Home - Guides - Top 5 - Lisbon for Families. The historical reference made to a king often reflects his abilities as a leader and in Portugal Joao is known as John the good or even the great.
This title was in recognition of his management of Portugal which maintained peace and increased the living quality of his subjects. Unfortunately the remainder of Europe did not have the same elevated view of King John, who won decisive battles against Spain, here he is affectionately referred to as King John the Bastard. Joao I de Portugal was the tenth ruler of Portugal and the first king to use the title of Lord of Ceuta. As a young adult Joao was given the title of Grand Master of the Order of Aviz but he was never in-line for the Portuguese throne.
Joao was destined to become a minor lord in the Portuguese empire but things all changed with the death of his father and then later with the death of his half brother Ferdinand I of Portugal. Ferdinand I died with no male heir to the throne but he had spent many years organising the succession of the Portuguese throne to his daughter, Princess Beatrice.
This union of northern Spain and Portugal caused great hostility within Portugal as it was considered that Portugal would become a subservient state to Castile. In retaliation the nobles the Council of the Kingdom declared, Joao, the only living descendant of Pedro I, the rightful king of Portugal. This act of defiance by Portugal was only going to be resolved by one method, war.
King John of Castile was forced to make the first move to suppress the growing popularity of the new and rival Portuguese King. The invasion force of the Castile King was supported by French cavalry and crossed into Portugal in The two forces meet during the summer of , the first battle of the conflict the Battle of Atoleiros repelled the northern Spanish army from central Portugal. This triumph was followed up with a decisive victory for the Portuguese fought on the 14 August at Aljubarrota, were the Castile army was completely obliterated.
