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Maria de Portugal

Maria de Portugal

Male 1558 - 1599  (41 years)    Has more than 100 ancestors but no descendants in this family tree.

Personal Information    |    Notes    |    All

  • Name Maria de Portugal 
    Birth 1558 
    Gender Male 
    Death 31 Aug 1599 
    Person ID I490758  Geneagraphie
    Last Modified 29 Oct 2004 

    Father Antonio de Guimarães,   b. 17 Jan 1531, Almeirim Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 26 Aug 1595, Paris, Île-de-France, France Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 64 years) 
    Mother NN   d. Yes, date unknown 
    Family ID F197243  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  • Notes 
    • Born in Lisbon, she was brought up by Dinis de Lancastro and for a while it was pretended that he was her father; but then she was acknowledged to be a daughter of Antonio, Prior of Crato. At the age of twenty-three, she left Lisbon in secret and went to the mountains of Serra de Cintra to live a hermit's life. She found a cave close to the ocean and dressed herself in a hermit's habit. Feeding herself with local vegetation, she spent her time with meditation. However, after a while she found herself in the need of a spiritual guide and returned to Lisbon. In the monastery of Sao Domingos she found the Dominican monk, Luis de Granada, who promised her guidance while she lived with a female relative.
      In the meantime, after the death of King Enrique of Portugal, her father, Don Antonio, claimed to be the rightful king but had to escape the Spanish forces which took the Portuguese kingdom for Philip II, King of Spain. Once in charge in Portugal, Philip II decided to remove some important Portuguese women to Spain and amongst these he wanted daughters of Don Antonio. As a result, Maria and one of her own sisters became imprisoned in the Castle San Trocaz near Madrid. Together with Maria were imprisoned Luisa de Guzman, widow of the Count of Vimioso, and her son Nuno and her seven daughters. The reason for the imprisonment of this family was that her eldest son, Francisco, had sided with Don Antonio against Philip II. Luisa de Guzman was not allowed to communicate with anyone, except that she was forced to write a letter to her eldest son telling him to accept Philip II as king of Portugal. It was Maria who supported and encouraged Luisa. However, after a while Maria and her sister were moved to the convent of Santa Maria in Las Huelgas near Burgos. In 1585 she was accepted as a nun in this convent and took the name of Maria de la Cruz.
      On 11 May 1599 her order founded a small hermit community near the river Taag and, after her request was granted, she returned to the hermit life. However, three months later the plague came to Alcala and, by nursing suffering nuns, Maria became infected and, on 31 August 1599, died.



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