Álvaro Vaz de Almada, 1st Count of Avranches
| Álvaro de Almada | |
|---|---|
| Count of Avranches | |
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| Count of Avranches | |
| Coat of arms |  |
| Successor | Francisco de Almada |
| Spouse(s) | Catarina de Ataíde |
| Issue | |
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Full name
Álvaro Vaz de Almada
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| Noble family | Almada |
| Father | João Vaz de Almada |
| Born | 1390 Kingdom of Portugal |
| Died | 20 May 1449 Alverca do Ribatejo, Kingdom of Portugal |
Álvaro Vaz de Almada, 1st Count of Avranches sometimes referred too with the wrong name Albro Vasques d' Almadea Earl of AverenceKG (c.1390 – 20 May 1449, Alverca do Ribatejo) was an illustrious Portuguese knight and nobleman, with a long and illustrious career abroad in England. He was invested by the English king as the 1st Count of Avranches (in Portuguese: Conde de Abranches) and made a Knight of the Garter.
he was captain-general of the city of Lisbon and he died at the Battle of Alfarrobeira in 1449.
His likeness appeared on the now-obsolete Portuguese five-escudo banknote.
Dom Álvaro, one of the last to use the Portuguese title of rico homem, was the son of João Vaz de Almada (born around 1360) and his wife, Joana Anes. The Almadas were not of noble blood, but descended from a merchant family that made their fortune in overseas trade. The Lordship of Almada they had acquired was expropriated during the 1383–1385 Crisis, although João Vaz's notable military service to John I of Portugal earned him partial reinstatement and rewards in other districts. The family resided primarily in Lisbon and Algés. Álvaro had a younger brother named Pedro Vaz de Almada and two half-siblings, born out of wedlock, by an unknown mother: João Vaz de Almada, 1st Lord of Pereira (born c.1400) and Brites de Almada.
At an early age, Álvaro accompanied his father to the Kingdom of England. Both were said to have fought in the Hundred Years' War and built up a rapport with King Henry V of England, before returning to Portugal in early 1415.
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