The birth of Manuel de Viseu
On a day like today, 555 years ago, in Alcochete (Portugal), Manuel de Viseu was born, who with the passage of time would be known as Manuel ‘the Fortunate’. Manuel de Viseu was the tenth son of Ferdinand of Portugal, fifth son of King Edward I of Portugal, and his cousin Beatrice of Aveiro. Despite being the tenth child, Manuel was the only male descendant of the couple who would reach adulthood.
The rise to the throne
After a series of surprising events, Manuel, who was initially eighth in the line of succession, ended up succeeding his cousin, King John II, and became king of Portugal in 1495.
Marriage to Isabella of Aragon
Manuel the Fortunate jumped to the front line of European politics when he married Isabel of Aragon, the first-born of the Catholic Monarchs. Shortly after the wedding, Juan de Aragón, the only male child and successor of the Catholic Monarchs, died unexpectedly. This situation opened a complicated scenario for Ferdinand, who had negotiated a double marriage between the houses of Trastámara and Habsburg to secure his name on the throne. However, Juan’s death changed everything and Manuel became a prominent figure.
The heir and premature death
On August 23, 1498, Miguel de la Paz was born, the firstborn of Manuel the Fortunate and Isabel of Aragon. However, the joy was dampened by Isabel’s death during childbirth. Despite the tragedy, Miguel de la Paz was proclaimed heir to the thrones of Barcelona, Toledo and Lisbon. This situation led Fernando to renounce his European project and accept that the king who would unite those domains would be a Viseu instead of a Trastámara.
The end of the line of succession
Unfortunately, Miguel de la Paz’s life was short and he died prematurely on July 20, 1500. With his death, all hopes and succession plans returned to square one.
