D. Rodrigo da Cunha (1577 – 3 January 1643) was a Portuguese prelate of the first half of the seventeenth century and who, as Archbishop of Lisbon, played an important role in supporting the restoration of Portuguese independence from Spain.

Biography

D. Rodrigo was born in

Lisbon Lisbon (; pt, Lisboa ) is the capital and largest city of Portugal, with an estimated population of 544,851 within its administrative limits in an area of 100.05 km2. Grande Lisboa, Lisbon's urban area extends beyond the city's administr ...

, son of D. Pedro da Cunha, Lord of the Majorat of Tábua, and his wife Maria da Silva. He began his studies at the College of Saint Anthony the Great (''Colégio de Santo Antão''), a

Jesuit , image = Ihs-logo.svg , image_size = 175px , caption = ChristogramOfficial seal of the Jesuits , abbreviation = SJ , nickname = Jesuits , formation = , founders ...

college in Lisbon. He received his doctorate in Canon Law at the University of Coimbra. In his religious career, he passed the Holy Office as a deputy, and was an inquisitor in Lisbon. He was

Bishop of Portalegre The Roman Catholic Diocese of Portalegre–Castelo Branco ( la, Dioecesis Portalegrensis–Castri Albi) has carried this name since 1956, when the historical diocese of Portalegre was renamed. It is a suffragan of the archdiocese of Lisbon. Histo ...

(1615-1618), and of Porto (1618-1626); was Archbishop of Braga (1626-1634) and

(1635-1642). He authored the reform of the '' Breviário Bracarense'' in 1634, and presided over the Lisbon Synod of 1640. D. Rodrigo da Cunha was one of the main opponents of the incorporation of Portugal in Spain, a policy followed by Philip IV of Spain. In 1638, he was even invited to become a cardinal in Madrid, refusing the offer. During the

Portuguese Restoration War The Portuguese Restoration War ( pt, Guerra da Restauração) was the war between History of Portugal (1640–1777), Portugal and Habsburg Spain, Spain that began with the Portuguese revolution of 1640 and ended with the Treaty of Lisbon (1668), ...

, he supported the revolutionaries and, together with the Archbishop of Braga, ruled the kingdom until the return of

João IV John IV ( pt, João, ; 19 March 1604 – 6 November 1656), nicknamed John the Restorer ( pt, João, o Restaurador), was the King of Portugal whose reign, lasting from 1640 until his death, began the Portuguese restoration of independence from H ...

. His name appears as one of the main presences in the "Act of Accession and Oath of King John IV" performed on 15 December 1640. and as in the following act solemnly confirming it on 28 January 1641.Cronicas e Vidas dos Reys de Portugal..., por Duarte Nunez do Lião, e autos de Levantamento e Juramentos a El-Rey D. João IV, Tomo II, compilação de D. Rodrigo da Cunha, em Lisboa, na oficina de José de Aquino Bolhões, de 1780, pág. 471 As a historian, D. Rodrigo da Cunha contributed to the historiography of the Church in Portugal, writing several works on Braga, Porto and Lisbon. He died at the age of 65, on 3 January 1643. He is buried in the

Cathedral of Lisbon The Cathedral of Saint Mary Major ( pt, Santa Maria Maior de Lisboa or ''Metropolitan Cathedral of St. Mary Major''), often called Lisbon Cathedral or simply the Sé ('), is a Roman Catholic cathedral located in Lisbon, Portugal. The oldest chur ...

Works

*
Advertencias ao Iubileu do anno de mil e seiscentos e vinte
' (1620) *
Catálogo e História dos Bispos do Porto
' (1623) * ''História Eclesiástica dos Arcebispos de Braga
primeira

segunda parte
' (1634-1635) *
História Eclesiástica de Lisboa
' (1642)

Bibliography

* Redacção Quidnovi, com coordenação de

José Hermano Saraiva José Hermano Saraiva GCIH • GCIP (3 October 1919 – 20 July 2012) was a Portuguese professor, historian and jurist. He was most known as a television personality in Portugal, having been the author and presenter of several documentary seri ...

, ''História de Portugal, Dicionário de Personalidades'', Volume XIV, Ed. QN-Edição e Conteúdos, S.A., 2004

References

External links

*
Referência ao trabalho ''História Eclesiástica de Braga'', com a respectiva capa, e retrato do autor
{{Authority control 1577 births 1643 deaths Archbishops of Lisbon Roman Catholic archbishops of Braga Bishops of Porto 17th-century Roman Catholic bishops in Portugal University of Coimbra alumni