View source for Peter, Duke of Coimbra

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{{Infobox royalty
| name         = Infante Peter
| title        = [[Duke of Coimbra]]
| image        = Peter of Coimbra (St. Vincent Panels).jpg
| image_size   = 200px
| caption      = Detail from the [[St Vincent Panels]] by [[Nuno Gonçalves]], often believed to be a portrait of Peter
| succession = [[Regent of Portugal]]
| reign = 1439 – 1448
| reign-type = Tenure
| regent = [[Afonso V of Portugal|Afonso V]]
| reg-type = Monarch
| birth_date   = 9 December 1392
| birth_place  = [[Lisbon]], [[Portugal in the Middle Ages|Portugal]]
| death_date   = {{death date and age|1449|5|20|1392|12|9|df=y}}
| death_place  = [[Alverca]], [[History of Portugal (1415–1578)|Portugal]]
| burial_place = [[Batalha Monastery]]
| spouse       = {{marriage|[[Isabella of Urgell, Duchess of Coimbra|Isabella of Urgell]]|1428}}
| issue        = {{plainlist|
* [[Peter, Constable of Portugal]]
* [[John of Coimbra, Prince of Antioch|John, Prince of Antioch]]
* [[Isabel of Coimbra|Isabella, Queen of Portugal]]
* [[James of Portugal|James, Archbishop of Lisbon]]
* [[Beatrice of Coimbra|Beatrice, Lady of Ravenstein]]
* [[Philippa of Coimbra]]}}
| house        = [[House of Aviz|Aviz]]
| father       = [[John I of Portugal]]
| mother       = [[Philippa of Lancaster]]
| signature    = Assinatura Infante D. Pedro.svg
}}

[[Dom (honorific)|Dom]] '''Peter, Duke of Coimbra''', <small>[[Order of the Garter|KG]]</small> ({{langx|pt|Pedro}} {{IPA|pt|ˈpeðɾu}}; 9 December 1392 – 20 May 1449) was a [[Infante of Portugal|Portuguese ''infante'']] (prince) of the [[House of Aviz]], son of King Dom [[John I of Portugal]] and his wife, [[Philippa of Lancaster]], daughter of [[John of Gaunt]]. In Portugal, he is known as Infante Dom Pedro das Sete Partidas [do Mundo], "of the Seven Parts [of the World]" because of his travels. Possibly the best-travelled prince of his time, he was regent between 1439 and 1448. He was also 1st Lord of [[Montemor-o-Velho]], [[Aveiro, Portugal|Aveiro]], [[Tentúgal]], Cernache, Pereira, [[Condeixa]] and [[Lousã]].

== Early life ==
[[File:Infante d pedro duque de coimbra.jpg|thumb|left|200px|''Infante Peter, Regent of the Kingdom of Portugal''.]]
From the time he was born, Peter was one of John I's favourite sons. Along with his siblings, he received an exceptional education rarely seen in those times for the children of royalty. Close to his brothers [[Edward of Portugal|Edward]], the future king of Portugal, and [[John, Lord of Reguengos de Monsaraz]], Peter grew up in a calm environment free of intrigues.

On 14 August 1415, he accompanied his father and brothers Edward and [[Henry the Navigator|Henry]] for the [[Conquest of Ceuta|Battle of Ceuta]] in Morocco. His mother had died the previous month, giving each of her sons on her deathbed an [[arming sword]] she had ordered forged for them. Peter refused to be knighted before showing valour in battle, and he was knighted along with his brothers the following day; he was also created Duke of Coimbra.  His younger brother Henry was made Duke of Viseu.  These were the first dukedoms created in Portugal.

On finishing a translation of Seneca's ''De Beneficiis'' in 1418, he initiated extensive travels throughout Europe, which would keep him away from Portugal for the next ten years. After meeting with [[John II of Castile]] in [[Valladolid]], he continued to [[Hungary]], where he met with the Holy Roman Emperor [[Sigismund, Holy Roman Emperor|Sigismund]], and entered his service. He fought with the Imperial armies against the Turks and in the [[Hussite Wars]] in [[Bohemia]] and was awarded the [[march of Treviso]] in Northern Italy in 1422. In 1424 he left the [[Holy Roman Empire]], meeting first with [[Murad II]], Sultan of the [[Ottoman Empire]], on the island of [[Patmos]], and then continuing to [[Constantinople]], capital of the [[Byzantine Empire]]; the hopeless position of the city against the Ottoman onslaught did not fail to impress him. From Constantinople he travelled to the [[Holy Land]] via Alexandria and Cairo.

== European travels ==
In 1425, Peter travelled to [[France]] and [[England]] and visited the universities of [[Paris]] and [[Oxford]] before arriving in [[Flanders]] in 1426, where he spent the next two years at the [[Duchy of Burgundy|Burgundian]] court. After the death of the second wife of [[Philip the Good]] of Burgundy in 1425, Peter recommended his sister Isabella to him as a wife.  Philip sent a delegation to Portugal in 1428–29 that included [[Jan van Eyck]], who painted two portraits of the Infanta.  Philip and Isabella eventually married on 7 January 1430, and one of their sons became Duke [[Charles the Bold]] of Burgundy.

In 1427, Peter wrote a famous letter to his older brother, later King Edward, on "the proper administration of the kingdoms", from Bruges. Later that year, King [[Henry VI of England]] (his first cousin once removed) made him a [[Order of the Garter|Knight of the Garter]] (as were already his father and older brother Edward).

In 1428, Peter visited his marquisate of Treviso and the nearby [[Republic of Venice]], where he was presented with a copy of the book of [[Marco Polo]] by the doge. He later gave that book, as well as maps of the Venetian trade routes in the Orient, to his younger brother [[Prince Henry the Navigator]]. One of the maps was created by the famous Venetian cartographer [[Albertinus de Virga]] in 1411 and possibly shows North America before it was officially discovered. This map was found in the [[Alcobaça Monastery]] which was the main library of the Portuguese Royal family. From Venice he traveled to [[Rome]], where he was received by [[Pope Martin V]], and from there he continued to [[Barcelona]], where he negotiated the marriage of his brother Edward with [[Eleanor of Aragon, Queen of Portugal|Eleanor of Aragon]] as well as his own future marriage with [[Isabella of Urgell, Duchess of Coimbra|Isabella of Urgell]], before finally returning to Portugal.
[[File:Pedro, Duque de Coimbra - Padrão dos Descobrimentos.png|thumb|left|200px|Effigy of Peter, Duke of Coimbra, in the [[Padrão dos Descobrimentos|Monument of the Discoveries]], in [[Lisbon]], [[Portugal]].]]
In 1433, he completed his famous six-volume work, the ''Tratado da Virtuosa Benfeitoria''.

== Regent ==
When Peter's brother King [[Edward I of Portugal]] died in 1438, Peter's nephew [[Afonso V of Portugal|Afonso V]] ascended the throne as an infant. At first, the choice for regent was the Queen mother [[Eleanor of Aragon, Queen of Portugal|Eleanor of Aragon]]. This choice was not popular among many Portuguese, because Eleanor was Aragonese. Among the Portuguese aristocracy, however, especially among nobles around Peter's half-brother [[Afonso, 1st Duke of Braganza|Afonso, Count of Barcelos]], Eleanor of Aragon was preferred. There were also doubts about Peter's political ability.  At a meeting of the [[Portuguese Cortes]] summoned by Peter's brother [[John, Lord of Reguengos de Monsaraz]], Peter was appointed regent, a choice that pleased both the people and the fast-growing [[bourgeoisie]].

In 1443, in a gesture of reconciliation, Peter created his half-brother Afonso [[Duke of Braganza]], and relations between the two seemed to return to normality. But, in 1445, the new duke of Braganza took offence because [[Isabella of Coimbra]], Peter's daughter was the choice for Afonso V's wife, and not one of his granddaughters. Indifferent to the intrigues, Peter continued his regency and the country prospered under his influence.  It is during this period that the first subsidies for the exploration of the [[Atlantic Ocean]] were implemented under the auspices of Peter's brother [[Henry the Navigator]].

== Alleged Rebellion ==
[[File:U Lisabonu 8. rujna 2024.jpg|thumb|Monument in suburbs of Lisbon]]
On 9 June 1448, Peter returned control of the country to the king. Influenced by Afonso, the Duke of Braganza, Afonso V nullified all of Peter's edicts, including the ones that concentrated power in the figure of the king.

The following year, under accusations that years later would prove false, Afonso V declared Peter a rebel. The situation became unsustainable and a civil war began. It did not last long, because Peter died on 20 May 1449 during the [[Battle of Alfarrobeira]], near [[Alverca]]. The exact conditions of his death are debatable: some say it was in combat, while others say he was assassinated by one of his own men.

With the death of Peter, Portugal fell under control of Afonso, Duke of Braganza, with a growing influence over the destiny of the country. However, Peter's regency would never be forgotten, and Peter was cited many times by his grandson King [[John II of Portugal]] as his main influence. The cruel persecution of the Braganzas by John II was perhaps the response to the conspiracies that caused the fall of one of the major princes of the ''[[Ínclita Geração]]''.

== Marriage and issue ==
[[File:Arms of Peter of Portugal, Duke of Coimbra.svg|thumb|right|The [[Duke of Coimbra]]'s arms.]]
In 1428 Peter married [[Isabella of Urgell, Duchess of Coimbra|Isabella of Urgell]], daughter of [[James II, Count of Urgell]], and candidate to the throne of the [[Crown of Aragon]] at the [[Compromise of Caspe]]. The couple had the following children:

* [[Peter, Constable of Portugal|Infante Peter]] (1429–1466), [[Constable of Portugal]], [[Count of Barcelona]] and disputed [[List of Aragonese monarchs|King of Aragon]].
* [[John of Coimbra, Prince of Antioch|Infante John]] (1431–1457), married [[Charlotte, Queen of Cyprus|Charlotte of Lusignan]], heiress of Cyprus, in 1456. He was created titular [[Prince of Antioch]], and was possibly poisoned by his mother-in-law.
* [[Isabel of Coimbra|Infanta Isabella]] (1432–1455), [[List of Portuguese consorts|Queen of Portugal]] by marriage to [[Afonso V of Portugal]]. Mother of [[John II of Portugal]].
* [[James of Portugal|Infante James]] (1433–1459), [[Cardinal (Catholic Church)|Cardinal]] and [[Patriarchate of Lisbon|Archbishop of Lisbon]], lived in Italy; his tomb is in the convent church of [[San Miniato al Monte]] in [[Florence]].
* [[Beatrice of Coimbra|Infanta Beatrice]] (1435–1462), married [[Adolph of Cleves, Lord of Ravenstein]].
* [[Philippa of Coimbra|Infanta Philippa]] (1437–1493), a nun in the Convent of Odivelas.
*Catherine ({{circa|1448}} – between 1462 and 1466)

== Ancestry ==
{{synthesis|date=October 2020}}
{{ahnentafel
|collapsed=yes |align=center
|boxstyle_1=background-color: #fcc;
|boxstyle_2=background-color: #fb9;
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|1= 1. '''Peter, Duke of Coimbra'''
|2= 2. [[John I of Portugal]]
|3= 3. [[Philippa of Lancaster]]
|4= 4. [[Peter I of Portugal]]<ref name="EB-John I">{{Britannica|304662|John I, King of Portugal}}</ref>
|5= 5. [[Teresa Lourenço]]<ref name="EB-John I"/>
|6= 6. [[John of Gaunt|John of Gaunt, 1st Duke of Lancaster]]<ref name="Armitage-Smith">{{cite book| last=Armitage-Smith |first=Sydney |title=John of Gaunt: King of Castile and Leon, Duke of Aquitaine and Lancaster, Earl of Derby, Lincoln, and Leicester, Seneschal of England |url=https://archive.org/details/johngauntkingca01armigoog |access-date=17 July 2018 |year=1905 |publisher=Charles Scribner's Sons |page=[https://archive.org/details/johngauntkingca01armigoog/page/n22 21]}}</ref>
|7= 7. [[Blanche of Lancaster]]<ref name="Armitage-Smith"/>
|8= 8. [[Afonso IV of Portugal]]<ref name="EB-Peter I">{{Britannica|453638|Peter I, King of Portugal}}</ref>
|9= 9. [[Beatrice of Castile (1293–1359)|Beatrice of Castile]]<ref name="EB-Peter I"/>
|10= 10. Lourenço Martins<ref name="DeSousa1">{{Cite book |url=https://archive.org/stream/historiagenealog02sous#page/4/mode/2up |title=Historia genealogica da casa real portugueza |trans-title=Genealogical History of the Royal House of Portugal |volume=2 |language=pt |last=de Sousa |first=Antonio Caetano |publisher=Lisboa Occidental |year=1735 |pages=4}}</ref>
|11= 11. Sancha Martins<ref name="DeSousa1"/>
|12= 12. [[Edward III of England]]<ref name="Armitage-Smith"/>
|13= 13. [[Philippa of Hainault]]<ref name="Armitage-Smith"/>
|14= 14. [[Henry of Grosmont, 1st Duke of Lancaster]]<ref name="Armitage-Smith"/>
|15= 15. [[Isabel of Beaumont]]<ref name="Armitage-Smith"/>
}}

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== Bibliography ==
* ''The Dukes of Coimbra'' General Books LLC, 2010.
* Elbl, Ivana, "Friendship, Disasters, and Social Capital: The Silva Meneses, 1415-1481" – ''Portuguese Studies Review'', Volume 30, Issue 1, 2022, pages 39–82. Available at https://trentu.academia.edu/ivanaElbl . Accessed 7 May 2023. Deals with the Duke of Coimbra, his marriage to Isabella of Urgell, his son, his allies and friends and servants, including Aires Gomes de Silva.
* {{Citation |last=Galvão |first=António |author-link=António Galvão |title=Tratado... dos diuersos & desuayrados caminhos, por onde nos tempos passados a pimenta & especearia veyo da India às nossas partes, & assi de todos os descobrimentos antigos & modernos, que são feitos até a era de mil & quinhentos & cincoenta |trans-title=Treatise on the Various and Sundry Ways that in Times Past Pepper and Spices Came from India to Our Parts & Also on All of the Discoveries Ancient & Modern Which Were Made up to the Year 1550| url=http://purl.pt/15321/4/res-230-p_PDF/res-230-p_PDF_4-C-R0150/res-230-p_0000_capa-capa_24-C-R0150.pdf |location=Lisbon |date=1563 |publisher=Joam da Barreira}}. {{in lang|pt}}
* {{Citation |last=Hakluyt |first=Richard |author-mask=[[António Galvão|Galvano, Antonio]] |others=Translated & edited by [[Richard Hakluyt]], edited by [[Charles Ramsay Drinkwater Bethune|C.R.D. Bethune]] |title=The Discoveries of the World, from Their First Original unto the Year of Our Lord 1555 |publisher=T.&nbsp;Richards for the [[Hakluyt Society]] |date=1862 |orig-year=Portuguese version 1563, original translation 1601 |location=London |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nWcMAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA67 }}. {{in lang|en|pt}}
* Sir G.F.Hill, ''History of Cyprus'' (1940), (2nd ed. CUP, 2010), vol.1 of 4. {{ISBN|1-108-02064-X}}

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{{s-hou|[[House of Aviz]]|9 December|1392|20 May|1449|[[Portuguese House of Burgundy|House of Burgundy]]}}
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{{s-new}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[Duke of Coimbra]]|years=1415–1449}}
{{s-vac|next=[[Jorge de Lencastre, Duke of Coimbra|Jorge of Lencastre]]}}
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{{s-bef|before=[[Eleanor of Aragon, Queen of Portugal|Eleanor of Aragon]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[List of regents#Portugal|Regent of Portugal]]|years=1439–1448}}
{{s-vac|next=[[Joanna, Princess of Portugal|Joanna of Portugal]]}}
{{s-end}}

{{House of Aviz}}
{{Portuguese infantes}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Peter, Duke Of Coimbra}}
[[Category:1392 births]]
[[Category:1449 deaths]]
[[Category:Dukes of Coimbra|101]]
[[Category:15th-century Portuguese people]]
[[Category:15th-century regents]]
[[Category:House of Aviz]]
[[Category:Knights of the Garter]]
[[Category:Portuguese infantes]]
[[Category:Portuguese people of English descent]]
[[Category:Portuguese Renaissance humanists]]
[[Category:Regents of Portugal]]
[[Category:Sons of kings]]