were blown further east. Seeing the Portuguese fleet scatter and believing the attack would not longer take place, many of the undisciplined warriors and militias that had gathered in the city for its defense withdrew to their lands, while governor Salah ben Salah took

2516-415: The city, though a considerable number was killed in the action, and a few women, children and elderly unable to flee or take up arms could still be found in their houses. Álvaro Vaz de Almada, 1st Count of Avranches was first hoisted the flag of Lisbon (or of Saint Vicent) over the Ceuta castle per orders of the king. This symbol still stands today as the flag of Ceuta, but in which the coat of arms of

2590-511: The coat of arms of Vila Real . Administratively, the municipality is divided into 4 civil parishes ( freguesias ): Alcoutim has a Mediterranean climate ( Köppen climate classification Csa ) with very hot and dry summers and mild winters. Due to its location in the Guadiana River basin it has a climate that very much resembles that of relatively nearby Seville and Cordoba . With an average July high of around 36 °C (97 °F) it

2664-488: The command of King John I of Portugal and the Marinid sultanate of Morocco at the city of Ceuta . The city's defenses fell under Portuguese control after a carefully prepared attack, and the successful capture of the city marked the beginning of the Portuguese Empire . Ceuta was held under Portuguese control until being transferred to Spain in 1668. Ceuta is a north African coastal city strategically located on

2738-446: The crown-granted title of Count of Vila Real went to his eldest daughter Brites de Menezes and her consort, Fernando de Noronha . The title of Admiral of Portugal was inherited by his nephew, Lançarote da Cunha . An account of the life and career of Pedro de Menezes was written down in 1463 by Portuguese chronicler Gomes Eanes de Zurara , Chronica do Conde D. Pedro de Menezes , which helped cement his reputation. It's said, among

2812-471: The defense of Ceuta that the Portuguese would later claim no less than 100,000 had reinforced it. Ceuta received no aid whatsoever from the Sultan Abu Said Uthman III of Fez, either because the Marinid dynasty was too embroiled in internal disputes to be able to organize relief or because Salah ben Salah had been acting in an independent manner in recent years. The first engagements between

2886-447: The effect proved null on the Portuguese. On the morning of 21 August 1415, John I of Portugal gave out the orders for the landing of the troops and a general assault on the city. As the king boarded a longboat to be taken ashore however, he was wounded in a leg. Prince Henry was signalled to lead the troops ashore instead. The first to land was Ruy Gonsalves, who encountered resistance upon landing at Playa San Amaro . Prince Henry

2960-498: The expedition were at that point convinced the ultimate goal of the fleet was to attack Sicily. The settlement was then governed by the Portuguese Martim Fernandes Porto-Carreiro, who offered the king supplies and lifestock as refreshments. Since the fleet was well provided, King John refused the gift, but Porto-Carreiro was so offended by such rejection that he had the animals slaughtered and abandoned on

3034-471: The expedition, with the notable exception of the Lima family. Shortly before their departure, Queen Fillippa fell ill from the plague that was then affecting Lisbon. She moved from Lisbon to Sacavém and called her sons to her bedside so that she could give them her blessing. Philippa presented her three eldest sons with jewel-encrusted swords, which they would use in their impending knighthoods, and gave each

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3108-415: The fatal decision of demobilizing the rest of the volunteers to prevent further conflict, leaving nothing but the usual garrison. From Algeciras, Prince Henry was instructed to bring back all the scattered carracks in tow of the galleys. Plague broke out among the fleet and ravaged the crews. King John then held a Council of war with his command while anchored off Punta Carnero, Spain , but he rejected

3182-473: The first Portuguese governor of Ceuta . Pedro de Menezes was the grandson of the powerful 14th-century nobleman João Afonso Telo , 1st Count of Ourém and 4th Count of Barcelos , and his wife Guiomar Lopes Pacheco. Pedro was the cousin of Leonor Teles , the scandalous but powerful consort of King Ferdinand I of Portugal . During the 1383–1385 Crisis , Pedro's father, also called João Afonso Telo like his father, had supported Beatrice of Portugal against

3256-456: The garrison from Ceuta, led by young Duarte, to attack and raze the citadel of Tétouan , to prevent it from becoming a threat to the Portuguese operations. The Portuguese expeditionary force, led by Henry the Navigator , arrived in Ceuta in August 1437, and were greeted with great pomp by D. Pedro de Menezes, who offered to join the force and personally lead the garrison from Ceuta in the campaign. As

3330-507: The garrison. In 1418 (or 1419), the armies of the Marinid rulers of Morocco, assisted by auxiliary forces from the Nasrid Emirate of Granada , finally gathered and laid siege to the citadel . Pedro de Menezes managed the defenses of the citadel, while princes Henry the Navigator and John of Reguengos were dispatched with a relief fleet from Portugal. According to the chroniclers, the relief fleet turned out to be quite unnecessary. In

3404-489: The gate while they waited for rest of the army; it arrived shortly afterwards commanded by the King, prince Pedro and the Constable Nuno Álvares Pereira. King John would however take no further part in the fighting, and sat by the gate. During the urban fighting, rumour spread among the Portuguese troops that prince Henry had perished, as he could not be located. Upon being informed of the rumoured death of his son, king John

3478-465: The gate, encouraged by a very large Nubian or Sudanese who stood his ground hurling large stones. After he was slain by Vasco Martins de Albergaria however, the Muslims turned and fled, chased deeper into the city by prince Pedro, prince Henry and the Constable at the head of the Portuguese troops. As the Portuguese poured into the city, Salah ben Salah descended from the high citadel to try and check

3552-485: The highest bidder. The political crisis in Morocco released the pressure on Ceuta for the next few years, leaving Pedro de Menezes and the Portuguese garrison with little to do, but entrench themselves in the largely empty fortress-citadel. They were only occasionally pestered by small parties of Moroccan nobles, who came to challenge Portuguese knights to feats of arms and personal combat, or scrappy columns of Sufi -inspired religious radicals looking for Holy War . Although

3626-558: The household of prince-heir Edward, 250 squires of the household of prince Peter, 300 squires of the household of prince Henry, 600 crossbowmen on foot and horse, an unrecorded number of squires from the cities of Évora and Beja plus a number of nobles with their followers. Many common foot-soldiers deeply resented the prospect of living in an isolated frontier city, surrounded by hostile Muslim powers eager to obtain revenge on Christians, and fearing certain death or captivity, begged to be taken back, bribed officials to sneak them back aboard

3700-475: The life of this world". The expedition was nearly called off, but King John decided to carry it through. A day of mourning was decreed, at the end of which Prince Henry commanded that all participants wear their best, the ships be decorated and trumpets be sounded with fanfare. The grandmaster of the Order of Aviz was appointed to administer Portugal in the kings absence on July 23, and that day King John embarked on

3774-412: The many legendary stories that have circulated about him, that Pedro de Menezes wore a coat of mail continuously for sixteen years, wearing it out before ever taking it off. Pedro de Menezes is sometimes denoted as Peter I, to distinguish him from his namesake grandson Peter II, the first Marquis of Vila Real , who was to serve as a later governor of Ceuta . Pedro de Menezes was originally buried in

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3848-493: The message. Against the wishes of a considerable number of his men, he ultimately decided to keep the city, in order to pursue further enterprises in the area. Appointing a governor proved unexpectedly difficult however, as many high-ranking nobles such as the Constable Nuno Álvares Pereira, the Marshal Gonçalo Vasques Coutinho and the head of the royal bodyguard Dom Martim Afonso de Melo all turned down

3922-559: The name of Mondo commanded four ships. The expedition included among its ranks some of the most important persons in Portugal at the time besides the king, such as prince-heir Duarte, prince Peter, prince Henry, the Count of Barcelos Dom Afonso de Cascais, the Constable of Portugal Dom Nuno Álvares Pereira and his nephew Dom Álvaro Pereira, the Grandmaster of the Order of Christ Dom Lopo Dias de Sousa,

3996-437: The opinion of those who suggested calling off the attack. On the night of August 20 the Portuguese fleet set out again, and anchored in the harbour of Ceuta, with the landing scheduled for the following day. Salah Ben Salah ordered that as many available men as possible be posted on the walls and as many lights and candles be lit to give the impression of readiness and of a large and well-garrisoned city, but although brilliant

4070-422: The palace of Salah ben Salah and other buildings, along with an entire vaulted roof built with elaborate gilt work from a town square, for his residence in Portugal. King John dispatched envoys to various European Courts notifying them of the victory. Among them, King John invited King Ferdinand of Aragon to join him in conquering north African lands, which Ferdinand appreciated, but died shortly after receiving

4144-460: The power of Morocco. As a result of this story, all future Portuguese governors of Ceuta would be presented with a zambujeiro staff as a symbol of their office upon their investiture. The aleo that was used by Pedro is kept in the Church of Santa María de África in Ceuta, the statue of Mary holds the aleo. Pedro de Menezes participated and distinguished himself in the 1415 Conquest of Ceuta , and, in

4218-486: The preparations being carried out in Portugal against a secret objective spread to many neighbouring realms and their rulers. The residents of Ibiza and Sicily made preparations to resist a possible Portuguese attack, in which they incurred considerable expense. Some French wrote to King Ferdinand of Aragon expressing their suspicion that the Portuguese were preparing to participate in the Hundred Years War alongside

4292-463: The pretender John, Master of Aviz (the future John I). Nonetheless, unlike many other nobles, Pedro de Menezes had been allowed to inherit his father's title of Count of Viana do Alentejo and proved himself a faithful loyalist of King John I. He also inherited the Castilian lordships of Ayllón and Aguilar from relatives, but these titles were not recognized in Portugal. While John I of Portugal

4366-742: The prior of the Knights Hospitaller Dom Álvaro Gonçalves Camelo, the Admiral Carlos Pessanha, the Count of Viana Dom Diarte de Meneses , the General of the Sea Afonso Furtado de Mendonça , the first Duke of Braganza Dom Afonso , the Marshal of Portugal Gonçalo Vascques Countinho and the Royal Ensign João Gomes da Silva, among others. All of the main noble houses in Portugal participated in

4440-563: The project to the Constable of Portugal , the renowned general Dom Nuno Álvares Pereira , who approved it in earnest. Finally, the King disclosed the project to the highest members of the Court, at Torres Novas , to where he summoned the Queen, the princes, the Constable Dom Nuno Álvares Pereira, the royal chancellor João das Regras , the archbishop of Braga Dom Lourenço, the grandmaster of

4514-401: The project, as the prospect of taking Ceuta offered them an opportunity to win wealth and glory. Preparations for the conquest of Ceuta, such as the gathering of materials and money started years beforehand and carried out slowly, though the objective was kept a secret. No taxes were raised because such a course of action demanded a gathering of Cortes and it would risk leaking the objective of

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4588-413: The projected expedition. Nor was currency debased . Loans were taken, foreign ships chartered, galleys repaired and new ones built, until 30 had been assembled by the admiral of Portugal Carlos Pesanha, and expenses closely controlled. Prince Henry , later surnamed 'the Navigator' was tasked with organizing the recruitment of men in the provinces of Beira and Trás-os-Montes and assemble them in

4662-415: The proposal of the king, but the Count of Viana Dom Pedro de Meneses willingly volunteered for the dangerous position. The father of Dom Pedro had sided with Castile against King John during the 1383–1385 Civil War , which may explain why Dom Pedro so eagerly sought the distinction. The king ordered nearly 3000 men to stay behind as a garrison. It included 300 squires of the royal household, 300 squires of

4736-471: The royal Palace of Sintra Dom Álvaro drew for King John and the princes in private a map of Ceuta and its surrounding geography with sand and thread. Only after he was in possession of these precise informations about Ceuta did King John then disclose his intentions to capture Ceuta to his wife Queen Philippa of Lancaster . By occasion of a hunting trip in Montemor-o-Novo later, the king then disclosed

4810-451: The royal galley. Two days later, the entire fleet weighted anchor and departed from Lisbon, while the citizens and local inhabitants watched from the surrounding hills and beaches. From Sacavém, the Aragonese spy Ruy Dias de Vega wrote a few days later to the King of Aragon Ferdinand I that the objective of the expedition was rumoured to be either Ceuta or Gibraltar. From the mouth of

4884-921: The shepherds of Luso can find gaming sticks ( cajados ) and the ancient valor that first made them so famous in the world, do not fear, Frondelio, my companion, that they shall be subdued at any time." Pedro de Menezes was married four times. The first marriage to Margarida de Miranda , the natural daughter of Martinho Afonso Pires de Charneca , Bishop of Coimbra (and soon Archbishop of Braga ), produced two daughters: The second marriage with Filipa Coutinho , daughter of Gonçalo Vasques Coutinho , 2nd Marshal of Portugal , did not produce offspring. The third marriage to Brites Coutinho , daughter of Fernando Martins Coutinho , Lord of Castelo Rodrigo , produced one daughter: The fourth marriage with Genebra Pereira , daughter of Carlos II Pessanha , Admiral of Portugal , produced no offspring. He also had illegitimate children. From an unknown woman: From Isabel Domingues,

4958-451: The ships or feigned illnesses. Some willingly settled in the city as militia, such as craftsmen. Others eagerly embraced the life of frontiersmen. Likely many were nobles and their vassals, seeking wealth and glory in service overseas, such as Rui de Sousa, who stayed behind with 40 retainers. Such nobles could have become a serious factor of internal destabilization and conflict after peace had been signed with Castile in 1411. As soon as

5032-528: The then regent and heir of the Kingdom of Sicily Blanche of Navarre . He was to take two galleys commanded by general-of-the-sea Afonso Furtado de Mendoça and officially propose to Blanche the marriage of Prince Peter, but stop at Ceuta to take in supplies. They stopped at Ceuta for four days, and measured the depth of the harbour. Having successfully reached Sicily and received a negative reply, as King John had anticipated, they headed back to Portugal, again stopping at Ceuta. After returning to Portugal, at

5106-447: The title of Admiral of Portugal in 1433, as dowry for his marriage to Genebra Pereira (daughter of the admiral Carlos II Pessanha). Pedro de Menezes returned to Ceuta soon after (c. 1434), but his bride did not survive the journey. In 1436–37, preparations were underway in Portugal for a renewed campaign against Morocco , seeking to capture Tangier and several other coastal citadels. In anticipation, in 1436, Pedro de Menezes ordered

5180-494: The true objective of the expedition, John dispatched Fernão Fogaça as an ambassador to the Count of Holland William VI , with the official mission of publicly demanding from the Count a compensation over a number of abuses the Hollanders had supposedly carried out at sea against Portuguese mariners. The Count had in fact been informed by King John of the true purpose of this phony embassy beforehand, hence he entertained Fogaça with

5254-409: Was canvassing for governors, the young Pedro was nearby, distractedly playing choca (a kind of Medieval hockey) with a stick of zambujeiro or aleo (wild olive tree). Hearing all the high nobles making excuses to avoid the job, the young Pedro de Menezes stepped forward and approached the king with his gaming stick ( aleo ) in hand and told him that, with only that stick, he could defend Ceuta from all

5328-521: Was constituted into a diocese , and the English Franciscan confessor of late Queen Philippa, friar Aymar d'Aurillac was appointed first bishop of Ceuta . That night was spent in careful watchfulness, and the morning of 22 of August was stormy with rain and hail. The looting of the city was immense, though still less profitable than king John had expected. The Count of Barcelos Dom Afonso plundered more than 600 columns of marble and alabaster from

5402-553: Was invested with his mother's dominions as the first Count of Vila Real by King John I of Portugal and appointed the alferes-mor (standard-bearer) of the royal prince and heir Infante Edward . That same year, he secured from the king a royal letter legitimizing his natural son, Duarte de Menezes . Around 1430 Pedro de Menezes once again returned to Portugal, leaving Ceuta under the command of his 16-year-old son Duarte de Menezes and his lieutenant (and son-in-law) Rui Gomes da Silva. During this second sojourn, Pedro de Menezes received

5476-451: Was the first prince to land at the head of a squadron of men. He was followed by his brother, the prince-heir Edward, and at the head of about 300 men both succeeded in driving the Muslims defenders back to the Almedina gate, which was breached by the Portuguese before it could be securely shut. The Moroccans managed to put up some resistance within the cramped urban environment just beyond

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