O verdadeiro Carácter de D. Fernando, o Infante Santo

Abstract

Júlio Dantas and Oliveira Martins describe the character of D. Fernando, D. Duarte and D. Henrique (Prince Henry, the Navigator) in such an ignominious way that it neither takes into account the medieval spirit of crusades and chivalry, nor does it correspond to the objective truth. The author demonstrates that Júlio Dantas and Oliveira Martins based their opinion upon the informations provided by the chronist Rui the Pina. Other sources, however, show us that Rui de Pina manipulated the facts writing down one of the multiple versions available about the dreadful events in Tanger. According to the one‑sided vision of the truth presented by Rui the Pina, D. Duarte is shown as a weak, narrow‑minded king. D. Henrique, Master of the Order of Christ, successor to the Order of the Temple, is painted as a reckless warrior and is considered the one who is to be blamed for the tragic outcome of the events: according to Pina, he alone carries upon himself the heavy burden of the responsability. D. Fernando is painted either as a victim, or as an ambitious, selfish and greedy person. The author shows that there has been a clear distortion of the facts. D. Henrique and D. Fernando just followed the noble principles of 15th century chivalry, as they had been taught to them by their mother, D. Philippa of Lancaster. On the other side, they aimed at the objectives of the Order of Christ.