1553 and Charles V decided to marry his son Philip to a monarch. Other candidates for her hand were Archduke Maximilian of Austria; his father Ferdinand I, Holy Roman Emperor; James V of Scotland; and the Duke of Savoy. Duchess of Viseu Eventually, King John III gave Maria her own household and the Duchy of Viseu, which their father owned before he became king. Under her rule, the city continued and prospered its several industries of pottery, embroidery and copper. Her personal wealth eventually rivaled that of the king, making her the richest woman in Portugal and one of the wealthiest princesses in Europe. Receiving such incomes, Maria sponsored several building projects, particularly in Carnide and the Lisbon countryside. She financed and supervised the construction of the Church of Nossa Senhora da Luz and the Hospital of Nossa Senhora dos Prazeres, which currently houses the Colégio Militar, both of which still boast large reliefs of her personal coat of arms. In Lisbon, she sponsored the construction of the Church of Santa Engrácia, in São Vicente. The original structure she ordered to be built would be completely destroyed in 1681, which would lead to the construction of the new current church, which now serves as the National Pantheon of Portugal. Later life After her half-brother John's death in 1558, Maria went to Spain to meet her widowed mother for the first time in 28 years. Eleanor asked her unwed daughter to come and live with her and her aunt Mary, but Maria refused the request and only remained there for three weeks before returning to Lisbon. Eleanor died very shortly afterwards on her return journey to Jarandilla de la Vera from Badajoz. During the tumultuous period of the minority of young King Sebastian, a faction of the Portuguese nobility wanted the Duchess of Viseu to replace Queen Dowager Catherine as regent, but these plans came to nothing. Maria died in Lisbon on October 10, 1577, at the age of 56. She was buried in the Church of Nossa Senhora da Luz. Ancestry See also Descendants of Manuel I of Portugal References |- 1521 births 1577 deaths House of Aviz People from Lisbon 16th-century Portuguese people 16th-century Portuguese women Daughters of kings