The Fernandine Wars (from the Portuguese ''Guerras Fernandinas'') were a series of three conflicts (1369–70, 1372–73, 1381–82) between the

Kingdom of Portugal The Kingdom of Portugal was a Portuguese monarchy, monarchy in the western Iberian Peninsula and the predecessor of the modern Portuguese Republic. Existing to various extents between 1139 and 1910, it was also known as the Kingdom of Portugal a ...

under King Ferdinand I and the

Crown of Castile The Crown of Castile was a medieval polity in the Iberian Peninsula that formed in 1230 as a result of the third and definitive union of the crowns and, some decades later, the parliaments of the kingdoms of Kingdom of Castile, Castile and Kingd ...

under Kings

Henry II Henry II may refer to: Kings * Saint Henry II, Holy Roman Emperor (972–1024), crowned King of Germany in 1002, of Italy in 1004 and Emperor in 1014 *Henry II of England (1133–89), reigned from 1154 *Henry II of Jerusalem and Cyprus (1271–1 ...

and later

John I John I may refer to: People Religious figures * John I (bishop of Jerusalem) * John Chrysostom (349 – c. 407), Patriarch of Constantinople * John I of Antioch (died 441) * Pope John I of Alexandria, Coptic Pope from 496 to 505 * Pope John I, P ...

. They were fought over Ferdinand's claim to the Castilian succession after the murder of King

Peter of Castile Peter (; 30 August 133423 March 1369), called Peter the Cruel () or the Just (), was King of Castile and León from 1350 to 1369. Peter was the last ruler of the main branch of the House of Ivrea. He was excommunicated by Pope Urban V for h ...

in 1369. After signing the Treaty of Salvaterra, there was a period of civil war (April 1383 – August 1385 Crisis) (1383 – 1385 Portuguese interregnum) in Portugal without a ruling king. This was part of the

Hundred Years' War The Hundred Years' War (; 1337–1453) was a conflict between the kingdoms of Kingdom of England, England and Kingdom of France, France and a civil war in France during the Late Middle Ages. It emerged from feudal disputes over the Duchy ...

Treaty of Salvaterra

The Treaty of

Salvaterra de Magos Salvaterra de Magos () is a municipality in the district of Santarém in Portugal. The population in 2011 was 22,159, in an area of 243.93 km2. The present Mayor is Hélder Manuel Ramalho de Sousa Esménio of the PS. The previous mayor Ana ...

was an agreement signed in 1383 between

Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic, is a country on the Iberian Peninsula in Southwestern Europe. Featuring Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point in continental Europe, Portugal borders Spain to its north and east, with which it share ...

and Castile in order to end a period known in Portugal as the Fernandine Wars (after the name of Fernando I). To celebrate the peace between the two kingdoms, King

Fernando I of Portugal Ferdinand I (; 31 October 1345 – 22 October 1383), sometimes called the Handsome () or occasionally the Inconstant (), was the King of Portugal from 1367 until his death in 1383. He was also briefly made King of Galicia, in 1369 (a claim whic ...

agreed on the marriage of his daughter and heir,

Beatrice of Portugal Beatrice (, ; 7–13 February 1373 – ) was the only surviving legitimate child of King Ferdinand I of Portugal and his wife, Leonor Teles. She became Queen consort of Castile by marriage to King John I of Castile. Following her father's d ...

, with King

John I of Castile John I (; 24 August 1358 – 9 October 1390) was King of Castile and List of Leonese monarchs, León from 1379 until 1390. He was the son of Henry II of Castile, Henry II and of his wife Juana Manuel of Castile. John ascended to the throne in 137 ...

. However, to avoid the union of the two countries, this pre-nuptial agreement established the rules regarding the succession for the two thrones. It was never Fernando's intention to form a union of the kingdoms of Portugal and Castile. Therefore, it was agreed that following his death his wife, Queen

Leonor Telles de Menezes Leonor Teles (or Teles de Meneses; ) was queen consort of Portugal by marriage to King Ferdinand I, and regent of Portugal. She was one of the protagonists, along with her brothers and her daughter Beatrice, of the events that led to the su ...

would assume the

regency In a monarchy, a regent () is a person appointed to govern a state because the actual monarch is a minor, absent, incapacitated or unable to discharge their powers and duties, or the throne is vacant and a new monarch has not yet been dete ...

in Portugal until the son of Beatrice and John would reach 14 years old, when he would become the future king of Portugal. The main clauses of the Treaty of Salvaterra stipulated: *The separation between the kingdoms of Portugal and Castile could only be eliminated with the consent of the Cortes; *The recognition of Beatrice and her husband as kings of Portugal (him, as king consort), if Fernando I would die without any other male heir; *The succession in the throne of Portugal to the offspring of Beatrice and her husband; *The succession in the throne of Portugal to John of Castille and his offspring of the first marriage, if Beatrice would die childless before him, but the Portuguese naturals (property owners) must to receive him as their king; *That queen Leonor Telles de Menezes should remain regent of the kingdom if Fernando I would die without any other heirs and while Beatrice didn't have a 14-year-old son; *And other less important clauses (included in ''Chronicle of king Fernando I'', by

Fernão Lopes Fernão Lopes (; – after 1459) was a Portuguese chronicler appointed by King Edward of Portugal. Fernão Lopes wrote the history of Portugal, but only a part of his work remained. His way of writing was based on oral discourse, and, o ...

, Chapter CLVII). In the famous Cortes of Coimbra (1385),

João das Regras João das Regras (??? - 3 May 1404), in English, literally John of the Rules, was a Portuguese jurist of the second half of the 14th century. In the context of the 1383—1385 Crisis, in Portugal, he stood out for his masterly representation fo ...

, a lawyer supporting John Master of Aviz claims to the throne of Portugal, defended that due to a breach of the Treaty of Salvaterra, Beatrice and John I of Castile should be barred from ascending the Portuguese throne.

References

Citations

Sources

* * * * * *{{cite book , title=España estratégica. Guerra y diplomacia en la historia de España , last=Batista González , first=Juan , year=2007 , language=Spanish , publisher= Madrid , isbn=978-84-7737-183-0 Wars involving Portugal Wars involving the Kingdom of Castile Wars involving England 1370s in Europe 1380s in Europe 14th century in Portugal 14th century in Castile Wars of succession involving the states and peoples of Europe