County of Coimbra explained

The County of Coimbra (Old Galician: Comtato de Coimbra) was a political entity consisting of the lands of Coimbra, Viseu, Lamego and Santa Maria da Feira, in modern Portugal.

History

Establishment

During the Visigothic Kingdom (from the 5th to the early 8th centuries, the County of Coimbra, with its seat in Coimbra (Emínio), was created by King Wittiza (c. 687 – probably 710) as a sub-county of his dominion and was established as a fief for his son Ardabast (Artabasdus), who became Count of the Christians of Coimbra.[1]

Christian Counts of Coimbra

The first Muslim campaigns that occupied the Iberian Peninsula occurred between 711 and 715, with Coimbra capitulating to Musa bin Nusair in 714. Under the Umayyad state of Córdoba the city of Coimbra (Qulumriyah) maintained a significant Christian population (known as Mozarabs), who were allowed to maintain their faith in exchange for paying the jizya (a tax levied on non-Muslims).[2] [3] The continued use of "Count" (comes, a Roman court title) by the leaders of this community up to as late as 805 reflects the continuation of older Roman and Gothic administrative traditions in the city.[4]

Within the Kingdom of Asturias

The County appears within the Kingdom of Asturias after the reconquest of the region, when the lands were granted to Hermenegildo Gutiérrez (878 – 920),[5] [6] who over the next four decades was largely responsible for the resettlement of the depopulated province. He and his immediate successors were counts,[7] [8] and held Coimbra, but were not explicitly counts of Coimbra, although they are sometimes referred to as such retrospectively.

Counts of Coimbra, first creation

The first nobleman specifically to be called count of Coimbra was Gonzalo Muñoz (959 – 981),[9] who was probably a scion of the family of Hermenegildo. Becoming count around 959, he was one of the most powerful noblemen in the western part of the kingdom until he rose in rebellion against King Bermudo II of León and was probably killed during the region's subjugation. The degree to which his successors were alienated from their monarch can be seen by the fact that after the region's recapture in 987 by the Moors of Abu Amir Al-Mansur, Gonzalo's sons joined that general in his sack of Santiago de Compostela in 997.[10] [11]

Counts of Coimbra, second creation

The city of Coimbra was permanently secured by the Christians in 1064 after it had been taken by the troops of King Ferdinand I of León, led by the Mozarab Sisnando Davides, who would be named its count.[12] [13] [14] [15]

Incorporation into Portugal

The County of Coimbra ceased to be an independent political entity in 1096 when it was incorporated in the territory of the Second County of Portugal during the latter's restoration under Henry of Burgundy. Subsequently it formed part of the newly-founded Kingdom of Portugal under Henry's son, Afonso I.

List of counts

Christian Counts of Coimbra[16]
Early holders of Coimbra who were counts
Counts of Coimbra, first creation
Counts of Coimbra, second creation

See also

Notes and References

  1. García Moreno . Luis A. . 2008 . Prosopography, Nomenclature, and Royal Succession in the Visigothic Kingdom of Toledo . Journal of Late Antiquity . 153.
  2. Book: Lévi-Provençal . Histoire de l'Espagne musulmane . 1967-06-01 . BRILL . 978-90-04-61909-8 . 10.1163/9789004619098.
  3. Crow . Karim Douglas . 2009-12-15 . David Levering Lewis - God's Crucible: Islam and the Making of Europe, 570-1215 . ICR Journal . 1 . 2 . 367–371 . 10.52282/icr.v1i2.756 . 2041-8728.
  4. Book: Corte-Real, António Moniz Barreto . Bellezas de Coimbra by António Moniz Barreto Corte-Real . 1831 . Real Imprensa da Universidade . Coimbra . 1 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210413021208/https://www.cm-coimbra.pt/en/areas/viver/a-cidade/historia/lenda-da-fundacao-da-cidade-no-livro-bellezas-de-coimbra . 2021-04-13.
  5. Mattoso, José (1981). A nobreza medieval portuguesa, a família e o poder . Lisbon: Editorial Estampa, p. 115, OCLC 8242615
  6. Web site: OF PORTUGAL, Hermengildo Gutierrez b. Abt 842 Portugal d. Aft May 912: Laidman families worldwide . 2024-06-17 . laidman.one-name.net.
  7. Web site: Árvore genealógica de Gutierre (Guterre) MENENDEZ (Duc de COIMBRA), Conde de CELANOVA, De Galicie . 2024-06-17 . Geneanet . pt.
  8. Book: Marques, A. H. de Oliveira . História de Portugal . 2024 . Editorial Presença . Revised by João Alves Dias . 1 . 79, 81.
  9. Web site: Árvore genealógica de Gonzalo MUÑOZ,Conde de Coimbra, De Coimbra . 2024-06-17 . Geneanet . pt.
  10. Castellanos Gómez, Juan (2002). Geoestrategia en la España musulmana: las campañas militares de Almanzor. Ministerio de Defensa. p. 127, ISBN 9788478239672
  11. Web site: FamilySearch.org . 2024-06-17 . ancestors.familysearch.org.
  12. [Ramón Menéndez Pidal|Menéndez Pidal, Ramón]
  13. Morujão . Maria do Rosário Barbosa . 2006 . The Coimbra See and its Chancery in Medieval Times . E-JPH . 4 . 2 . 2.
  14. Gonçalves . Pedro Alexandre . 2020 . As relações entre o Mosteiro de São Salvador da Vacariça, as elites regionais e os concilia do condado de Coimbra (século XI) . Governar a cidade na Europa medieval, 2020, ISBN 978-972-9040-19-1, págs. 367-382 . Instituto de Estudos Medievais. Universidade Nova de Lisboa . 367–382 . 978-972-9040-19-1.
  15. Alarcão . Jorge de . 2021 . Coimbra e sua região no tempo de D. Sesnando . Portugalia: Revista de Arqueologia do Departamento de Ciências e Técnicas do Património da Faculdade de Letras da Universidade do Porto . 42 . 159–173 . 10.21747/09714290/port42a8 . 0871-4290. free .
  16. Rei, António (2014). "Os Condes de Coímbra no século VIII Ascendências e Descendências". Armas e Troféus. IX Série (Tomo XVI): 295–312.
  17. Book: Nobiliario de los reinos y señoríos de España . By Francisco Piferrer . 1857.
  18. Web site: 2023-10-28 . Flavio Sisebuto, conde de Coimbra . 2024-06-18 . geni_family_tree . en-US.
  19. Book: Historia de la muy Ilustre Casa de Sousa . 1770.
  20. Web site: 2023-04-08 . Flávio Alarico "Atanarico" de Coimbra . 2024-06-18 . geni_family_tree . en-US.
  21. Web site: 2022-04-27 . Conde Don Flávio Teodósio Soares de Coimbra, Conde de Coimbra . 2024-06-18 . geni_family_tree . en-US.
  22. Web site: Árvore genealógica de Flávio Teodósio Soares de Coimbra Thiodo . 2024-06-18 . Geneanet . pt.
  23. Web site: Family tree of Conde y Duque de la Tudesia Hermenegildo Gutierrez . 2024-06-17 . Geneanet . en.
  24. Web site: Manuel Abranches de Soveral - Os Ribadouro . 2024-06-17 . www.soveral.info.
  25. Web site: MENENDEZ, Gutierre b. Abt 875 Portugal d. Abt 924: Laidman families worldwide . 2024-06-17 . laidman.one-name.net.
  26. Web site: Family tree of Conde de Celanova Gutierre Menéndez . 2024-06-17 . Geneanet . en.
  27. Web site: Family tree of Munio Gutiérrez . 2024-06-17 . Geneanet . en.
  28. Book: Ferreira, João Paulo Martins . Studia Zamorensia . 2018 . XVII . 38 . 0214-736X.
  29. Book: RAMOS, GONÇALO DE CARVALHO E MATOS BAETA . PARADIGMAS DE LIMINARIDADE NO ENTRE-DOURO-E-TEJO: UM INTERFACE ARQUEOLÓGICO DE PODERES (987-1131) . 2014 . UNIVERSIDADE DE LISBOA, FACULDADE DE LETRAS, DEPARTAMENTO DE HISTÓRIA . 124.
  30. Web site: Apelido Pestana . 2024-10-08 . A voz do Algarve.

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