History: Batalha Monastery and Diogo Goncalves de Travassos

[Cheri Mello]

This may not have gone through because of the photos, so if you are on dial up, it may take a little while to download.

From our resident historian, Eloise Cadinha (welcome back Eloise)!

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: <Ema...@aol.com>
Date: Tue, Jan 4, 2011 at 8:52 AM
Subject: History of an ancestor

A BIT OF HISTORY OF ONE OUR ANCESTORS

 

If you visit Portugal either on a tour or travelling solo, it is almost a sure thing that you will visit the Monastery Santa Maria da Vitoria, or more commonly known as the Batalha Monastery. Built to celebrate the Battle of Aljubarrota in 1385 when the Spanish were defeated.  Today the monastery is an UNESCO World Heritage. 

 

 

 

What connection is this Monastery to our Cadima-Cadinha-Botelho-Cabral family tree? We have an ancestor - DIOGO GONCALVES DE TRAVASSOS emtombed there --- a few steps away from the entrance to the Royal Chapel where King Joao and Queen Philipp of Lancaster , along with some of their sons are buried, one being Prince Henry the Navigator.

 

 

Searching our Cabral Ancestors, I first read about Diogo's tomb  in _Saudades da Terra_ by Gaspar Frutuoso (written in the 1500s).  Diogo had married Violante Cabral, sister of Goncalo Velho Cabral, AN IMPORTANT INDIVIDUAL, in Azores history.  Frutuoso wrote that Diogo's tomb was at the entrance to the Royal Chapel, and covered with the letter "D".  And so it was.  The tomb was easy to find and above the tomb on the wall was a plaque.  (Note picture from the internet) You can see all the D's.

  

 

 

 

 

The plaque above the tomb

 

 

Translation of the plaque

In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, Amen.  In the year of our Lord Jesus Christ, one thousand four hundred...there was buried beneath this great stone, the body of Diogo Gonsalves Travassos, a knight and servant of the great King, D. Joao of the highest and shining and enduring memory, whose soul eternally reigns with the Holy Trinity , and of the Council of the most powerful Lord, King Afonso V, and of the council  of the most magnificent and grand lord, of laudatory prudence, the Prince D. Pedro, Duke of Coimbra, overseer of the lands of the said Lord, and tutor of the children of the most excellent prince, The Lord D, Pedro of Aragon, Constable of the kingdom of Portugal, and  of the illustrious Lords D. Jaime and D. Joao, his brothers.

 

BIOG: (I don't know how accurate this Biog. is - nor do I have the source. Sent to me from a descendant in Brazil on the old Portugal list)

He was the private secretary and finance minister for the infante D.
Pedro, son of King Joao I. He was also the advisor of Afonso V (1438-1481). He
fought with the Infante D.Pedro in the Battle of Ceuta (Morocco) on 25 Aug
1415. He is buried in the Igreja of the Batalha (a national monument) next to
the entrance of the Chapel of the Founder of the Church.  This privilege was
only conceded to Diogo Travassos, and the architect, Mathias Fernandes, and the
soldier who saved King Joao I from death in the Battle of Aljubarrota (1385).
Because of his burial here it seems to prove that he took part in this battle.
The historians do not know what merited his burial in this church.  This church
now has the tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

 

Note:  For those interested in the history of the Battle of Aljubarrota and the Monastery of the Batalha there is much on the internet.

 

Note:  for those interested in further knowledge of Goncalo Velho (Cabral) and his family, there is a lot of information on him on the internet.  He was a 15th century Portuguese monk and Commander of the Order of Christ (formerly called the Knights Templar),  explorer, and for the re-discovery of the islands of Santa Maria and Sao Miguel in the Azores. 

[Linda Norton]

This is great information since I fall under the Travassos/Cabral line.

 

Thank you for all of that.

 

Linda Borges Furtado Norton

---

From: azo...@googlegroups.com [mailto:azo...@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of Cheri Mello
Sent: Thursday, January 06, 2011 1:27 AM
To: Azores Genealogy
Subject: [AZORES-Genealogy] History: Batalha Monastery and Diogo Goncalves de Travassos

Note:� for those interested in further knowledge of Goncalo Velho (Cabral) and his family, there is a lot of information on him on the internet.� He was a 15th century Portuguese monk and Commander of the Order of Christ (formerly called the Knights Templar),� explorer, and for the re-discovery of the islands of Santa Maria and Sao Miguel in the Azores.�

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