Vímara Peres

Vímara Peres, Count of Portugal (Galicia, circa 820 — Guimarães, 873) [From Vímara (Weimar or Guimar) and the patronymic Peres (son of Pedro - Peter).] was a Christian warlord 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 (Arabs and Berbers who had invaded Visigothic Hispania), 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 ( _pt. Condado de Portucale), after the reconquest of the region north of the Douro river.

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 (the Portuguese call it "The Cradle City").

Vímara Peres died in 873 in Guimarães. His son, Lucídio Vimaranes (Lucídio, son of Vímara), took control of the county. The dynasty of his House lasted until 1071 when Count Nuno Mendes was defeated by King Garcia II of Galicia (after conquering Portugal he was King García II of Galicia and Portugal) in the Battle of Pedroso.

Note that in Medieval Iberia, Count was a title and position equivalent to that of Duke.

House of Vímara Peres

* Vímara Peres (c. 868-873)
* Lucídio Vimaranes (son of Vímara - 873-?)
* Onega Lucides (daughter of Lucídio) ∞ Diogo Fernandes (?-before 924)
* Mumadona Dias (daughter of Onega and Diogo) ∞ (926) Mendo I Gonçalves (also know as Hermenegildo Gonçalves Betote, son of Count Gonçalo of Galicia)
* Gonçalo I Mendes (son of Mumadona and Mendo I) (c. 950-999; in 997 took the title "Magnus Dux Portucalensium", "Grand-Duke of Portugal")
* Mendo II Gonçalves (son of Gonçalo I) (999-1008) ∞ Countess Tudadomna
* Alvito Nunes (collateral line, descent of Vímara Peres), ∞ Countess Tudadomna (1008-1015)
* Ilduara Mendes (daughter of Mendo Gonçalves II and Tudadomna) ∞ Nuno I Alvites (son of Alvito Nunes and Gontina) (1017-1028)
* Mendo III Nunes (1028-1050)
* Nuno II Mendes (1050-1071) - last count of Vímara Peres' lineage; defeated by King Garcia II of Galicia and Portugal in the Battle of Pedroso.

Genealogy

Probable family tree of the House of Vímara Peres.

Notes

ee also

*Portucale
*History of Portugal
*The establishment of the monarchy in Portugal
*Timeline of Portuguese history
**Al' Garb Al'Andalus and the beginning of the Reconquista (8th to 9th Century)
**First County of Portugal (9th to 11th Century)
**Second County of Portugal (11th to 12th Century)
*List of Portuguese monarchs