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Encyclopedia > Sebastian of Portugal
Sebastian
King of Portugal
and the Algarves
of either side of the sea in Africa
Sebastian of Portugal
Portrait of King Sebastian by Cristóvão de Moraes.
Reign June 11, 1557August 4, 1578
(under the Regency of Catherine of Habsburg until 1562)
(under the regency of Cardinal Henry until January 20, 1568)
Investiture June 16, 1557 in Lisbon
Full name Sebastião of Portugal
Titles Prince of Portugal (1554–1557)
Lord of Guinea
Lord of the Conquest, Navigation and Commerce of Ethiopia, Arabia, Persia and India.
Born January 20, 1554
Flag of Portugal Palace of Ribeira, Lisbon, Kingdom of Portugal
Died August 4, 1578
Field of the Three Kings, Ksar-el-Kebir (Alcazaquibir), Kingdom of Morocco
Buried Jerónimos Monastery, Lisbon, District of Lisbon, Portugal (disputed)
Predecessor John III of Portugal
Heirs
first cousin
great-uncle

Carlos, Prince of Asturias (1557–1568)
Infante Cardinal Henrique (future Henry I) (1568–1578)
Successor Cardinal Henry of Portugal
Consort not married
Royal House House of Aviz (Aviz-Beja branch)
Dynasty Dynasty of Aviz (Joanine Dynasty)
Father Prince João of Portugal
Mother Joan of Spain
Portuguese royalty
House of Aviz-Beja

Manuel I
Children include
   Miguel da Paz, Prince of Portugal and of Asturias
   João, Prince of Portugal (future John III)
   Infanta Isabel, Holy Roman Empress
   Infanta Beatriz, Duchess of Savoy
   Infante Luís, Duke of Beja
   Infante Fernando, Duke of Guarda and Trancoso
   Cardinal-Infante Afonso
   Cardinal-Infante Henrique (future Henry I)
   Infante Duarte, Duke of Guimarães
   Infanta Maria, Lady of Viseu
Grandchildren include
   Philip II of Spain (future Philip I of Portugal)
   António, Prior of Crato (future Anthony I) (illegitimate)
   Infanta Maria of Guimarães, Duchess of Parma and Piacenza
   Infanta Catarina of Guimarães, Duchess of Braganza
Great-Grandchildren include
   Teodósio II, Duke of Braganza
   Ranuccio I Farnese of Parma
Great-Great-Grandchildren include
   John II, Duke of Braganza (future John IV of Portugal)
John III
Children include
   Maria Manuela, Princess of Portugal and of Asturias
   João Manuel, Prince of Portugal
Grandchildren include
   Sebastião, Prince of Portugal (future Sebastian I)
   Carlos, Prince of Asturias
Sebastian
Henry
Anthony (disputed king)

Sebastian I, King of Portugal "the Desired" (in Portuguese, Sebastião I, pron. IPA [sɨbɐʃ'tiɐ̃ũ], o Desejado; born in Lisbon, January 20, 1554; presumed to have died at Alcazarquivir, August 4, 1578) was the sixteenth king of Portugal and the Algarves. He was the son of Prince John of Portugal and his wife, Joan of Spain. His paternal grandparents were John III of Portugal and Catherine of Habsburg; his maternal grandparents were the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V and Isabella of Portugal. He only had four great-grandparents (instead of the normal eight). Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... is the 162nd day of the year (163rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Events Spain is effectively bankrupt. ... is the 216th day of the year (217th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Events January 31 - Battle of Gemblours - Spanish forces under Don John of Austria and Alexander Farnese defeat the Dutch. ... Catherine of Austria, of the Habsburg family, princess of Spain, born a daughter of Philip, Archduke, Lord of Flanders etc and Joanna of Castile, as such Archduchess of Austria, Infanta of Castile, Princess of Burgundy and Flanders, sister of King of Aragon and Roman Emperor, etc. ... Year 1562 was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. ... Henry, the cardinal-king or Henrique (in Portuguese) the Chaste (Port. ... is the 20th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Events March 23 - Peace of Longjumeau ends the Second War of Religion in France. ... is the 167th day of the year (168th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For other uses, see Lisbon (disambiguation). ... The title of Prince of Portugal was created by king Edward to the portuguese heirs. ... is the 20th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Events January 5 - Great fire in Eindhoven, Netherlands. ... Image File history File links PortugueseFlag1385. ... For other uses, see Lisbon (disambiguation). ... Anthem: O Hino da Carta (from 1834) The Kingdom of Portugal in 1561 Capital Lisbon¹ Language(s) Portuguese Religion Roman Catholic Government Monarchy King  - 1139-1185 Afonso I  - 1908-1910 Manuel II History  - Established 26 July, 1139  - Peninsular War 1808-1814  - Brazilian suzerainty 1815  - Brazilian independence October 12, 1822  - Revolution... Ksar-el-Kebir (Arabic, القصر الكبير) is a city in Morocco also known as Al Qasr al Kabir or Alcazarquivir in Spanish or Alcácer-Quibir in Portuguese. ... The Hieronymites Monastery (Mosteiro dos Jerónimos, pron. ... For other uses, see Lisbon (disambiguation). ... Lisbon (Lisboa in Portuguese) is a district of Portugal. ... John III, King of Portugal KGF (Portuguese: João III pron. ... Don Carlos (1545-1568) Don Carlos (July 8, 1545 – July 24, 1568), Prince of Asturias was the son of King Philip II of Spain by his first wife Maria Manuela of Portugal, daughter of John III of Portugal. ... Events March 23 - Peace of Longjumeau ends the Second War of Religion in France. ... Henry, the cardinal-king or Henrique (in Portuguese) the Chaste (Port. ... Henry, the cardinal-king or Henrique (in Portuguese) the Chaste (Port. ... The House of Aviz is a dynasty of kings of Portugal. ... The House of Aviz is a dynasty of kings of Portugal. ... The House of Aviz is a dynasty of kings of Portugal. ... Infante D. João of Portugal. ... Joan of Habsburg Joanna of Austria (in Castilian, Juana, 24 June 1535 - 7 September 1573), Infanta of Spain, of the Habsburg family. ... The House of Aviz is a dynasty of kings of Portugal. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Manuel I of Portugal (pron. ... Infante Miguel da Paz de Trastámara e Avis (1498–1500, pron. ... John III, King of Portugal KGF (Portuguese: João III pron. ... Image:Isabel of Portugal (Karl V.).jpg Isabel of Portugal, Queen of Spain and Empress of the Holy Roman Empire, by Titian. ... Beatrice of Portugal (Portuguese: Beatriz, pron. ... Louis, Duke of Beja. ... Ferdinand of Portugal, Duke of Guarda (1507–1534, Portuguese: Fernando, pron. ... Afonso, Prince of Portugal, Cardinal of the Kingdom (1509–1540, Portuguese pron. ... Henry, the cardinal-king or Henrique (in Portuguese) the Chaste (Port. ... Duarte, Duke of Guimarães Edward of Portugal (Portuguese language: Duarte, pron. ... Infanta Maria of Portugal (1521–1577, pron. ... Philip II (Spanish: ; Portuguese: ) (May 21, 1527 – September 13, 1598) was King of Spain from 1556 until 1598, King of Naples and Sicily from 1554 until 1598, king consort of England (as husband of Mary I) from 1554 to 1558, Lord of the Seventeen Provinces (holding various titles for the... Anthony I of Portugal (Portuguese: António, pron. ... Maria of Portugal (August 12, 1538, Lisbon-September 7, 1577, Parma, Italy) Princess of Portugal, she was the daughter of Prince Duarte, 4th Duke of Guimarães (son of Portuguese King Manuel I), and Isabel of Braganza. ... Catarina of Guimarães, Infanta of Portugal, Duchess consort of Braganza (pron. ... Teodósio II of Bragança (pron. ... Ranuccio Farnese (March 28, 1569 — March 5, 1622) or Ranuccio I, was the fourth Duke of Parma and Piacenza from 1592 until his death. ... John IV of Portugal (Portuguese: João IV de Portugal pron. ... John III, King of Portugal KGF (Portuguese: João III pron. ... Maria Manuela of Portugal Maria Manuela of Portugal (1527–1545, pron. ... Infante D. João of Portugal. ... Don Carlos (1545-1568) Don Carlos (July 8, 1545 – July 24, 1568), Prince of Asturias was the son of King Philip II of Spain by his first wife Maria Manuela of Portugal, daughter of John III of Portugal. ... Henry, the cardinal-king or Henrique (in Portuguese) the Chaste (Port. ... Anthony I of Portugal (Portuguese: António, pron. ... Look up pronunciation in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Articles with similar titles include the NATO phonetic alphabet, which has also informally been called the “International Phonetic Alphabet”. For information on how to read IPA transcriptions of English words, see IPA chart for English. ... For other uses, see Lisbon (disambiguation). ... is the 20th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Events January 5 - Great fire in Eindhoven, Netherlands. ... Alcazarquivir (Arabic, القصر الكبير) is a city in Morocco also known under the names Al Qasr al Kabir and Ksar el Kbir. ... is the 216th day of the year (217th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Events January 31 - Battle of Gemblours - Spanish forces under Don John of Austria and Alexander Farnese defeat the Dutch. ... This is a List of Portuguese monarchs from the independence of Portugal from Castile in 1139, to the beginning of the Republic in October 5, 1910. ... Infante D. João of Portugal. ... Joan of Habsburg Joanna of Austria (in Castilian, Juana, 24 June 1535 - 7 September 1573), Infanta of Spain, of the Habsburg family. ... John III, King of Portugal KGF (Portuguese: João III pron. ... Catherine of Habsburg, also called Catherine of Austria, Catherine of Burgundy or Catherine of Castile (14 January 1507– 12 February 1578) was Queen consort of Portugal. ... For the Carlist claimant King Carlos V, see Infante Carlos, Count of Molina. ... Image:Isabel of Portugal (Karl V.).jpg Isabel of Portugal, Queen of Spain and Empress of the Holy Roman Empire, by Titian. ...

Contents

Early life

Sebastian was born shortly after 8 in the morning of Saint Sebastian's Day 1554 and he took his name from that fact. Shortly after his birth a doctor, Fernando Abarca Maldonado, who had come to Portugal in the entourage of his mother and who probably had helped deliver him, cast his horoscope. Among other things, Maldonado predicted that Sebastian would be very attracted to women, marry and have many children[citation needed], all of which proved to be utterly and completely wrong. He became heir to the throne on the death of his father in 1554, two weeks before his own birth, and succeeded to the throne three years later after the death of King John III, his paternal grandfather. Since Sebastian was still a child, the regency was handled first by his paternal grandmother, Catherine of Habsburg, and then by his great uncle, Cardinal Henry of Evora. This period saw continued Portuguese colonial expansion in Angola, Mozambique, and Malacca, as well as the annexation of Macau (in 1557). Sebastian redirects here. ... Events January 5 - Great fire in Eindhoven, Netherlands. ... Regent, from the Latin, a person selected to administer a state because the ruler is a minor or is not present or debilitated. ... Catherine of Habsburg, also called Catherine of Austria, Catherine of Burgundy or Catherine of Castile (14 January 1507– 12 February 1578) was Queen consort of Portugal. ... Henry, the cardinal-king or Henrique (in Portuguese) the Chaste (Port. ... An anachronous map of the Portuguese Empire (1415-1999). ... This article is about the state in Malaysia. ... Events Spain is effectively bankrupt. ...


Sebastian was a bright and lively boy. Reports say he was fearless due to having "so much strength". Tall, slim, and blond, he was brought up by his grandmother, Catherine, a domineering woman who exercised firm control over her weaker-willed grandson. Later in life, however, he became obstinate and impulsive.


Education

The young king grew up under the guidance and heavy influence of the Jesuits. Aleixo de Meneses, a military man of solid reputation, and former tutor and guardian ("aio") of Prince John, was appointed ("aio") to Sebastian by boy's grandmother, Catherine. Another teacher was the priest Luís Gonçalves da Câmara and his assistant the priest Amador Rebelo. The priest Luís Gonçalves became Sebastian's confessor, having previously been the confessor of prince John in 1550. Seal of the Society of Jesus. ...


His upbringing made Sebastian extremely devout. He carried a copy of Thomas Aquinas on a belt at his waist; he was also constantly accompanied by two monks of the Theatine Order, who were intent on preserving the King's innocence. Reportedly, as a child Sebastian would react to visitors by running off into hiding with the monks until the visitors had gone.


Marriage plans

Sebastian, who died young, did not marry. However, he was the subject of several proposed marriage alliances. In particular, the Queen dowager of France, Catherine de' Medici, nurtured for a long time a plan to marry her youngest daughter, Marguerite de Valois, to Sebastian, a plan which was on occasion supported by Sebastian's maternal uncle, King Philip II of Spain. Sebastian himself, however, put an end to that plan, declaring that he was unimpressed by the French suppression of the Huguenot Protestants in France, and that he would not bind himself to the House of Valois until he had seen how the situation would develop. Later, he agreed - being persuaded by emissaries of the Pope - to marry Marguerite, to prevent her from marrying the Huguenot Henry of Navarre; by that time, however, the French King and his mother were already intent on Marguerite marrying Henry. Marguerite married Henry in 1572, by then Sebastian was already 18 years old and his proposal was thus refuted. Catherine de Medici (April 13, 1519 – January 5, 1589) was born in Florence, Italy, as Caterina Maria Romola di Lorenzo de Medici. ... For other persons named Marguerite de Valois, see Marguerite de Valois (disambiguation). ... Philip II (Spanish: ; Portuguese: ) (May 21, 1527 – September 13, 1598) was King of Spain from 1556 until 1598, King of Naples and Sicily from 1554 until 1598, king consort of England (as husband of Mary I) from 1554 to 1558, Lord of the Seventeen Provinces (holding various titles for the... From the 16th to the 18th century the name Huguenot was applied to a member of the Protestant Reformed Church of France, historically known as the French Calvinists. ... The Valois Dynasty succeeded the Capetian Dynasty as rulers of France from 1328-1589. ... Henry IV of France, also Henry III of Navarre (13 December 1553 – 14 May 1610), ruled as King of France from 1589 to 1610 and King of Navarre from 1572 to 1610. ...


Sebastian was also offered his cousin, Elisabeth of Habsburg, the daughter of Emperor Maximilian II. Sebastian himself made a proposal in 1577, to his first cousin Isabella Clara Eugenia, daughter of Philip II of Spain. Portrait by François Clouet (1571) Elisabeth of Austria (June 5, 1554 – January 22, 1592), was born an Archduchess of Austria, and later became Queen of France. ... Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian II. His Coat of Arms Maximilian II, Holy Roman Emperor of the Habsburg dynasty (July 31, 1527 – October 12, 1576) was king of Bohemia from 1562, king of Hungary from 1563 and emperor of the Holy Roman Empire from 1564 until his death. ... Isabella Clara Eugenia, possibly around 1584 Isabella Clara Eugenia of Spain (Segovia 12 August 1566 – 1 December 1633) was Infanta of Spain, Archduchess of Austria and the joint sovereign of the Seventeen Provinces. ...


Reign

During Sebastian's short reign, through diplomatic efforts, he strengthened ties with Austria, Germany, England and France. He also restructured much of the administrative, judicial and military life in his kingdom. Sebastian created scholarships (1568) to help financially the students who wished to take medicine or pharmacy in the University of Coimbra. In Brazil (1568) he favoured and rewarded the Indians who helped in the fight against the French. The chief of the Indians, Temimimós, was given lands near the Bay of Guanabara. Sebastian (1569) ordered Duarte Nunes de Leão to compile all the laws and legal documents of the kingdom in a collection of Leis Extravagantes known as Código Sebastiânico (Sebastian’s code). During the great plague of Lisbon, in 1569, he sent for doctors from Seville to help the Portuguese doctors fight the plague. He created two hospitals in Lisbon to take care of those afflicted with the plague. In his concern for the widows and orphans of those killed by the plague, he created several Recolhimentos (shelters) known as the Recolhimento de Santa Marta (shelter of Santa Marta) and the Recolhimento dos Meninos (shelter of the children) and provided wet nurses to take care of the babies. Sebastian created laws for the military, the Lei das Armas, that would become a military organization model. In 1570 Goa was attacked by the Indian army but the Portuguese were successful and the Indian army withdrew. Also in 1570 Sebastian ordered that the Brazilian Indians should not be used for slavery and ordered the release of those held in captivity. In 1572 the poet Luis de Camões presented his masterpiece Os Lusiadas and dedicated a poem to Sebastian that won him a royal pension. In 1575 with the Carta de Lei de Almeirim, the king established a system of measures for solid and liquid products, with this he also defined the role of public servants. The Celeiros Comuns (Communal Granaries) were inaugurated in 1576, ordered by Sebastian. These were institutions for lending help to poor farmers when farm production decreased, giving credit, lending seeds and commodities to the needy, allowing them to pay back with farm products when they recovered from losses. The Tratado da Província do Brasil by Pero de Magalhães de Gândavo is written and published in 1576. The mathematician and cosmographer Pedro Nunes was appointed by Sebastian as a cosmography teacher for sea pilots. It was during Sebastians´ reign that Nunes wrote the Petri Nonii Salaciensis Opera. The number of ship wrecks decreased and almost every single ship arrived in port during the whole of Sebastian's reign. In 1577 Sebastian’s ordinance called Da nova ordem do juízo, sobre o abreviar das demandas, e execução dellas decreased the time for handling legal actions, regulated the action of lawyers, scribes and other court officials and created fines for delays. The University of Coimbra (Portuguese: Universidade de Coimbra) is a Portuguese public university in Coimbra, Portugal. ... Luís de Camões Monument to Luís de Camões, Lisbon Luís Vaz de Camões (sometimes rendered in English as Camoens) (1524 – June 10, 1580) is generally considered Portugals greatest poet. ... Pedro Nunes (latin, Petrus Nonius), (1502, Alcácer do Sal – August 11, 1578, Coimbra) was a Portuguese mathematician, maybe born from a New Christian (of Jewish origin) family. ...


Death

Upon attaining his majority in 1568, and despite having no son and heir, Sebastian began plans for a great crusade against the kingdom of Morocco. taking advantage of an ongoing succession struggle there. His plans were backed by aMoroccan militia. After losing his throne Abu Abdallah Mohammed II Saadi fled to Portugal where he asked for the help of king Sebastian to aid him defeat his uncle and rival Abu Marwan Abd al-Malik I Saadi. Sebastian's uncle, Philip II of Spain, refused to be party to the plan (Philip's Holy League had already been defeated at the Battle of Djerba), though he promised to send an expeditionary force that never showed up. The Portuguese army, mostly consisting of badly prepared foreign mercenaries (hired from Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, and Italy), crossed into Morocco in 1578, and, against the advice of his commanders, Sebastian marched deep inland to join his allies a Moroccan militia. At the Battle of Alcácer Quibir (Field of the Three Kings) the Portuguese army was routed by Ahmed Mohammed of Fez, and Sebastian was almost certainly killed in battle. Despite the warnings and pleas of several of his subjects for him to flee and escape, he rode headlong into the enemy lines where he was last seen battling wildly. Whether his body was ever found is uncertain, but Philip II of Spain claimed to have buried his remains in the Jerónimos Monastery in Belém, outside Lisbon, after he ascended to the Portuguese throne in 1580. Abu Abdallah Mohammed II (reigned 1574-1576, died in 1578) was the oldest brother of Abdallah al-Ghalib and was recognised as the legitimate sultan after al-Ghalibs death. ... Abu Marwan Abd al-Malik I was the King of Morocco of the Saadi Dynasty from 1576 until his death at the Battle of Alcazarquivir against Portugal in 1578. ... Philip II (Spanish: ; Portuguese: ) (May 21, 1527 – September 13, 1598) was King of Spain from 1556 until 1598, King of Naples and Sicily from 1554 until 1598, king consort of England (as husband of Mary I) from 1554 to 1558, Lord of the Seventeen Provinces (holding various titles for the... The Holy League was formed between several Catholic maritime states in the Mediterranean in 1571 in attempt to break Ottoman Turks control of the eastern Mediterranean Sea. ... // Combatants Christian Alliance: Spain Republic of Venice Papal States Republic of Genoa Duchy of Savoy Knights of Malta Ottoman Empire Commanders Giovanni Andrea Doria Piyale Pasha Turgut Reis Strength 50-60 galleys 40 other vessels 12,000-14,000 soldiers 90 galleys 30 galliots 20,000 soldiers Casualties 30 galleys... Events January 31 - Battle of Gemblours - Spanish forces under Don John of Austria and Alexander Farnese defeat the Dutch. ... Combatants Portugal Kingdom of Morocco Commanders Sebastian I of Portugal † Abu Abdallah Mohammed II † Abd Al-Malik † Strength 23,000 60,000 Casualties 8,000 dead 15,000 captured Unknown The Battle of Alcácer Quibir (variant spellings are legion: Alcácer-Quivir, Al Quasr al-kibr, Alcazarquivir, Alcassar and... The Hieronymites Monastery (Mosteiro dos Jerónimos, pron. ... Belém (or Santa Maria de Belém, pron. ...


Sebastian was succeeded as king by his great uncle Henry, brother of his grandfather, King John III. Henry, the cardinal-king or Henrique (in Portuguese) the Chaste (Port. ...


The legend

After the defeat at Alcácer Quibir many diligences were made to ransom the imprisoned soldiers. Several soldiers returned to Portugal (and among them was D. António, Prior of Crato), which, added to the uncertainty over Sebastian's fate, led many Portuguese to believe Sebastian survived the battle and would return to claim his throne. This led to Sebastianism: the belief that Sebastian could return at any moment. Politically, there was the belief that Philip was not the rightful heir to the throne. Subsequently there was the appearance, in Portugal, of men fraudulently claiming to be the King. During the time of the Iberian Union, between 1580 and 1640, four different pretenders claimed to be the returned King Sebastian; the last of these pretenders, who was in fact an Italian, was hanged in 1619. Anthony I of Portugal (Portuguese: António, pron. ... Sebastianism is part of the Portuguese mythology and culture. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Events March 1 - Michel de Montaigne signs the preface to his most significant work, Essays. ... Events December 1 - Portugal regains its independence from Spain and João IV of Portugal becomes king. ... Events May 13 - Dutch statesman Johan van Oldenbarnevelt is executed in The Hague after having been accused of treason. ...


In the long term, it led to the development of myths and legends concerning Sebastian, the principle being that he was a great Portuguese patriot, the "sleeping king" who would return to help Portugal in its darkest hour (similar to the British King Arthur or the German Frederick Barbarossa). He would then be known by symbolic names: O Encoberto (The Hidden One) who would return on a foggy morning to save Portugal; or as O Desejado (The Yearned For).The legend was vigorously promoted through the massive circulation of popular rhymes (Trovas) written by Bandarra. Even as late as the 19th century, Sebastianist peasants in the Brazilian sertão believed that the king would return to help them in their rebellion against the "godless" Brazilian republic. A king in the mountain, also known as a sleeping hero, is a repeated motif that appears in a number of folktales. ... For other uses, see King Arthur (disambiguation). ... Frederick Barbarossa in a 13th century chronicle. ... Alternative meaning: Nineteenth Century (periodical) (18th century — 19th century — 20th century — more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 19th century was that century which lasted from 1801-1900 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar. ... In Brazil, the sertão (meaning backland in Portuguese) refers to the semi-arid region comprising parts of the states of Bahia, Pernambuco, Paraíba, Rio Grande do Norte, Ceará and Piauí. The plural of sertão is sertões. ... Canudos was a town founded in the Bahia state of northeastern Brazil in 1893 by Antonio Maciel, an itinerant preacher who had been wandering through the backroads and lesser-inhabited climes of the country from the 1870s onwards, followed by a band of loyal supporters. ...


Sexuality

Recent theories by Harold Johnson of the University of Virginia suggest that he contracted gonorrhea at age ten, suffering it for the rest of his short life. Johnson suggests it to have been contracted through sexual abuse by his teacher and confessor, the Jesuit Padre Luís Gonçalves da Câmara. He reaches this conclusion because “blindness in one (not both) eyes is a very common result of untreated gonorrhea and […]Câmara was described as exactly that---blind in one eye.” However, there is no proof that Câmara had gonorrhea or was ever a pedophile. Being blind of one eye is not enough evidence to say someone was a pedophile, or to say that someone was abused and had gonorrhea because his confessor and teacher was blind in one eye. Other researchers believe that Sebastian actually suffered from urethritis, that became chronic as the result of mistreatments by physicians (applying plasters, bleeding the patient and giving "syrup of endive" were some of the medical treatments given by the best royal physicians). Albeit the hypothesis formulated there are insufficient data to draw any conclusions about Sebastian's ailment. The University of Virginia (also called U.Va. ... Urethritis is inflammation of the urethra. ...


Contemporaries commented on his avoidance of women, and on several occasions he intervened to prevent marriages arranged for him (most notably Marguerite of France, although later, and before he reached the age of 18, he agreed to marry her). Two other historic currents hold responsible, for Sebastian's failure to get married, the Jesuits and Sebastian’s uncle, Philip (Jonhson, p.7). He avidly took up jousting and horseback riding, which caused much concern at court because one prince, Afonso the only heir of John II of Portugal, had died in a horse riding accident. Marguerite of France was the name of two female members of the Capetian dynasty which ruled France in the Middle Ages. ... Prince Afonso of Portugal (Portuguese pron. ... John II of Portugal João II of Portugal (Portuguese pron. ...


The writer and moralist Francisco Manuel de Melo (1651), in his book “Letter of Guidance of the married” (Carta de Guia de Casados), criticized the courtiers that lived in the time of the reign of Sebastian. In contrast to the courtiers' behavior, he then mentions the behavior of the "men who pretended to be made of iron" imitating the king Sebastian. Dom Francisco Manuel de Mello (?1611-1666), Portuguese writer, a connection on his fathers side of the royal house of Braganza, was a native of Lisbon. ...


In popular culture

The tale of Sebastian's disappearance and alleged return is the basis for the popular song "A Lenda de El Rei D. Sebastião" ("The Legend of King Sebastian") by Portuguese band Quarteto 1111 in 1968.[1] He is also depicted in the latest Harry Potter game (Order of the Phoenix), as a portrait which leads to the transfiguration courtyard. Quarteto 1111 was founded in 1967 in Estoril and is one of the most influential progressive rock bands in Portugal. ... Year 1968 (MCMLXVIII) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...


Bibliography

  • J. M. Queirós Veloso, D. Sebastião, 1554–1578 (Lisbon, 1935). The fullest and best account of the reign. Veloso determined that Sebastian contracted a venereal disease, but hesitated to investigate the circumstances.
  • António Villacorta Baños-Garcia, Don Sebastián, rey de Portugal (Barcelona, 2001). Acceptable but deficient with regard to Sebastian and his illness and his personality.
  • Harold B. Johnson, Dois Estudos Polémicos (Tucson, 2004), 47–99. Presents the evidence of Sebastian’s sexual abuse and homosexuality. some pages in portuguese
  • Saraiva, José. Diário da História de Portugal. (Lisbon, 1998)

(compilation of the chronicles of the time)

  • Hermano Saraiva, José; et all.Dicionário Ilustrado da História de Portugal.(1993)

Ancestors

Sebastian's ancestors in three generations:

 
 
 
 
8. Manuel I of Portugal
 
 
4. John III of Portugal
 
 
 
 
 
 
9. Maria of Aragon
 
 
2. John, Crown Prince of Portugal
 
 
 
 
 
 
10. Philip I of Castile
 
 
5. Catherine of Habsburg
 
 
 
 
 
 
11. Joanna of Castile
 
1. Sebastian of Portugal
 
 
 
 
 
12. Philip I of Castile
 
 
6. Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor
 
 
 
 
 
 
13. Joanna of Castile
 
 
3. Joan of Spain
 
 
 
 
 
 
14. Manuel I of Portugal
 
 
7. Isabella of Portugal
 
 
 
 
 
 
15. Maria of Aragon
 
Sebastian of Portugal
Cadet branch of the House of Aviz
Born: 20 January 1554 Died: 4 August 1578
Regnal titles
Preceded by
John III
King of Portugal and the Algarves
15571578
Succeeded by
Henry
Portuguese royalty
Preceded by
John
Prince of Portugal
1554–1557
Succeeded by
Diego
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  Results from FactBites:
 
Sebastian of Portugal - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (489 words)
Sebastian I "the Desired" (in Portuguese, Sebastião I o Desejado; born in Lisbon, January 20, 1554; died at Alcazarquivir, August 4, 1578) was the sixteenth king of Portugal.
Sebastian became heir to the throne on the death of his father in 1554 (two weeks before his birth), and succeeded to the throne three years later.
Sebastian was a fragile boy, a result of marriages within the same family for many generations.
  More results at FactBites »

 

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