I noticed two tombs while exploring Igreja de Santa Cruz in Coimbra, Portugal. I had already known about the grave of Afonso I. However, I did not understand who Sancho I was on the opposite side of the altar.

So, I figured since I am learning about these kings, it would be of service to you all that I convey the history I knew.

Who was Sancho I?

Sancho I, (1154-1211) was the second son of Afonso Henriques. His brother Henrique died at the age of 8 years old. Therefore, Sancho was the first in line to become the second King of Portugal.

From 1185 to 1211, he ruled his father’s fledgling kingdom of Portugal. Also, like his father, he was honored for being one of Portugal’s most fabulous warrior kings in Portuguese history.

The Portuguese refer to him as o Povoador or “the Populator.”

Afonso Henriques had previously formed the kingdom of Portugal from the County of Portugal.

The new kingdom included the towns of Braga, Guimarães, Porto, Coimbra, and Viseu. Therefore, the development of Portugal’s national identity materialized here.

The Early Life

Sancho was born in Coimbra in 1154. During this time period, Coimbra was the Portuguese capital. He was the fifth child of Afonso I and Malfada of Savoy. He was also the second and only surviving legitimate son. Therefore, he was first in line to the throne.

As Afonso I aged, Sancho embraced more of Portugal’s political and military power. Later, he married Dulce, the younger sister of King Alfonso II of Aragon, in 1174.

In return, Aragon acknowledged Portugal as a sovereign nation. Upon ascending the throne in 1185, he commonly attempted to halt conflict with his Iberian neighbors in Galicia and León.

At this time, Galicia and León attempted to drive the Moors out of the Iberian Penisula. Therefore, instead of fighting each other, Portugal, Galicia, and León were able to turn their attention to further expansion of the Islamic south.

The important city of Silves in the Algarve fell to a combined force of Portuguese and mainly English Crusaders in 1188. The English primarily massacred the unfortunate defenders of Silves Castle after a long and bitter siege.

However, the Moors invaded again before being pushed out for good in 1249. Therefore, the final fall of Faro and the rest of the Algarve.

Who was Sancho I, The Populator?

When Sancho was honored as King of Portugal, trouble again flared with neighboring Galicia and León in Spain. Therefore, Sancho strategically built the city of Guarda in 1199. The fortifications of this strategic point helped protect Portugal’s frontier. 

A statue of Sancho stands proudly outside the Guarda Cathedral.

He urged people to live in the border regions in the north. The founding of new villages and towns such as Guarda helped develop his nickname “The Populator.” Sancho also mandated the construction of Belver Castle.

Dom Sancho I founded Guarda in 1199

What were Sancho I’s Policies?

Sancho acknowledged that the enormous territory grants from religious orders financially weakened the new kingdom. Therefore, he tried to claw back some of these concessions during his reign.

The Almohad counter-offensive in the south heightened the king’s financial need, which shrank the size of his kingdom.

Altercations flared between Sancho I and the bishops of Coimbra and Porto. He wanted to intervene in ecclesiastical affairs of the monasteries increasingly.

King Sancho had a love for learning and literature. He was well known for his poetry and sent young men to study at universities overseas.

What was the Death & Legacy of Sancho I?

Sancho died in 1211, and his enshrinement is within an elaborate tomb in the Santa Cruz Monastery in Coimbra, across from his father.

His marriage with Dulce produced 11 children. A total of 9 of these children reached adulthood. The most important of these children in history is his son Afonso, who became King Afonso II.

Also, like his father, Afonso I, Sancho sired several illegitimate children. These children were born both before his marriage and after Dulce’s death.

In 1199, Sancho wrote the poem A Ribeirinha. He may have composed this poem for one of his lovers. A Ribeirinha is the oldest text known in Portuguese poetry.