Mafalda of Portugal

Blessed Mafalda
Queen consort of Castile Lady of Arouca
Mafalda in Genealogy of the Kings of Portugal (António de Holanda, 1530–1534)
Queen consort of Castile
Tenure	1215–1216
Born	c. 1197 Kingdom of Portugal
Died	1 May 1256 (aged 58–59) Rio Tinto, Gondomar, Kingdom of Portugal
Burial	Arouca Convent, Portugal
Spouse	Henry I of Castile
House	House of Burgundy
Father	Sancho I
Mother	Dulce of Aragon
Religion	Roman Catholicism

Infanta Mafalda of Portugal (c. 1195 – Rio Tinto, Gondomar, May 1, 1256; Portuguese pronunciation: [mɐˈfaɫdɐ]) was a Portuguese infanta (princess), later Queen consort of Castile for a brief period. She was the second youngest daughter of King Sancho I of Portugal and Dulce of Aragon. Married briefly to the ten-year-old Henry I of Castile, she held for a time the title Queen of Castile. Upon the dissolution of the marriage, she retired to religious life.

Life

Inheritance

Malfada of Portugal was born around 1195, the daughter of King Sancho I of Portugal and his queen, Dulce of Aragon.

On the death of her father, Mafalda, under the provisions of his will, was to receive the Seia Castle and the remaining portion of the municipality as well as all income produced there. Furthermore, she was granted the right to use the title of queen. This created a conflict with her brother Afonso II O Gordo, who, wanting a centralized power, hindered his sister from receiving the titles and the corresponding rights. Afonso feared that something similar could happen with his two sisters, Teresa and Sancha, and their eventual heirs, creating a problem of sovereignty that could come to divide the country. Much of the Portuguese nobles sided with Mafalda and her sisters, but they were defeated. On the death of Afonso II, his son Sancho II granted some lands and castles to his aunts but he made them renounce the title of princess-queen. The final peace came in 1223.

File:Sé do Porto-Altar de Nossa Senhora da Silva-20142910.jpg

Altar of Nossa Senhora da Silva, Porto

Marriage

In 1215, a political marriage was arranged between Mafalda and her young cousin Henry I of Castile. As he was about ten years old, the marriage was never consummated, and it was dissolved the following year on grounds of consanguinity. She returned to Portugal.

Religious life

Mafalda then entered the Abbey of Arouca, which had adopted the Cistercian observance, but was granted a special dispensation to retain control of her inheritance. She had a great devotion to Our Lady of Silva and made substantial donations to the shrine in Oporto. she also had a hospice for travelers built as well as a number of bridges, churches, monasteries, and hospitals.

Returning from a pilgrimage to the shrine of Our Lady of Silva, she fell ill at Rio Tinto (Gondomar) and died in the monastery there on May 1, 1256. In 1616, wanting to move her body to Arouca it was found not to have deteriorated, which generated a strong devotion to the Portuguese princess. She was beatified in 1792. Her feast is celebrated on May 2.

References

Family of Mafalda of Portugal

16. Henry of Burgundy               8. Henry, Count of Portugal                       4. Afonso I of Portugal                             18. Alfonso VI of León and Castile               9. Theresa, Countess of Portugal                       19. Jimena Muñoz               2. Sancho I of Portugal                                   20. Humbert II, Count of Savoy               10. Amadeus III, Count of Savoy                       21. Gisela of Burgundy               5. Mafalda of Savoy                             22. Guigues III of Albon               11. Mahaut of Albon                       23. Matilda               1. Malfalda of Portugal                                         24. Ramon Berenguer II, Count of Barcelona               12. Ramon Berenguer III, Count of Barcelona                       25. Maud of Apulia               6. Ramon Berenguer IV, Count of Barcelona                             26. Gilbert I, Count of Gévaudan               13. Douce I, Countess of Provence                       27. Gerberga, Countess of Provence               3. Dulce of Aragon                                   28. Sancho Ramírez of Navarre and Aragon               14. Ramiro II of Aragon                       29. Felicia of Roucy               7. Petronila of Aragon                             30. William IX, Duke of Aquitaine               15. Agnes of Aquitaine                       31. Philippa, Countess of Toulouse

Preceded by Leonora of England

Queen Consort of Castile 1215–1216

Succeeded by Beatriz of Swabia