Denis I of Portugal
| Denis | |
|---|---|
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| King of Portugal and the Algarve | |
| Reign | 6 February 1279 – 7 January 1325 |
| Predecessor | Afonso III |
| Successor | Afonso IV |
| Born | 9 October 1261 Lisbon, Portugal |
| Died | 7 January 1325 (aged 63) Santarém, Portugal |
| Burial | St. Denis Convent, Odivelas, Portugal |
| Spouse | Saint Elizabeth of Aragon |
| Issue |
Constança, Queen of Castile Afonso IV |
| House | Burgundy |
| Father | Afonso III |
| Mother | Beatrice of Castile |
| Religion | Roman Catholicism |
| Signature |  |
Denis (Portuguese: Dinis or Diniz, IPA: [diˈniʃ]; Lisbon, 9 October 1261 – Santarém, 7 January 1325), called the Farmer King (Rei Lavrador) and the Poet King (Rei Poeta), was King of Portugal and the Algarve. The eldest son of Afonso III of Portugal by his second wife, Beatrice of Castile, and grandson of king Alfonso X of Castile (known as the Wise), Denis succeeded his father in 1279. His marriage to Elizabeth of Aragon, who was later canonised as a saint of the Roman Catholic Church, was arranged in 1281 when she was 10 years old.
Denis ruled the Kingdom of Portugal and the Algarves for over 46 years and is remembered as a major contributor to the formation of a sense of national identity and an awareness of Portugal as a nation-state. He worked to reorganise his country's economy and gave an impetus to Portuguese agriculture. He ordered the planting of a large pine forest (that still exists today) near Leiria to prevent the soil degradation that threatened the region and as a source of raw materials for the construction of the royal ships. He was also known for his poetry, which constitutes a major contribution to the development of Portuguese as a literary language.
In 1290, Denis began to pursue the systematic centralisation of royal power by imposing judicial reforms, instituting the Portuguese language as the official language of the court, creating the first university in Portugal, and ridding the military orders in the country of foreign influences. His policies encouraged economic development with the creation of numerous towns and trade fairs. He advanced the interests of the Portuguese merchants, and set up by mutual agreement a fund called the Bolsa de Comércio, the first documented form of marine insurance in Europe, approved on 10 May 1293. Always concerned with development of the country's infrastructure, he encouraged the discovery and exploitation of sulphur, silver, tin and iron mines and organised the export of excess production of agricultural crops, salt, and salted fish to England, Flanders, and France.
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