António de Ataíde

Dom António de Ataíde (c. 1500 – 7 October 1563), 1st count of Castanheira, was a childhood friend and favorite of King John III of Portugal (D. João III). As an advisor to the King, he played a key role in Portugal's policies towards its colony of Brazil. He also served as a diplomat in missions to several European countries and was a Minister and member of the King's council.

Biography He was born in 1500, in a prominent family of the Portuguese nobility. One of his paternal uncles was Dom Martinho de Ataíde, 2nd Count of Atouguia – and two other paternal uncles held the influential position of Prior of Crato (head of the Order of the Knights of St. John of Jerusalem in Portugal) in succession to one another, from 1448 to 1492. Afonso de Albuquerque, the prominent second governor of the Portuguese Estado da Índia, was his first cousin.

His father, Dom Álvaro de Ataíde, senhor (Lord) da Castanheira, had participated in the conspiracy of the Duke of Viseu against king John II and from 1484 to 1496 was exiled in Spain. He was invited back to the kingdom of Portugal by John's successor, king Manuel I. He married for a second time after his return to Portugal. António de Ataíde was the only son from this second marriage.

He was raised at court with the Infante Dom João (later to become King John III) the heir to king Manuel I, who was about the same age. They thus became close friends from early childhood.

John III sent him on diplomatic missions to several European countries while he was still in his 20s and appointed him state councilor in 1525 and then vedor da fazenda (Minister of Finance or chancellor) in 1530, a post that he would hold until the king's death in 1557. He created him 1st Count of Castanheira in 1532.

The King made him a Count when he was still relatively young, thus generating feelings of envy within court circles. Dom António would later comment about that in the following words: "His highness made me a Count, and because I was still younger than almost all the counts of the past, who did not succeed in the title on the death of their parents, it was a great favor, and I received it and I consider it as such".

The collection of letters of King John III assembled and published by J D M Ford under the title Letters of John III are full of references to Ataíde and provide a quite clear picture of his role as an adviser and Minister of the King.

He left court service after the death of King João III in 1557. He died on 7 October 1563 and was buried in the Monastery of Santo António da Castanheira.

Marriage and children He married Ana de Távora, a daughter of the 4th senhor (Lord) de Mogadouro. They had 7 children.

The eldest of the children, Dom António de Ataíde, was the 2nd Count of Castanheira.

Another of his sons, D. Jorge de Ataíde, was bishop of Viseu, Grand Inquisitor of Portugal (a position from which he quickly resigned) and member of the Council of Portugal during the period of the Iberian Union between Portugal and Spain.