, Afonso Ii Of Portugal

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Afonso II of Portugal
b: 23 APR 1185
d: 25 MAR 1223
Biography
Afonso II (Portuguese pronunciation: [?''fõsu]; English: Alphonzo), orAffonso (Archaic Portuguese), Alfonso or Alphonso (Portuguese-Galician)or Alphonsus (Latin version), nicknamed "the Fat" (Portuguese o Gordo),King of Portugal, was born in Coimbra on 23 April 1185 and died on 25March 1223 in the same city. He was the second but eldest surviving sonof Sancho I of Portugal by his wife, Dulce, Infanta of Aragon. Afonsosucceeded his father in 1212.

As a king, Afonso II set a different approach of government. Hitherto,his father Sancho I and his grandfather Afonso I were mostly concernedwith military issues either against the neighbouring Kingdom of Castileor against the Moorish lands in the south. Afonso did not pursueterritory enlargement policies and managed to insure peace with Castileduring his reign. Despite this, some towns, like Alcácer do Sal in 1217,were conquered from the Moors by the private initiative of noblemen. Thisdoes not mean that he was a weak or somehow cowardly man. The first yearsof his reign were marked instead by internal disturbances between Afonsoand his brothers and sisters. The king managed to keep security withinPortuguese borders only by outlawing and exiling his kin.

Since military issues were not a government priority, Afonso establishedthe state''s administration and centralized power on himself. He designedthe first set of Portuguese written laws. These were mainly concernedwith private property, civil justice, and minting. Afonso also sentambassadors to European kingdoms outside the Iberian Peninsula and beganamicable commercial relations with most of them.

Other reforms included the always delicate matters with the pope. Inorder to get the independence of Portugal recognized by Rome, hisgrandfather, Afonso I, had to legislate an enormous number of privilegesto the Church. These eventually created a state within the state. WithPortugal''s position as a country firmly established, Afonso IIendeavoured to weaken the power of the clergy and to apply a portion ofthe enormous revenues of the Roman Catholic Church to purposes ofnational utility. These actions led to a serious diplomatic conflictbetween the pope and Portugal. After being excommunicated for hisaudacities by Pope Honorius III, Afonso II promised to make amends to thechurch, but he died in 1223 before making any serious attempts to do so.
Facts
  • 23 APR 1185 - Birth - ; Coimbra, Kingdom of Portugal
  • 25 MAR 1223 - Death - ; Coimbra, Kingdom of Portugal
  • 26 MAR 1211 - Reign - King ; Portugal
  • Excommunicated - Roman Catholic church by Pope Honorius III
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Afonso II of Portugal
23 APR 1185 - 25 MAR 1223
  
 
  
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MAfonso II of Portugal
Birth23 APR 1185Coimbra, Kingdom of Portugal
Death25 MAR 1223Coimbra, Kingdom of Portugal