Flavio Theodozium Thedeo, Conde da Coimbra

Flavio Theodozium Thedeo

• Lords of the House of SOUSA
• Birth: 905
• Death: 990 (85)

History

Os Sousas or SousÃμes (Pombeiro), one of the five families that constituted the first Portuguese nobility, referred in the Old Book of Lines of D. Pedro, and that supported D. Afonso Henriques. These families contributed their second children (infantry) to the settlement and reconquest of the Portuguese territory, in addition to the fundamental role they played in the election of abbots and administrators of Church assets, placing monasteries and convents some of their children. The great families protected the religious communities, constituting themselves as their patrons, because at a time when culture was in the hands of clergy, these were responsible for the exaltation of these families and their achievements. The Sousas family also played an important role in the works of the Pombeiro monastery at the end of the thirteenth century, appearing as the representative of this family Joà £ o Afonso de Meneses, his tomb being in a family chapel built in the same monastery. The rare references to members of the Sousa family (documents of the Court and Archdiocese of Braga) can be interpreted as a certain modesty of the House of Sousa, between 1070-90. However, there is no doubt that in the following years the Casa de Sousa begins a trajectory that will take it to the top of the social ladder. A new head of lineage, Mem Viegas , has been referenced in the Cortes since 1094, with D. Raimundo, D. Henrique (1106, 1110-11), D. Teresa (1112, 1116 and 1120) and D. Afonso Henriques, probably with the functions of governor of the lands of Sousa and Bastos. Nevertheless, maintaining his interests in the monastery of Pombeiro, he obtained for this the letter of couto in 1112. Of his descendants stands out his son Gonçalo Mendes de Sousa , a character that after the death of Egas Moniz was highlighted next to D. Afonso Henriques and who played for ten years the functions of butler.

The primitive construction of the Monastery of Pombeiro took place between 1059 and 1102, according to a characteristic project of the condal period. In the twelfth century the cenobium was enlarged and the church modified to obey the guidelines of the Roman Benedictine (three four-lane ships and tripartite head). Together with the Sé Cathedrals and some other temples, the Romanesque Church of the Monastery of Pombeiro was one of the few in Portugal to obey the plan of three ships, which reveals the importance of this house in the medieval context of the country. With time, Pombeiro became head of the lands of Sousa, arriving to have under its patronage 37 parishes. Unfortunately, this Roman period only has two apsidoles and the main portal, four archivolts. From medieval times there are still two Gothic tombs of nobles who chose this house as a burial place, which also proves the vitality of the monastery at this time.

The monastery of Sª. Mª Pombeiro was founded in the middle of the sec. XI by Gomes Eanes Echigues, but it seems there had already been a Benedictine monastery in place of the Sobrado.
The foundation of the monastery of Pombeiro, was destined perhaps to replace the old one of the Sobrado (certainly small and insignificant) and to receive its community. Pombeiro was inherited from his mother by Gomes Eanes Echigues that in 1059, the founding of the new monastery of Pombeiro begins on the hermitage of Santa Maria existing in the valley, and that had already been a monastery of brothers of S Bento, of which many graves appeared then half-destroyed (by the Moors). D. Gomes Echigues commissioned his son, D. Egas Gomes, and his wife, D. Gontina Gonçalves, from the continuation of this monastic work, which they complied with, and Egas Gomes came to perform Pombeiro his functions of the district governor of Sousa. In 1072, still Gomes Erchigues, the founder, was alive, having to be old already, so that his direction of the earth had transited to its son, Egas Gomes. In I-VII-III, D. Teresa, she passed a letter of couto to the monastery of Pombeiro. In 1151 D. Afonso Henriques donated Sousa III, D. Gonçalo Mendes de Sousa, the goods that he, king, had in the couto de Pombeiro. During the se. XVII and XVIII the assets of this monastery grew enormously with the donations, not only of faithful, but especially of the SousÃμes (its patron saints). Of the oldest, the Count D. Gomes Nunes, one of the great figures of the national liberation, rich in goods on the part of his father (the Galician Count D. Nuno) and his mother (D Sancha Gomes, daughter of the founders of Pombeiro. D. Gomes Nunes came to bury himself in the monastery, to which he had been so affectionate that the nobles of the Middle Ages disenchanted him by "Count D. Gomes Nunes de Pombeiro" D. Gomes Echigas, was the son of D. Echigas Vizoi and his wife D. Aragunta . D. Gomes Echigas was of very noble stock that, according to the genealogists, ascended to King Witiza; for that reason they stimulate him of rich-man, the greatest of the dignities of those times, count and duke, that among the Goths was said of the "governors of the arms and regidores of the provinces of province or city", and was captain-general of the army or frontier-master of Entre-Douro and Minho in the year 1050.

After the death of Don Fernando, the Magno, after the fratricidal struggle between the sovereign heirs, D. Garcia de Galicia and Portugal, and D. Sancho de Castela, D. Gomes took the party of that monarch, competing mainly for his deeds of arms, for the defeat of D. Sancho in the battle of Santarém. D. Gomes Echigas purchased the place of Felgueiras, near Pombeiro, Paio Moniz by two good horses. He married D. Gomes with D. Gontrode, or Gala, Muniz, daughter of D. Muminho Fernandes de Tarono, son of D. Fernando, the Magno. Among the sons of the couple are D. Egas Gomes and D. Sacha Gomes who married D. Nuno de Cela-Nova and were the parents of Count D. Gomes Nunes de Pombeiro, whom we will talk about later. D. Egas Gomes was the first nickname of Sousa, of the region he and his ascendants ruled, and where it seems that they had the main estates and estates. Egas Gomes de Sonsa already in the time of his father ruled in the Sousa and married, as already was clarified, with D. Gontina Gonçalves, daughter of D. Gonçalo Trastamires. He is counted among his children, D. Gomes Nunes. Mr. Egas Gomes de Sousa was buried in Pombeiro. He was in Ourique and accompanied D. Sancho to the conquest of Seville and there, in Andalusia, in the fierce battle of Ajarafe, wounded in the year 1188, he took to the Moors, by his own hands, four red flags with their respective growing silver (the weapons of the so Sousas represent) which placed in Pombeiro monastery in honor of the Virgin. This gentleman made great donations to Pombeiro. D. Gomes de Pombeiro, in the struggles of D. Afonso Henriques with his mother, took the latter's party because he was married to D. Elvira, daughter of the Count de Trava presumed lover of Queen D. Teresa. D. Gomes de Pombeiro died with a will made in 1141 and that was in the archive of Pombeiro. He was buried in this monastery and his tomb was placed in a galilee that was in front of the church. When they demolished the galilee, they passed him inside the temple.

In his will Don Gonçalo asks to be buried in the monastery of Pombeiro. There are now references to some of the many nobles who buried themselves in the monastery of Pombeiro. In addition to the founders, D.Gomes Echigues, D.Egas Gomes (Sousão I) and his wife D.Gontina Gonçalves, count among the most important the count D.Gomes Nunes de Pombeiro. Also buried in the monastery was the 1st Count of Barcelos, D.João Afonso "de Menesese", Mr. De Albuquerque, D. Margarida de Sousa, daughter of Gonçalo Anes de Briteiros and great-granddaughter of D.Afonso III.

Sources

Lords of the House of SOUSA - http://archive.li/09ylg