D. Afonso Henriques – County of Portucale

At the end of the 11th century, a new political entity was created: the County of Portucale.

Afonso VI, Emperor of Hispania, granted his daughter Teresa, on the occasion of her marriage to Henry of Burgundy, the territory from Coimbra to the castle of Lobreira in Galicia, including the Land of Santa Maria, all the lands of Lamego and Viseu, and also adding the land held by the Moors, provided that he conquered it and incorporated it into his County.

In 1112, the County of Portucale came to be governed by D. Teresa, a woman and widow who faced great challenges, overcoming them thanks to her talents and shrewdness, as well as the support of a strong group of nobles from her household.

Styling herself queen in 1117, D. Teresa was in the town known as Feira, located outside the walls of its castle, where she made donations to powerful men of the Land of Santa Maria in recognition of the services rendered in the defence of the city of Coimbra during the Almoravid siege.

Queen D. Teresa, like her son, the young Afonso Henriques, found herself amid disputes and power struggles promoted by the great lords of the County and some Galician families, which would lead to armed conflicts and result in changes of authority within the territory.

After the Battle of São Mamede, on 24 June 1128, the queen lost control of the government to her son Afonso Henriques, who came to represent a new rule and a new sovereignty: the autonomy of the County in relation to the Kingdom of León.