Rodrigo Almeida e Menezes

D. Rodrigo Anes de Sá Almeida e Meneses, 1st Marquis of Abrantes (19 October 1676 – 30 April 1733), before 1718 titled 3rd Marquis of Fontes and 7th Count of Penaguião, was a Portuguese nobleman and diplomat.

The Marquis of Abrantes enjoyed a significant international projection in the first half of the 18th century, first in the service of King Peter II but mainly in that of his son and successor King John V. While acting as the king's representative in the Papal Court, and afterwards in the Spanish Court, he was a major player in two significant events in the history of Portuguese diplomacy: the Embassy to Pope Clement XI in 1716, and the Exchange of the Princesses in 1729.

Early life D. Rodrigo was the third-born and youngest son of D. Francisco de Sá e Meneses, 1st Marquis of Fontes and 4th Count of Penaguião (c.1640–1677) and his wife D. Joana Luísa de Lancastre. He was baptised by his uncle D. Luís de Sousa, Cardinal-Archbishop of Lisbon. After his father's death in 1677, the Dowager Marchioness took up the responsibility of overseeing the education of her children: she envisioned a career in Letters for D. Rodrigo, accordingly, she assigned to him the distinguished Latinist scholar Inácio da Silva as a teacher.

The Dowager Marchioness's plans changed drastically after her two eldest sons died; at age 12, in 1688, D. Rodrigo succeeded his brother as head of the illustrious and powerful of his forebears. In 1690, D. Joana had him married to the daughter of the Duke of Cadaval, D. Isabel Henriqueta de Lorena, who had originally been promised to D. Rodrigo's brother; four children were born of this union: D. Ana Maria Catarina Henrique de Lorena (1691–1761), D. Joaquim Francisco de Sá Almeida e Meneses, 2nd Marquis of Abrantes (1695–1756), D. Maria Sofia de Lancastre (1696–1758), and D. Luísa Maria de Faro (1697–1697). The marriage was cut short by D. Isabel's illness and death on 26 November 1699. while at the same time presenting the country's imperial ideal.

The Marquis of Fontes left for Genoa on 9 January 1712, aboard the carrack La Madonna delle Vigne, commanded by Giovanni Lorenzo Viviani, accompanied by his family After a turbulent and stormy voyage (especially while crossing the Gulf of Lion, which motivated a landing in Cagliari in Sardinia, from where passengers and crew made a brief barefoot procession to the Shrine of Our Lady of Fair Winds where the Marquis left a gold ingot worth 500 thousand réis as votive offering), they reached their destination on 30 March. They stayed in Genoa for over a month and a half, and embarked to Livorno on 17 May, where they arrived the following day. Travelling the rest of the route by land, they arrived in Rome on 21 May 1712,

After the parade, the Marquis of Fontes received "great demonstrations of benevolence and joy" from Pope Clement XI before kneeling to kiss his slippers. The ambassador then formally presented his letter of credence, relayed the Pope news of the birth of a new Infante of Portugal (Carlos of Braganza), and gave a full account of "the powerful rescue that [King John] was sending to defend Italy, formidably threatened by the Ottoman might".

Later life

Upon his return from Lisbon, by Royal Decree of 24 June 1718, D. Rodrigo Anes de Sá was made Marquis of Abrantes, and the title was conferred the additional privilege of Honours of Kin to the King (an official acknowledgement of the blood relationship between the title holder and the Crown, which conferred precedence over other Grandees). The territorial designation was chosen on account of him being a descendant, through the distaff line, of the ancient Counts of Abrantes, already extinct.

From 1727 to 1729, the Marquis of Fontes also served as Ambassador Extraordinary to the Spanish Court, where he was responsible for the negotiations for the "Exchange of the Princesses", the double marriage of Spanish Infanta Mariana Victoria of Spain to the heir of the Portuguese throne, Joseph, Prince of Brazil, and of her older half-brother Ferdinand, Prince of Asturias to Joseph's sister the Infanta Barbara of Portugal, in January 1729. After this, he was conferred the Order of the Golden Fleece by Philip V of Spain.

He died on 30 April 1733, and was succeeded in his titles by his only son, D. Joaquim Francisco de Sá Almeida e Meneses (1695–1756).