Admiral of Portugal

The high office of Admiral of the Kingdom of Portugal (Portuguese: Almirante do Reino de Portugal) as the head of the Portuguese navy was created by King Denis of Portugal in 1317 (or 1322) for the Genoese nobleman and naval officer Manuel Pessanha (Emanuele Pessagno). Although there is evidence that such a title existed before (e.g. Afonso I appointed his half-brother Fuas Roupinho to the title in 1184), it seems to have been of only a temporary character, for fleets assembled in times of war. The exception was perhaps Nuno Fernandes Cogominho who seems to have been appointed admiral by King Denis in 1307, and still had that title at his death in 1316, although the conditions are unclear. Nonetheless, Manuel Pessanha was the first person known to hold the title of Almirante-mor (Chief Admiral) as a permanent office for a permanent fleet. All the king's galleys were under his jurisdiction. The conditions of the Pessanha's title stipulated that he must maintain a corps of at least 20 Genoese naval officers at all times and was obliged to serve the king in military service on land as well as sea.

The office of Almirante-mor became a hereditary benefice in the Pessanha family - passing successively through his sons Carlos, Bertolomeu and Lançarote. After the disastrous handling of the Portuguese fleet in the blockade of Seville in 1369, Pessanha's son Lançarote Pessanha temporarily lost the admiral title to João Afonso Telo de Menezes (Count of Barcelos), but was later restored by King Ferdinand of Portugal. The title then passed on through Lançarote's sons Manuel II and then Carlos II, the last of the male line. Carlos II had no male heirs, but only two daughters (Genebra & Brites) and a niece (Catarina, daughter of his late brother Antonio, who had died at Aljubarrota).

In 1433, the title of Admiral went as dowry in the marriage of Genebra Pereira (daughter of Carlos II Pessanha) to D. Pedro de Menezes. After Menezes death in 1437, the title was passed on to his nephew Lançarote da Cunha (the young son of Carlos II Pessanha's other daughter, Brites Pereira), but the office was de facto exercised by Brites's husband, Rui de Mello da Cunha. Being pre-deceased by his son, Rui de Mello was appointed admiral de jure in 1453.

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