Dom Manuel I

(1469-1521)

D. Manuel I was born in Alcochete in the year 1469, dubbed "The Adventurer", was King of Portugal from 1495 until his death.

He was the youngest son of Infante Fernando, Duke of Viseu son of King Duarte I, and his wife the Infanta Beatriz de Portugal, granddaughter of King João I.

D. Manuel ascends to the throne after the death of his cousin King John II, who had no legitimate heirs and appoints D. Manuel as his successor.

In fact, he was the only one to ascend the throne without being a first degree relative or descendant of the predecessor.

For his coronation he benefited from the death of all six claimants who had priority over him, including the King's own son.

The Portuguese explorations initiated by its predecessors continued, which led to the discovery of the maritime route to India and Brazil, two important discoveries for the expansion of the Portuguese empire.

In his reign and despite his initial resistance to fulfill the clauses of his marriage to Dona Maria de Aragon, Manuel asked the Pope in 1515 to install the Inquisition in Portugal, a request that was granted only in the following reign, before new request of D. João III.

With the resulting prosperity of commerce and in particular of the spices, D. Manuel realizes numerous works whose architectonic style was known like the Manueline style.