The Origins of Portuguese Independence
A historic European state with origins unknown to the general public
Portugal, Spain’s neighbouring nation with which it shares the Iberian Peninsula, has been the protagonist of numerous feats throughout history. It was the first country to sail around Africa and thanks to its advanced ships, the Age of Discoveries began, thus giving rise to the colonisation of America, from which Brazil was born. The origin of this country is unknown in general historiography, and in this article, we will try to shed some light on the origin of Portugal.
To go back to the origins of Portugal we must go back to the beginning of the reconquest when the Kingdom of Asturias took the city of Oporto in the year 868, after which, in the following centuries, the areas that today correspond to the north of Portugal were taken. This territory would be repopulated with Galician and Leonese settlers from the Kingdom of León.
The idea of an independent county began to germinate
At the beginning of the 12th century, Portugal was still the county of Portucale, belonging to the Kingdom…
