Council of Portugal

Summary

The Council of Portugal, officially, the Royal and Supreme Council of Portugal (Portuguese: Real e Supremo Conselho de Portugal; Spanish: Real y Supremo Consejo de Portugal), was the ruling body and a key part of the government of the Kingdom of Portugal during the Iberian Union. The council was founded in 1582 by Philip I of Portugal following the model of the Council of Castile.[1] It provided Portugal with a large degree of autonomy from the Portuguese House of Habsburg.[2]

Map of the Spanish-Portuguese Empire in 1598.
  Territories administered by the Council of Castile
  Territories administered by the Council of Aragon
  Territories administered by the Council of Portugal
  Territories administered by the Council of Italy
  Territories administered by the Council of the Indies
  Territories appointed to the Council of Flanders

Apart from administering the Kingdom of Portugal and the Algarves, the council administered Portugal's colonial empire.

The council ceased to exist after the Portuguese Restoration War.

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ Lee, Stephen J. (1990). "7". Aspects of European history, 1494-1789. Psychology Press. ISBN 978-0-415-02784-7.
  2. ^ Schwartz, Stuart B. (1973). "III". Sovereignty and society in colonial Brazil. University of California Press. ISBN 978-0-520-02195-2.