Portuguese Statues

3rd day in a row without cards. I don't know about you, but after a few days without cards i get a bit cranky. Lets wait for tomorrow.

No cards in the mailbox but lots of cards in the collection, specially portuguese cards. This is a thematic post dedicated to statues, in this case, statues with some important figures of the portuguese history.

This is the statue of a very important portuguese in Guimarães, a city known as the birthplace of the portuguese nationality. "Afonso I of Portugal, more commonly known as Afonso Henriques was the first King of Portugal, declaring his independence from León. Afonso was the son of Henry of Burgundy, Count of Portugal and Teresa of León, the illegitimate daughter of King Alfonso VI of Castile and León. He was proclaimed King on July 26 1139, immediatly after the Battle of Ourique, and died on December 6 1185 in Coimbra.He spent his life in almost ceaseless fighting against the kings of León and Castile and against the Moors to increase his prestige and territories. He began to style himself king in 1139, the same year he defeated the Moors in the battle of Ourique; in 1147, he took Santarém by surprise attack and captured Lisbon. In 1143, Afonso placed his lands under papal protection and secured Castilian recognition of his title, which was confirmed by pope Innocent II." - in: http://www.timelineindex.com/content/view/1824

This is a card from my city with the statue od D. Sancho I, the 2nd king of Portugal between 1189 and 1191. He was the second but only surviving legitimate son and fourth child of Afonso I Henriques of Portugal. He founded my city in 1199.
"Sancho I dedicated much of his reign to political and administrative organization of the new kingdom. He accumulated a national treasure, supported new industries and the middle class of merchants. Moreover, he created several new towns and villages and took great care in populating remote areas in the northern Christian regions of Portugal, notably with Flemings and Burgundians – hence the nickname "the Populator". The king was also known for his love of knowledge and literature. Sancho I wrote several books of poems and used the royal treasure to send Portuguese students to European universities." - in: wikipedia

And now the Statue of Viriathus, in Viseu.
Viriathus (? - 139 BC) was the most important leader of the Lusitanian people that resisted Roman expansion into the regions of Western Iberia (as the Romans would call it), where the Roman province of Lusitania would be established (in the areas comprising Portugal, south of the Douro river, and Extremadura in Spain). Viriathus led the Lusitanians to several victories over the Romans between 147 BC and 139 BC before he was betrayed to the Romans and killed." - in: wikipedia

Finally the Statue of Vímara Peres in Porto, created by Barata Feyo in 1968.
"Vímara Peres, Count of Portugal (Galicia, circa 820 – Guimarães, 873) was a Christian crusading duke of the 9th century in west Iberia. He was a vassal of the King of Asturias, Léon and Galicia, Alfonso III, and was sent to reconquer and secure from the Moors in the west coastal fringe of Gallaecia, the area from the Minho River to the Douro River, including the city of Portus Cale, later Porto and Gaia, from were the name and political entity of Portugal emerged.
In 868 Count Vímara Peres established the First County of Portugal, after the reconquest of the region north of the Douro river. This was the earliest milestone in the history of the state of Portugal, although full Portuguese independence was not achieved until the 12th century.
He was able to expel the Moors and founded a fortified town under his own name Vimaranis (of Vimar) which later became Guimaranis, present day Guimarães." - in: wikipedia