A ORIGIN OF THE NAME BRAGANÇA AND ITS FOUNDATION: A REVIEW OF DIFFERENT HISTORICAL ACCOUNTS

A ORIGIN OF THE NAME BRAGANÇA AND ITS FOUNDATION: A REVIEW OF DIFFERENT HISTORICAL ACCOUNTS

Bragança, Portugal

Bragança's origins and foundation

Bragança is a city and municipality located in the northeastern part of Portugal, whose origins have been the subject of much discussion among historians.

Reviewing the historical accounts of Bragança's origins and foundation: - The purpose of this paper is to review different historical accounts of the origin and foundation of Bragança and its name.

According to the Livros de Linhagens, a family called the Bragançãos existed in the 11th and 12th centuries, probably settled in Castro de Avelãs, the site of a Benedictine monastery that dominated a significant geographical area of the current district of Bragança.

Historical accounts

Historical accounts of Bragança

One of the abbots, D. Mendo, gave rise to this genealogy. Fernão Mendes, one of the Bragançãos, allegedly abducted and married D. Sancha, daughter of D. Henrique and D. Teresa, in his second marriage, playing an important role in the defense of this region. Due to the lack of offspring from this union, Bragança became the property of the crown.

According to E. Carvalho, "the Bragançãos family contributed to the foundation of a village that would later be named Bragança, after the region and the family nickname."

Origin, foundation

Strategic importance of Bragança as a defense line

This village gained importance during the disputes for the formation of the new kingdom, as Bragança functioned as the first line of defense.

The strategic value led D. Sancho to exchange the Quinta de Benquerença with the Monastery of Castro de Avelãs, which according to the abbot, would add to the existing village's area.

The Elucidário de Viterbo and Albino Lopo assume that Bragança was founded and populated by the second King of Portugal, after obtaining it from the Monastery of Castro de Avelãs.

Albino Lopo points to the topographical and military conditions as the main reason for its foundation or enlargement of the Quinta, which was later renamed Bragança.

These interpretations were refuted by the Abade de Baçal, who concluded that "Bragança already existed as an important village, as it enjoyed the privilege of collecting portatic rights on the goods that were sold there.

We do not believe in the foundation of Bragança in 1187, but rather that its population is much earlier, and only the document of exchange or swap made between the monks of Castro de Avelãs and the king speaks of such a Quinta.

Benedictine monastery

Quinta de Benquerença and its exchange with the Monastery of Castro de Avelãs

As the same document shows the coexistence of the civitate Bragancia and the Quinta de Benquerença, we are led to believe that this was indeed a Quinta, in the true sense of the word, or a property contiguous to Bragança, belonging to the friars, and as its territory was needed to give more scope to the city, the king sought to obtain it".

António José Teixeira later attributed the foundation of Bragança to Fernão Mendes: "In that fierce and gigantic struggle, that struggle of centuries between Moors and Christians, this land was repeatedly raided and looted, and it was in the year 1030 that D. Fernando Mendes, brother-in-law of D. Afonso Henriques, a great lord of Trás-os-Montes, finding it razed and depopulated, began its new foundation by the Quinta called Bem-querença, that is, by the place where the citadel now extends (...).

In this scientific study, we will address the question of the origin of Bragança and its toponymy.

According to the Livros de Linhagens, in the 11th and 12th centuries, the Braganção family existed, probably settled in Castro de Avelãs, the headquarters of a Benedictine monastery that dominated a considerable geographical area of the current district of Bragança. One of its abbots, D. Mendo, gave rise to this genealogy.

Fernão Mendes, one of the most distinguished Braganções, is said to have abducted and married in second nuptials D. Sancha, daughter of D. Henrique and D. Teresa, playing an important role in the defense of this region.

Due to the lack of descendants in this union, Bragança would have become the property of the crown. E. Carvalho states that "the Braganção family contributed to the foundation of a settlement that would later be called Bragança, from the name of the region and the family's nickname".

This settlement would have gained importance with the disputes for the formation of the new kingdom, as Bragança would function as the first line of defense.

The strategic value would have led D. Sancho to make an exchange with the Monastery of Castro de Avelãs, receiving the Quinta de Benquerença to add, according to the Abbot, to the existing settlement area.

The Elucidário de Viterbo assumes that Bragança was founded and populated by the second King of Portugal, after obtaining it from the Monastery of Castro de Avelãs. Albino Lopo corroborates this theory, pointing out the topographical and military conditions as the main reason for its foundation or enlargement of the farm, which would later be renamed Bragança.

The previous interpretations were extensively refuted by the Abade de Baçal, who concluded that "Bragança already existed as an important settlement, as it enjoyed the privilege of collecting portático rights on the goods that came to be sold there.

Tracing the toponymy of Bragança: from region to settlement

We do not believe in the foundation of Bragança in 1187, but rather that its population is much older, and only the document of exchange or swap made between the monks of Castro de Avelãs and the king mentions such a farm.

As the same document shows the coexistence of the civitate Bragancia and the farm of Bemquerença, we are led to believe that this was indeed a farm, in the true sense of the word, or a property contiguous to Bragança, belonging to the friars, and as its territory was needed to give more scope to the city, the king set out to obtain it" (1975-1989: I, 234).

Later, António José Teixeira attributes the foundation to Fernão Mendes: "In that fierce and gigantic struggle, that centuries-long struggle between Moors and Christians, this land was several times raided and plundered, and it was in the year 1030 that D. Fernando Mendes, brother-in-law of D. Afonso Henriques, a great lord of Trás-os-Montes, finding it razed and depopulated, began his new foundation by the farm called Bem-querença, that is, the place where the citadel now extends..."

Thus, only after the barbarian invasions do references to these toponyms appear. Eduardo Carvalho states that the current toponym - Bragança - derives from the etymon Berge (from the Germanic mountain), which would thus mean Land of the Mountains, denying the opinions that associate the toponym to Brigo (legendary king of Spain)

Castle of Bragança

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