John IV of Portugal

John IV King of Portugal and the Algarves of either side of the sea in Africa, Lord of Guinea and of Conquest, Navigation and Commerce of Ethiopia, Arabia, Persia and India, etc. Reign 1 December 1640— 6 November 1656 Coronation 15 December 1640 Predecessor Philip III Successor Afonso VI Spouse Luisa of Medina-Sidonia among others... Issue Teodósio, Prince of Brazil Joana, Princess of Beira Catherine, Queen of England, Scotland and Ireland Afonso VI Peter II Father Teodósio II, Duke of Braganza Mother Ana de Velasco y Girón Born 18 March 1603 Palace, Vila Viçosa, Kingdom of Portugal Died 6 November 1656[aged 53] Ribeira Palace, Lisbon, Kingdom of Portugal Burial Dynasty of Braganza Royal Pantheon, Monastery of São Vicente de Fora, Lisbon, District of Lisbon, Portugal

John IV (Portuguese: João IV de Portugal, pron. [ʒuˈɐ̃ũ]; 18 March 1603 – 6 November 1656) was the king of Portugal and the Algarves from 1640 to his death. He was the grandson of Catherine, Duchess of Braganza, who had in 1580 claimed the Portuguese crown and sparked the struggle for the throne of Portugal. John was nicknamed John the Restorer (João o Restaurador). On the eve of his death in 1656, the Portuguese empire reached its zenith spanning almost 3 billion acres.

John was born at Vila Viçosa and succeeded his father Teodósio II as Duke of Braganza when the latter died insane in 1630. He married Luisa de Guzman (1613-1666), eldest daughter of Juan Manuel Pérez de Guzmán, 8th Duke of Medina Sidonia, in 1633. He was raised to the throne of Portugal (of which he was held to be the legitimate heir) during the revolution on 1 December 1640, against the Spanish king Philip IV.

His accession led to a protracted war (the Portuguese Restoration War) with Spain, which only ended with the recognition of Portuguese independence in a subsequent reign (1668). Portugal signed alliances with France ( 1 June 1641) and Sweden (August 1641) but by necessity its only contributions in the Thirty Years' War were in the field against Spain and against Dutch encroachments on the Portuguese colonies.

In Spain, a Portuguese invasion force defeated the Spanish at Montijo, near Badajoz, in 1644. Abroad, the Dutch took Malacca (Jan 1641) and the Sultan of Oman captured Muscat (1650). Nevertheless the Portuguese, despite having to divide their forces among Europe, Brazil and Africa, managed to retake Luanda, in Angola, from the Dutch in 1648 and, by 1654, had recovered most of Brazil, effectively ceasing to be a viable Dutch colony. This was countered by the loss of Ceilan (Portuguese Ceilão), present day Sri Lanka, to the Dutch who took Colombo in 1656.

King John IV died in 1656 and was succeeded by his son Afonso VI. His daughter Catarina (Catherine of Braganza) married King Charles II of England.

John was a patron of music and the arts, and a considerably sophisticated writer on music; in addition to this, he was a composer. During his reign he collected one of the largest libraries in the world, but it was destroyed in the Lisbon earthquake of 1755. Among his writings is a defense of Palestrina, and a Defense of Modern Music (Lisbon, 1649). His most famous composition is a setting of the Crux fidelis, a work that remains highly popular during Lent amongst church choirs.

Ancestors

Marriages and descendants

Queen Luísa de Gusmão

John married Luisa de Guzman, daughter of Juan Manuel Pérez de Guzman, 8th Duke of Medina-Sidonia. From that marriage several children were born. Because some of John's children were born and died before his father became King they are not considered princes or princesses (infantes) of Portugal.

References

• This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica, Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain.

External links

• Free scores by John IV of Portugal in the Choral Public Domain Library (ChoralWiki)

v • d • e House of Braganza   John IV Children Teodósio, Prince of Brazil  · Joana, Princess of Beira  · Catarina, Queen of England  · Afonso VI  · Peter II   Peter II Children include Isabel Luísa, Princess of Beira · John V · Francisco, Duke of Beja · António · Manuel, Count of Ourém · Infanta Francisca · Luísa, Duchess of Cadaval (natural daughter) · José, Archbishop of Braga (natural son)   John V Children Bárbara, Queen of Spain  · Joseph I  · Peter III   Joseph I Children include Maria I  · Mariana Francisca  · Doroteia  · Benedita, Princess of Brazil   Maria I and Peter III Children include José, Prince of Brazil  · John VI · Mariana Vitória   John VI Children include Maria Teresa, Princess of Beira · Maria Isabel, Queen of Spain · Pedro IV of Portugal, I of Brazil · Maria Francisca · Isabel Maria · Miguel I · Maria da Assunção · Infanta Ana de Jesus Maria, Duchess of Loulé   Pedro IV (I of Brazil) Children include Maria II · Januária, Princess Imperial of Brazil · Princess Francisca, princess de Joinville · Pedro II of Brazil Grandchildren Afonso, Prince Imperial of Brazil  · Isabel, Princess Imperial of Brazil  · Leopoldina  · Pedro, Prince Imperial of Brazil   Miguel Children Maria das Neves  · Miguel, Duke of Braganza  · Maria Teresa, Archduchess of Austria  · Maria Josepha, Duchess in Bavaria  · Adelgundes, Duchess of Guimarães, Countess of Bardi  · Marie Ana, Grand Duchess of Luxembourg  · Maria Antónia, Duchess of Parma Grandchildren Miguel, Duke of Viseu  · Francis Jospeh  · Maria Teresa  · Isabel Maria  · Maria Benedita  · Mafalda  · Maria Anna  · Maria Antónia  · Filippa  · Duarte Nuno, Duke of Braganza  · Maria Adelaide Great grandchildren Duarte Pio, Duke of Braganza  · Miguel, Duke of Viseu  · Henrique, Duke of Coimbra Great-great grandchildren Afonso, Prince of Beira · Maria Francisca · Dinis, Duke of Porto