Bryullov death of Inessa de Castro description. Was the dead woman the queen of Portugal? The oath of the courtiers to the dead princess Ines de Castro

This article The Dead Princess Ines de Castro. Part #2"— continuation of the sad story about the selfless love of Pedro and Ines, started here.

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2. Dead princess Ines de Castro. Part #2

2.1. Revenge of Pedro

Blinded by rage after the murder of his girlfriend, Pedro rebelled against his father and started a civil war, which, at the request of the people, ended in reconciliation of the parties. Shortly thereafter, in 1357, King Afonso IV dies. Having come to the sick father, Pedro crossed him and, without saying a word, left.

Left without their patron, the former advisers of the king:

• Piero Coelho,
• Alvaro Gonsalves,
• Diogo Lopes Pasheku,

involved in the execution of Ines de Castro, tried to hide in Castile.

And soon Pedro began to rule the country,
And his wrath overtook the cruel murderers,
Although, sensing a thunderstorm above him,
They hid far away in Castile.

Killers Ines de Castro

The first thing Pedro did after his father's death was to find Ines' killers in a neighboring country. Two of them, Piero Coelho and Alvaro Gonçalves, were given to Pedro I.

Despite the promises of mercy to all participants in the civil war against the father, given earlier by the king, they were executed with inhuman cruelty. According to legend, Pedro I the Just personally ripped out their vile hearts. One from the chest and the other from the back. The courtiers trembled, afraid of getting into the eyes of the enraged king.

The third assassin, Diogo Lopes Pasco, escaped execution and died in Castile in 1383.

2.2 Cistercian Monastery of Saint Mary in Alcobaça

In 1361, by order of Pedro I, the body of Ines de Castro was solemnly transferred from the monastery of Santa Clara in Coimbra to the Cistercian Monastery of Saint Mary in Alcobaça (Santa Maria de Alacabaça).

Pedro did not accidentally choose this place for the last shelter of his beloved. He believed in an ancient legend about a boy named Alka and a girl named Basa.

They loved each other as passionately as Inez and Pedro. The lovers were separated, and each of them wept a river of tears. At the confluence of two rivers, named after the lovers Alco and Bas, the Royal Abbey of Alcobas was erected in the 12th century, uniting their names forever.

This is the largest church in Portugal. Its length is 106 meters, the columns are up to 20 meters.

Interior of St. Mary's Cathedral in Alcobaça

Inner courtyard of the monastery of Santa Maria in Alcobaça. View of the main entrance from the inside

After the execution of the killers, Pedro did not communicate with anyone, except for those who were faithful to him. Count of Barcelos.

The count often went away somewhere at the behest of the king, and once announced to the courtiers the will of Pedro:

"The King orders everyone to gather in the square of the Cathedral of St. Mary!".

Early in the morning of June 25, 1361, a parade cortege solemnly moved from the royal palace, followed by courtiers with families and the clergy. In Alcobaça, the procession took place in the square in front of the cathedral. Through the open carved doors one could see that the cathedral was decorated with extreme splendor and the path to the altar, guarded by dozens of guards, was covered with the most expensive carpets. Something sparkled in the depths...

2.3 The oath of the courtiers to the dead princess Ines de Castro

Accompanied by squires, horsemen appeared - King Pedro and Count Barcelos. In the square, Pedro raised his hand in sign that he would say:

“Noble ladies and valiant knights! Your Holiness, spiritual fathers! We, the ruler of Portugal and the Algarve, Pedro I, together with you today celebrate the biggest victory of our lives - the acquisition of a great queen. Rejoice, for from now on your king will not be alone! And now, according to the law, you who swore allegiance to me, swear allegiance to your queen!

The king and Barcelos dismounted and went to the cathedral. Understanding nothing, the courtiers followed them.

Even the wildest imagination could not paint the picture that the courtiers saw when they gathered to honor the new queen. What they saw made them numb with horror.

The Dead Princess Ines de Castro

On the throne in ceremonial sparkling royal robes with a crown on his head sat a half-decayed corpse.

King Pedro I knelt down in front of the mummy and reverently kissed the edge of her clothes and the decayed gray hand.

King Redru I the Just kisses the hand of the dead princess Ines de Castro

Having risen, he demanded from his subjects to swear allegiance to the new queen, his adored august wife, from whom even death could not separate him ...

“In the name of the Almighty and the name of the law, Ines de Castro is proclaimed Queen of Portugal and the Algauri. Swear allegiance to your queen!” .

The courtiers approached the throne one by one and fell almost unconscious before the terrible queen on their knees.

The most unusual coronation in the history of all times and peoples took place.

2.4 Sarcophagi of Inés de Castro and Pedro I

After the ceremony, Pedro ordered to put Ines in a wonderfully beautiful sarcophagus. The second exactly the same sarcophagus was placed nearby. He waited for King Pedro I. He waited another ten years.

Sarcophagus of Pedro I resting on six lions

Two sarcophagi: Ines de Castro and Pedro I in the Cathedral of Saint Mary in Alcobaça

Gothic carvings on sarcophagi are the finest in Portugal. The depth of the drawings reaches 15 cm. The figures of Ines and Pedro, as well as the angels supporting them, are the pinnacle of Portuguese art.

The king's sarcophagus rests on six lions, and the sarcophagus of Ines tramples on the figures of three traitor servants and three murderers. Admire.

Sarcophagus of Ines de Castro trampling on murderers

The side walls of the sarcophagi are decorated with friezes with artfully carved scenes from the life of lovers, St. Bartholomew and Jesus Christ.

In some places, damage is visible on the sides of the sarcophagi. It was the French at the beginning of the 19th century who were looking for jewelry inside the tombstones. "White barbarians", hungry for treasures, did not spare even priceless bas-reliefs.

Traces of damage on the sarcophagus of Inés de Castro

The famous tombstones of the Portuguese Romeo and Juliet, magnificent white marble tombs, are set one opposite the other. The faces of Ines and Pedro are facing each other. They say that Pedro bequeathed so. He believed that on the day of the Last Judgment, when they were reborn to life, their gaze would be the gaze of love. On the marble of the tombs, Até o fim do mundo .. is engraved - "Until the end of the world ...".

Upcoming meeting

All these last years of his life, the new king fought with enemies, seeking death. And when he returned to Alcobaça, he first of all went to the monastery of St. Mary, where 999 silent monks prayed for the repose of the soul of his beloved, and joined them.

Monks are Cistercians

Having finished the prayer, the king of Portugal and Algavri went on a date to the one who was waiting for him in eternity. Pedro leaned over the sarcophagus of Ines and whispered:

“On the Day of Judgment, the first thing you and I will see is each other's faces. Place me as a seal on your heart, on your muscle. For love is as strong as death!” .

Don Pedro I himself died on January 18, 1367 and, according to his will, was buried opposite his beloved.

King of Portugal João I the Great (1357-1433)

João I (1357-1433) became master of the Order of Avis, and after defeating the Castilian king Juan I

King of Castile Juan I of Castile (1358-1390)

in battle of Aljubarrota in 1385. He became the founder of a new, Avisian dynasty on the Portuguese throne. But that is another story.

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They say that there are two versions about the fate of this woman: legend and reality. The legend is widely known. At the same time, there is very little reliable data about her real life.
I was attracted by the portrait, to be honest. Amazing face. However, other portraits of Ines are much less attractive.
The story of Ines is a story of love, palace intrigues and a tragic death. A unique legend about a woman who became queen posthumously.
Ines Pirez De Castro was born in Galicia (Spain) in 1321 (1325?), and belonged to one of the oldest and most noble Galician families.
However, everything is relative, because it is also persistently mentioned that Ines was Jewish.

A noblewoman, daughter of Pedro Fernandez De Castro (grandson of King Sancho IV the Bravo) and Adolf Lorenzo De Valladares (descended from King Alfonso VI), Ines was brought up in the capital of Galicia, in the castle of her uncle - Don Juan Manuel, Duke De Penafiel and Marquis de Villena. Her uncle took her to the castle to keep the company of his daughter, Constanza.
In 1340 Constanza Manuel left Galicia to marry Prince Pedro, son of King Alfonso IV of Portugal.
Note that the incredibly ambitious father already tried to marry Constace at the age of 8 to the King of Castile, but the wedding fell through.
Together with Constanta, her court ladies, including Ines, moved to Portugal.
According to some sources, Ines made an indelible impression on the heir to the throne on the first day of her appearance at the court in Lisbon.
It was love at first sight.
It seems that Ines reciprocated the prince. However, her belonging to a noble family did not allow Ines to become the official "royal prostitute". In addition, the husband's insane passion for her cousin caused Constanza to have fits of wild jealousy.
The unfortunate Constanza died on November 13, 1345, at the age of 27, immediately after giving birth to her third child, the heir to the throne, Fernando.
After this event, the relationship between Pedro and Ines changed and took on a much more serious tone.
Ines settled in the monastery of Santa Clara, in Coimbra. Pedro visited her and everything was fine for a while. The girl gave birth to four children, three boys and one girl. The children were not recognized as legitimate, but Pedro had serious intentions: a wedding was planned.
Meanwhile, the influence of the Fernandez De Castro family was growing, both in Castile and in Portugal. Not everyone liked this, and in 1355 several courtiers convinced King Alfonso that it was necessary to kill Ines, preventing her from becoming a princess.
Sources say that after nine years, from the date of the death of his wife Constaza, Prince Pedro entered into a secret marriage with his beloved, consecrated by the Bishop of Guarda. However, there is no documentary evidence. The researchers failed to find absolutely nothing certifying the fact of the wedding, nor documents on the rights of the new wife and her children, typical of that era.
Alfonso's court moved to Coimbra, in Montemor-o-Vello. One day, the legend says, taking advantage of his son's departure to hunt, King Alfonso came to the monastery of Santa Clara and met with Ines.
The king was accompanied by a few close associates, including the "well-wishers" of the De Castro family: Alfonso Goncalves, Pedro Coelho and Diego Lopez Pacheco.
I must say that Alfonso himself was not sure of the need for reprisals, rightly believing that the girl was not to blame for anything. He doubted.
Inez, having learned about the visit and suspecting its purpose, went out into the courtyard to meet the king, surrounding herself with children. She wept and begged and convinced Alfonso to let her live.
But, on the way back, the nobles accompanying the king continued to insist. King Alfonso remembered the danger threatening his grandson and heir Fernando. Approximate begged the king to let them return and kill Ines, they will do everything themselves. And Alfonso agreed.
Then the three aforementioned nobles returned and slaughtered the unfortunate woman in front of her children.
Terrible were the grief and anger of Prince Pedro when he learned of what had happened. He took up arms and waged a ruthless war against his father. In the end, Alfonso was forced to give in and share the reign with his son.
The prince became King Pedro I, nicknamed "Severe" (El Severo) and "Fair" (El Justiciero). By the way, he was a good king and brought prosperity to the country. Although, according to the stories of his contemporaries, he loved extremes and easily moved from radical and serious reforms, very revolutionary for that time, to crazy drunks.
Having become king, Pedro swore a terrible oath to his court that Ines was his lawful wife and demanded a coronation ceremony, which was held.
Pedro exhumed her corpse, ordered her to dress up in royal clothes and put her on the throne. All the courtiers were supposed to kiss the edge of the dress of the dead Ines, giving her royal honors.
A painting by Alfonso Martinez Cubells illustrates this moment.:

The revenge on the killers was also cruel. Two of them were hiding in Castile and Pedro got them extradited. According to legend, the king tore out their hearts with his own hand, from one of the chest, and from the other through the back. Of the three, only one escaped - Lopez Pacheco, forced to live in exile, seeking refuge in the retinue of the Pope.
Ines' children were never recognized as official heirs to the throne, but intermarried with almost all the royal houses of Europe, especially the descendants of her daughter Beatrice. These include the kings of Aragon and Castile, Portugal, Bavaria and even Germanic kings.
King Pedro I of Portugal died in 1367, at the age of 38, his reforms have gone down in history.
I must say that the second part of the story, relating to the events after the death of Ines, gravitates more to the legend, because these events are not documented in any way.
However, there is her mausoleum and tomb - the pearl of Portuguese Gothic, and one would like to think that "there is no smoke without fire."

The villainous murder of Ines de Castro (Inês de Castro) by the courtiers of King Alfonso IV of Portugal took place in Coimbra, in the monastery of Santa Clara, the ruins of which you can now see.

When, after the death of his father, who committed such a terrible atrocity, Don Pedro became king, he declared that he secretly married Ines and crowned her mummy in the Cathedral of Coimbra, where all the noble nobles of Portugal, swearing allegiance to the dead queen, kissed the hand of her corpse.
And then Pedro I severely punished the killers of his beloved Ines: from one through the back, and from the other through the chest, he personally, with his own hands, tore out their vile hearts! ..
- And ate! .. - I squeaked thinly.
- Ah ... - the Brazilian woman recoiled from me with disgust.
- Oh, no ... The Portuguese were not cannibals ... then, in those days ... - the Portuguese guide broke off, looking at the Brazilian with a wary look.
- Yes, yes, yes, I read it on the Internet! I retorted indignantly.
- Maybe ... - still doubted the Portuguese.
- Wow! Indeed, what an impressive story: simply Portuguese Romeo and Juliet! - rounding her eyes, admired the Brazilian. I'll be sure to post it on my blog!
“And I have already told it several times,” the Portuguese woman drawled.
- Yes, yes, yes, girls, we will definitely tell you again in our blogs! - I enthusiastically and confidently summed up the discussion, and added to the side in Russian:
- The country should know its heroes.

So if you read on the Internet that the 14th century King of Portugal Pedro I ate the hearts of the killers of his beloved Ines de Castro, then please know that the creator and source of this legend is your humble servant.
And then, on a tour in Coimbra, about eating hearts, I just joked, sorry. Couldn't resist...

No.
No, the mummy of Ines de Castro was not crowned in Portugal. And the Portuguese nobles did not kiss the hand of a corpse when they swore allegiance to a dead queen.

Moreover, Ines was not villainously killed with daggers, as our compatriot Karl Bryullov, who painted the painting "The Death of Inesa de Castro", believed, but was executed as a state criminal by cutting off her head on January 7, 1355 and not in a monastery, but in the Santa Clara Palace.

One can argue a lot about the motives that prompted King Alfonso IV to get rid of Ines de Castro, but they are all purely political in nature. Nothing personal.

Having become king, despite earlier vows of forgiveness to all participants in the civil war against his father unleashed by him, Pedro I (Pedro the Evil and Pedro the Just) brutally cracked down on some of the advisers of the late Alfonso IV, including those who sentenced Ines.

It was after the coronation that Pedro I announced that he was married to Ines de Castro, but no documentary evidence of this marriage was found.

It is documented that Pedro I was married twice: to Blanca of Castile (child marriage annulled, no children) and to Constance of Castile (died in 1345, son - Fernando I the Beautiful, King of Portugal, on whom the Burgundian dynasty ended).

It is also known that Pedro I had illegitimate children from Ines de Castro, who was part of the retinue of his wife Constanza of Castile, and after the death of Ines, from, according to some information, Teresa Lourenco, who was part of her retinue (the son of Juan I, - Juan the Good or Juan the Great, - laid the foundation for the Avis dynasty).

What was the basis, prerequisites and reasons for the emergence of numerous legends associated with Ines de Castro?

I would like to point out three mutually reinforcing factors.

First, Inés was ceremonially reburied in the cathedral at the Alcobaça Monastery, the largest cathedral in Portugal. Her sarcophagus is opposite the sarcophagus of Pedro I.

Secondly, the statement after the coronation of Pedro I himself that he was married to Ines without providing any evidence.

Thirdly, for at least 200 years the myth of the mummy's coronation has not yet existed, otherwise Camões would not have passed it by.
And the legend came later. But when, why and how?
However, readers could not help but be impressed by the lines written in 1572, more than two hundred years after the events, from the Lusiads:

But the hour of ruthless reprisal struck,
In the coffins of the dead, the host stirred,
Learning about the lady that suffered all her life,
And after her death, she became a queen.

Of course, there are also many other factors that led to the birth of the myth, a comprehensive examination of the genesis of which is an interesting task. After all, myth is the most interesting thing in history. Is not it so?

In the meantime, I'll go and correct Wikipedia, the article about Ines de Castro. Let my text be corrected by the one who finds more evidence, cheers for him!

Such haste was due to the fact that the picture was actually painted on a bet. Being at one of the noble receptions, Karl Bryullov received a caustic remark that, with all his genius, he probably would not have time to write a new picture for an art exhibition that was about to open in Milan. Bryullov accepted the challenge, and locked himself in one of the rooms of the Brera mansion, exactly 17 days later he revealed to the world a new artistic canvas called "The Death of Inessa de Castro."

The painting was inspired by the work of Paul Delaroche. His painting "Lady Jane Gray and Her Executioners" was exhibited in the same Paris Salon where Bryullov's famous "Last Days of Pompeii" was exhibited. Delaroche was considered a great specialist in working with historical costumed subjects, filled with the drama inherent in this genre of painting. In such works, the characters of the plot appeared not as the powers that be, but as ordinary people suffering, experiencing, experiencing physical and mental pain, arousing the sympathy of the viewer.

Bryullov borrowed the plot for his new work from a poem called Lusiad. Its author was the then very popular Portuguese poet Luis Camões. The poem tells about the tragic fate of a real historical figure - Iness de Castro.

The girl belonged to the royal family and was distinguished by extraordinary beauty. Becoming a court maid of honor, she won the heart of Infante Don Pedro in an instant. By that time, Infante Pedro was already married to Constance Manuel. In this marriage, the legitimate heir to the Portuguese throne, the future King Fernando I, was born. From the relationship with Inessa, Pedro had four more illegitimate children: a daughter and three sons, one of whom died at an early age. The Infante's father, King Afonso IV, in the confrontation between the two women, took the side of his legitimate daughter-in-law, fearing the influence of the Ines brothers on the political life of the kingdom. He removed the favorite from the court, but the relationship between Pedro and Inez was not over even after that.

In 1345, Constance Manuel died in childbirth. After that, there is a very real threat that the illegitimate sons of Ines in the future may express their claims to the Portuguese throne. Afonso IV tries to marry his son a second time, but he rejects all proposals. According to one version, immediately after the death of his wife, Pedro secretly married Iness, however, there is no documentary evidence of this.

In response to the intransigence of his son, Afonso decides to take the most radical measures. Inesse de Castro is sentenced to death, which the king originally intended to carry out with his own hands. In the absence of Don Pedro, he came to Ines at the Santa Clara Palace in Coimbra and, together with the courtiers, broke into her bedroom, where the girl was resting with her children. The picture depicts an episode when a frightened Iness rushes to the feet of the king and begs him for mercy. The courtiers grab her by the hands and are ready to stab her right in front of small children. Apparently, this scene still touched the heart of the king - he did not dare to carry out his plan. He very soon the king's advisers seek permission for the execution, and on January 7, 1355, Inez is deprived of his life by cutting off his head.

When Don Pedro returned after a long absence and learned of what had happened, he was furious. Deciding to take revenge on his father at all costs, he raises the people to an uprising against his father, which eventually turns into a protracted civil war. Two years later, Afonso IV departs to another world and Don Pedro becomes the new king of Portugal - Pedro I the Just. The advisers of the previous king involved in the execution of Inesse de Castro are trying to escape by leaving for other countries, however, two out of three could not avoid retribution for their deeds. They hoped to find refuge in Castile, but after some negotiations, the Castilian authorities extradite the fugitives to Pedro I, and he, despite the promise to save their lives, arranges a cruel public execution. According to legend, Pedro tore the hearts out of the chests of those who took the life of his beloved with his own hand.

Allegedly, after this, the king ordered that Inesse de Castro's body be taken out of the grave, dressed in royal robes and seated on the throne next to him, commanding his subjects to take an oath of allegiance to the new queen, kissing her tender hands. Then Pedro nevertheless decided to return his queen to where she was supposed to be, and Inez's body was reburied in a sarcophagus in the monastery of Santa Maria de Alcubas, which served as a royal tomb for 200 years.

Pedro I himself died on January 18, 1367 and, in accordance with his will, was buried next to his beloved.

King Pedro I and his beloved Ines de Castro often referred to as the Portuguese Romeo and Juliet. But the king went much further: the death of the bride did not become a reason to refuse to marry her ... The heroes of this plot were historical characters, but over time it has acquired so many myths that it is now quite difficult to separate truth from fiction.

This happened in Portugal in the 14th century. In 1339, the heir to the throne, the son of King Afonso IV, at the insistence of his father, married Princess Constanza of Castile. The marriage was dictated by political motives and dynastic goals, the infant did not have tender feelings for his wife. Together with her, a large retinue arrived in Lisbon, and among the ladies-in-waiting was the noble Castilian lady Ines de Castro. The future king of Portugal fell in love with her at first sight, and the girl reciprocated.

7 years after the wedding, Pedro's wife died in childbirth. Since then, he no longer considered it necessary to hide his relationship with Inesh. Pedro moved her to the palace and announced his decision to marry her. King Afonso could not allow this - Ines came from a Castilian noble family, whose members were supporters of the return of Portugal under the rule of Castile. The Ines brothers were involved in the political intrigues of the Castilian court, and the Portuguese nobility feared their influence on Pedro. This could lead to another war with a neighboring state. They tried to eliminate Inesh by any means - sometimes they gave expensive gifts, sometimes they sent her away from the court, sometimes they threatened her, but the feelings of the lovers for each other only grew stronger with time.

Ines gave birth to the Infanta of four children, and the king's advisers were afraid that sooner or later they would begin to claim the throne, because of which a civil war could begin in the country. The advisers managed to convince the king that the only way out was to kill Inesh. He sent his son on a military campaign and sent assassins to the woman.

Regarding the execution of Inesh, there are several versions. According to one of them, having learned about her fate, Inesh, together with her children, threw herself at the feet of the king, and he was so moved by this scene that he did not dare to carry out the sentence. Unfortunately, this is just a legend, and the reality was much more severe. But it was this version that formed the basis of the plot of Karl Bryullov's painting "The Death of Inessa de Castro." Many visitors to the Russian Museum in St. Petersburg are familiar with this painting, although not everyone knows what historical plot inspired the artist.

In fact, Ines de Castro was still killed in 1355, but the circumstances of her death are not exactly known - whether she was stabbed to death by three assassins, or beheaded on charges of treason. Upon learning of the death of his beloved, Pedro vowed to avenge her. He rebelled against his father, and the civil war in the country still began. Soon Afonso died, and his son in 1357 became king of Portugal.

Pedro I first of all found the killers and personally dealt with them, tearing out their hearts. And soon he announced his decision to marry ... Inesh! On June 25, 1361, the body of the deceased was removed from the crypt (6 years after death!), dressed in a wedding dress and seated on the throne. Pedro placed the crown on Inês' head, crowning her posthumously. And then the king forced all the courtiers to bend over the dead body of Inesh and kiss her hand - in this way they swore allegiance to the queen. After that, the body was placed in a sarcophagus in the monastery of the city of Alcobaza. There is a version that Pedro needed this terrible ceremony only so that he had a legal basis to bury Inesh in the royal tomb.

In 1367, Pedro I died and, according to his will, was buried next to the sarcophagus of his now legal wife Ines. Their tombs were placed one opposite the other, so that on the day of the Last Judgment they could rise towards each other. The inscription on the sarcophagus reads: "Ate o fim do mundo...", which means "until the end of the world...".

However, there are no documents confirming the coronation of the dead Ines de Castro, and many skeptics argue that this is just a legend. But the Portuguese themselves see no reason to doubt this story, which has long acquired the status of a national myth.

This plot has repeatedly formed the basis of theatrical productions, and in 2009 in France, a feature film “The Dead Queen” was shot about Inesh and Pedro.

Not only in the Middle Ages, but even in the XIX century. the dead were sometimes in no hurry to bury: