Infante D. Henrique

Son of King João I and Philippa of Lancaster, Duke of Viseu, Lord of Covilhã, and governor and administrator of the Order of Christ, Infante Dom Henrique was a central figure in the process of Portuguese expansion and discovery.

Infante Dom Henrique de Avis was born on 4 March 1394 in the city of Porto, the fifth son of King João I and Queen Philippa of Lancaster.

As the 1st Duke of Viseu and 1st Lord of Covilhã, as well as governor and administrator of the Order of Christ, he played a decisive role in the Portuguese Discoveries. A supporter of the conquest of territories in North Africa, he sponsored maritime expeditions that resulted in the discovery of the archipelagos of Madeira and the Azores and the exploration of the West African coast as far as the Gulf of Guinea.

He died on 13 November 1460 in the village of Sagres, at the age of 66. His remains lie in the Monastery of Batalha.