Almeida, Brites de (fl. 1385)
Almeida, Brites de (fl. 1385)
Portuguese heroine whose courage in battle helped win her country's independence. Name variations: Portuguese Joan of Arc. Lived in Aljubarotta, a small town in Portugal, about 63 miles north of Lisbon.
Known as the Portuguese Joan of Arc, Brites de Almeida gained national prominence during the Battle of Aljubarotta. Fought on August 14, 1385, the conflict was between the Portuguese under John I of Avis (illegitimate son of Peter I of Portugal) and the Castilians under John I of Castile, who was supporting the claim of his new wife Beatrice of Portugal to the throne of Portugal. During the battle, Brites de Almeida led her townspeople against the Castilians, seven of whom she killed with her own hand. With her help, the Portuguese inflicted a crushing defeat upon the Spaniards, and John I was compelled to withdraw his troops and renounce his wife's claim. This was a decisive event in the history of Portugal: the battle established the country's independence beyond all possible challenge, and Portugal, under the Avis dynasty, entered the greatest period of its history.