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A new royal line began in
1385 and ended in 1580 with the death of D. Henrique. This Second
Dynasty was formed by the House of Aviz. Its first king, Joćo I, succeed
in further securing the independence of Portugal after winning a series
of battles against the Spanish. He also formed an alliance with England
to protect Portugal from its eastern neighbor. This agreement, still in
existence today, is the oldest political alliance in Europe. It was
during this dynasty that Portugal's great explorations took place.
However, it was also during this period that Portugal introduced the
Inquisition (in 1536, during the reign of D. Joćo III), lost its best
soldiers (in the Battle of Alcįcer Quibir), and its freedom (to Spain). |
