Joseph I of Portugal

Joseph King of Portugal and the Algarves Reign 31 July 1750 – 24 February 1777 Predecessor John V of Portugal Successor Maria I of Portugal Duke of Braganza Reign 29 October 1714— 31 July 1750 Predecessor John III Successor Maria I Spouse Mariana Victoria of Spain Issue Maria I, Queen of Portugal Infanta Mariana of Portugal Infanta Doroteia of Portugal Benedita, Princess of Brazil House House of Braganza Father John V of Portugal Mother Maria Anna of Austria Born 6 June 1714 Ribeira Palace, Lisbon, Kingdom of Portugal Died 24 February 1777 (age 62) Royal Palace of Sintra, Sintra, Kingdom of Portugal Burial Monastery of São Vicente de Fora, Lisbon, Kingdom of Portugal Joseph I (Portuguese José, Portuguese pronunciation: [ʒuˈzɛ]), the Reformer (Port. o Reformador), 25th (or 26th according to some historians) King of the Kingdom of Portugal and the Algarves, was born in Lisbon, on 6 June 1714. Biography John V as the Prince of Brasil and Duke of Braganza He was the third child of King John V of Portugal and his wife Archduchess Maria Anna of Austria. Joseph had an older brother, Peter, but he died at the age of two, an older sister and three younger brothers. At the death of his elder brother, José became Prince of Brazil as the heir-apparent of the king, and 15th Duke of Braganza. In 1729, Joseph married a Spanish Infanta, Mariana Victoria of Spain, daughter of Philip V of Spain and Elisabeth Farnese, and his elder sister Barbara of Portugal married the future Ferdinand VI of Spain. Mariana Victoria loved music and hunting, but she was also a serious woman who disliked the King's affairs and did not hesitate to expose them to acquaintances. Joseph and Mariana Victoria had four daughters, two stillborn sons, one stillborn daughter and a miscarriage in 1750. Joseph was devoted to the Church and the opera.[citation needed] Indeed, he had assembled one of the greatest collections of operatic scores in Europe. King of Portugal He succeeded to the Portuguese throne in 1750, when he was 35 years old, and almost immediately placed effective power in the hands of Sebastião José de Carvalho e Melo, better known today as the Marquis of Pombal. Indeed the history of Joseph's reign is really that of Pombal himself. King José also declared his eldest daughter Maria Francisca as the official heiress of the throne, and proclaimed her Princess of Brazil. By this time, the king did not believe he would have a son.[citation needed] The powerful Marquis sought to overhaul all aspects of economic, social and colonial policy to make Portugal a more efficient contender with the other great powers of Europe, and thus secure his own power status as a result. A conspiracy of nobles aimed at murdering King Joseph and the Marquis gave Pombal the opportunity (some say, the pretext) to get rid of the Távora family, and to expel the Jesuits in September 1759, thus gaining control of public education and a wealth of church lands and ushering Portugal, which had been a backwater dominated by the High Aristocracy and a very conservative brand of Catholicism, into the Enlightenment age. The reign of Joseph was also famous for the great Lisbon earthquake of November 1, 1755, in which around 100,000 people lost their lives. The earthquake caused Joseph to develop a severe case of claustrophobia and he was never again comfortable living within a walled building. Consequently, he moved the royal court to an extensive complex of tents in the hills of Ajuda. The capital was eventually rebuilt at great cost, and an equestrian statue of King Joseph still dominates Lisbon's main plaza.[citation needed] With Joseph's death on 24 February 1777 the throne passed to his daughter Maria I of Portugal and Pombal's iron rule was sharply brought to an end, because she hated him very much for his arrogance and violent behaviour. Marriage and issue Joseph married Mariana Victoria of Spain daughter of Philip V of Spain and Elisabeth Farnese, on 19 January 1729 . He had four surviving daughters, all named Maria, and a number of stillborn children. Maria I of Portugal (17 December 1734 – 20 March 1816) married Infante Pedro of Portugal and had issue. Later queen of Portugal. Mariana Francisca of Portugal (7 October 1736 – 6 May 1813) potential bride for Louis, Dauphin of France, but her mother refused to consent the marriage, died unmarried. Infanta Doroteia of Portugal (21 September 1739 – 14 January 1771) potential bride for Philippe Égalité but she refused to married him, died unmarried. Infanta Benedita of Portugal (25 July 1746 – 18 August 1829) married Infante Joseph, Prince of Beira, no issue. Ancestors Titles, styles, honours and arms Titles and styles 6 June 1714 – 29 October 1714 His Royal Highness the Infante José of Portugal 29 October 1714 – 31 July 1750 His Royal Highness the Prince of Brazil, Duke of Braganza 31 July 1750 – 24 February 1777 His Most Faithful Majesty the King of Portugal and the Algarves See also Persondata Name Joseph 01 Of Portugal Alternative names Short description Date of birth 6 June 1714 Place of birth Ribeira Palace, Lisbon, Kingdom of Portugal Date of death 24 February 1777 Place of death Royal Palace of Sintra, Sintra, Kingdom of Portugal