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Count of Santa Cruz (in Portuguese ''Conde de Santa Cruz'') was a Portuguese
title of nobility Nobility is a social class found in many societies that have an aristocracy (class), aristocracy. It is normally appointed by and ranked immediately below Royal family, royalty. Nobility has often been an Estates of the realm, estate of the rea ...
created by a royal decree of King Philip II of Portugal, also known as
Philip III of Spain Philip III (; 14 April 1578 – 31 March 1621) was King of Spain and King of Portugal, Portugal (where he is known as Philip II of Portugal) during the Iberian Union. His reign lasted from 1598 until his death in 1621. He held dominion over the S ...
, dated from October 3, 1593, and granted to Francisco de Mascarenhas (1530-1608), nephew of '' Dom'' Pedro de Mascarenhas, 6th
Viceroy A viceroy () is an official who reigns over a polity in the name of and as the representative of the monarch of the territory. The term derives from the Latin prefix ''vice-'', meaning "in the place of" and the Anglo-Norman ''roy'' (Old Frenc ...
of
Portuguese India The State of India, also known as the Portuguese State of India or Portuguese India, was a state of the Portuguese Empire founded seven years after the discovery of the sea route to the Indian subcontinent by Vasco da Gama, a subject of the ...
. Through a remarkable marriage policy, this family inherited several other titles and estates, such as Marquess of Gouveia in 1686, and
Duke of Aveiro Duke of Aveiro () was a Portuguese title of nobility, granted in 1535 by King John III of Portugal to his 4th cousin, John of Lencastre, son of Infante George of Lencastre, a natural son of King John II of Portugal. John of Lencastre was ...
in 1745.


List of the counts

# Francisco de Mascarenhas (1530–1608), 1st Count of Vila da Horta and 13th Viceroy of Portuguese India; # Martinho Mascarenhas (1570–?), 2nd Count of Santa Cruz; # Beatriz Mascarenhas (1610–? ), 3rd Countess of Santa Cruz. She married a distant cousin, João de Mascarenhas (1600-1668), who became 3rd Count of Santa Cruz by marriage; # Martinho Mascarenhas (1630–1676), 4th Count of Santa Cruz; # João Mascarenhas (1650–1691), 5th Count of Santa Cruz; # Martinho Mascarenhas (1681–1723), 6th Count of Santa Cruz and 3rd Marquess of Gouveia; # João Mascarenhas (1699–?), 7th Count of Santa Cruz and 4th Marquess of Gouveia, forced to renounce the title after fleeing Portugal for adultery, he chose to live maritally with his mother; # José Mascarenhas da Silva e Lencastre (1708–1759), 8th Count of Santa Cruz, 5th Marquess of Gouveia and 8th
Duke of Aveiro Duke of Aveiro () was a Portuguese title of nobility, granted in 1535 by King John III of Portugal to his 4th cousin, John of Lencastre, son of Infante George of Lencastre, a natural son of King John II of Portugal. John of Lencastre was ...
; # Martinho Mascarenhas (1740–1804), 9th Count of Santa Cruz and 6th Marquess of Gouveia. The last Count of Santa Cruz before the title was extinct following the
Távora affair The Távoras affair () was a political scandal of the 18th century Portugal, Portuguese court. The events triggered by the attempted assassination of King Joseph I of Portugal in 1758 ended with the public execution of the entire Távora family, ...
.


See also

* Marquess of Gouveia *
Duke of Aveiro Duke of Aveiro () was a Portuguese title of nobility, granted in 1535 by King John III of Portugal to his 4th cousin, John of Lencastre, son of Infante George of Lencastre, a natural son of King John II of Portugal. John of Lencastre was ...
*
Távora affair The Távoras affair () was a political scandal of the 18th century Portugal, Portuguese court. The events triggered by the attempted assassination of King Joseph I of Portugal in 1758 ended with the public execution of the entire Távora family, ...


Count and Marquis of Santa Cruz (Brazilian title)

During the Brazilian Empire, there was also a title of Count of Santa Cruz, later upgraded to Marquis of Santa Cruz, granted to Romualdo António de Seixas (1787-1860), and it should not be confused with this Portuguese title.


External links


Genealogical information on the Counts of Santa Cruz (Portugal)

Genealogical information on the Count od Santa Cruz (Brazil)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Santa Cruz Santa Cruz Brazilian noble titles 1593 establishments in Portugal Noble titles created in 1593 Philip III of Spain