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John IV of Portugal

Ducal Palace of Vila Viçosa, 18 Mar 1604 – Ribeira Palace, 6 Nov 1656

12 facts3 sources

Facts and their sources

  • Born18 Mar 1604, Ducal Palace of Vila Viçosaor 19 Mar 1604Records disagree1 source
  • MarriedLuisa de Guzmánnot verified1 source
  • TitleGrand Master of the Order of the Tower and Swordor Monarch of Portugal, 1640–1656not verified1 source
  • TitleMonarch of Portugal, 1640–1656or Grand Master of the Order of the Tower and Swordnot verified1 source
  • Died6 Nov 1656, Ribeira Palacenot verified1 source
  • MotherAna de Velasco y Girónnot verified1 source
  • FatherTeodósio II, Duke of Braganzanot verified1 source

A life in time

  1. 18 Mar 1604

    Born in Ducal Palace of Vila Viçosa

  2. 1634–1648

    7 children are born

  3. 1640–1656

    Monarch of Portugal

  4. 6 Nov 1656

    Dies in Ribeira Palace, aged 52

Family

See the tree

Parents

Partner

Children · 7

During his lifetime

He lived through 6 decades. Pick one to hear and see what it was like around Ducal Palace of Vila Viçosa.

General history, not a record about the family: each item says where it comes from.

The 1600s · John IV is born in Ducal Palace of Vila Viçosa

Who governed

Music

Mourisca Dancers Received 500 Réis for Refreshments

In Braga, dancers performing the Moorish-style dance known as the mourisca were given 500 réis for refreshments during St. John the Baptist festivities. Failure to pay this amount on time resulted in a fine of 2,000 réis.

At the table

Daily wine consumption of two liters

In mid-16th-century Lisbon, ordinary people consumed around two liters of wine per day, typically preferring sweet white wines known as palhetes or alambreados.

In the news1601

General pardon for New Christians

In 1601, the Spanish Crown granted a general pardon to New Christians in exchange for large sums of money, intensifying existing local resentment towards them.

Daily life

Low literacy rates in Porto region

In the region of Porto during this period, only about 16% of the population could read and write.

What people wore

Borrowing Clothes for Feast Days

For feast days, men wore formal outfits with silver shoe buckles, and those lacking such attire often borrowed a suit from a relative or friend to attend church.

Getting around

Foot couriers delivering mail

Specialized couriers known as caminheiros traveled on foot to deliver messages, often walking for trips that required more than one day to complete.

What it cost

Limited annual working days

Laborers and craftsmen did not work every day, with a significant number of days lost to religious and civic holidays. Estimates for effective working days in the 17th century typically range between 240 and 272 days per year.