Gonçalo Mendes da Maia
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| Gonçalo Mendes da Maia | |
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| File:MorteDeGonçaloMendesDaMaia.png
The Glorious Death of Gonçalo Mendes da Maia, a 19th century lithograph
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| Born | c. 1079 Maia, County of Portugal |
| Died | 1170 Beja, Kingdom of Portugal |
| Nationality | Portuguese |
| Occupation | Knight, military commander |
Gonçalo Mendes da Maia (Maia?, 1079? — Alentejo, 1170), also known as O Lidador (the hardworking), so named for his fearlessness in the struggle against the Saracens, was a Portuguese knight of the time of Afonso Henriques, about whom tradition relates important achievements in the events preceding the independence of Portugal. He had a military post as a fronteiro in the border town of Beja, where he died in 1170, while fighting against a Muslim army.[1] According to some documents, he was at the time ninety years old.[2] Traditionally, Gonçalo Mendes da Maia is considered a hero of both the city of Maia, the homeland of the Mendes da Maia family, and Beja.
Notes
References
- Ângelo Ribeiro, História de Portugal - A Formação do Território - Da Lusitânia ao alargamento do País (2004) ISBN 989-554-106-6
