OS LUSÍADAS Inês de Castro: the queen who was crowned after death

WHO IS INÊS?  Inês de Castro, daughter of Pedro F. de Castro, an illegitimate grandson of King Sancho IV of Castile arrived in Portugal in 1340 as a chaperon to her cousin, Constança of Castile, who came to marry the heir to the Portuguese throne, Dom Pedro, son of King Dom Afonso IV.

LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT  As soon as the prince Dom Pedro set his eyes on Inês, he fell in love with her. Pedro was madly in love and legend says that he sent love letters through a pipe that carried water from the “Quinta (estate) do Pombal” to the Santa Clara’s Monastery, where Inês was settled. Santa Clara’s Monastery

HOW TO STOP A ROMANCE?  Constança invited Inês to be the godmother of her newly born son, so her love affair with Dom Pedro would be considered incestuous.  Dom Afonso attempted to separate the lovers by banishing Inês from Court and sending her back to Castile in 1344.

CONSTANÇA IS DEAD AND NOW?  Constança died on November 13 th  Dom Pedro went after Inês.  He brought her back to Portugal and settled in Coimbra, where they would live together freely.

INÊS’ DEATH IS THE SOLUTION!  The Portuguese King and the aristocracy thought that the Castro clan could end up dragging the future king and the kingdom into dynastic fights with their neighbours.  To free Dom Pedro from the dangerous influence of the Castro family, Dom Afonso, after the meeting in the Castle of Montemor-o-Velho, decided that the death of Inês was the solution! Castle of Montemor-o-Velho

IT’S TOO LATE: INÊS IS DEAD  As soon as the King and their courtiers arrived at Coimbra, Inês appeared with her children and appealed to the King Dom Afonso, who was struggling between the state’s needs and his feelings, against her capital sentence.  As soon as the King turned his back the sentence was carried out : Inês was executed.

MYTH OR REALITY?  The Inês’ capital punishment took place at Santa Clara-a-Nova, where she was living with Dom Pedro since Constança’s death.  The myth associates this tragedy with Quinta das Lágrimas (Estate of Tears)

FOREVER  People believes that Inês’ blood stains the spring’s stone keeping it forever red in the Estate of the Tears where she cried one’s heart out for the last time, when she was being pierced by the daggers of her executioners.

QUEEN AFTER DEATH  When the Prince heard the terrible news about Inês’ assassination, he became furious and staged a revolt against his father, the main responsible for this fatal end.  King Dom Pedro tortured and executed two Inês’ executioners.  On 12 th June 1360, he announced that he had secretly married Inês in the Bragança town and declared her legitimate wife Queen of Portugal.