João Mendes de Briteiros
Trovador medieval


Nationality: Portuguesa

Biographical Note:

Portuguese troubadour from the final 13th century to the middle of the next, João Mendes de Briteiros (or de Berredo, as stated in the attributive items of B) is the last of the Briteiros, a well-known lineage of court dignitaries and troubadours, to appear in the medieval songbooks.
Equally troubadours were, in fact, his grandfather Rui Gomes de Briteiros, dean of the family and a central character of Afonso III’s court, and his father Mem Rodrigues de Briteiros. It’s from the marriage of the latter to Maria Anes da Veiga (from the Berredo lineage) that the troubadour is born, possibly in the late 60’s of the 13th century1. His name appears for the first time in Dom Dinis’s chancellery in 1288, and he continues to sign the most diverse sort of royal documents until 1315. From 1292 on, he adds the title of King’s counselor to his name, a king to whom he becomes, furthermore, brother in law. In fact, culminating a path of lineage ascension initiated by his grandfather, in which the alliances by marriage seem to be central, João Mendes married, around 1290, Dom Dinis’s half-sister, the by then extremely wealthy widow Dona Urraca Afonso (daughter of Afonso III and a moor), marriage from which resulted five children.
Owner of a enormous fortune, João Mendes de Briteiros should have died after 1334, the last year in which he’s documented. He’s buried, together with Dona Urraca Afonso, in the S. João da Tarouca monastery.


References

1 Ventura, Leontina e Oliveira, António Resende de (2003), "Os Briteiros (séculos XII-XIV) 4. Produção Trovadoresca", in Os Reinos Ibéricos na Idade Média. Livro de Homenagem ao Professor Doutor Humberto Carlos Baquero Moreno, coord. Luís Adão da Fonseca et al, vol. II , Porto, Livraria Civilização.

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Cantigas (alphabetical order):


Amiga, bem [s]ei que nom há
Cantiga de Amigo

Deus! que leda que m'esta noite vi
Cantiga de Amigo

Eia, senhor, aque-vos mim aqui!
Cantiga de Amor

Estranho mal e estranho pesar
Cantiga de Amor

Ora vej'eu que nom há verdade
Cantiga de Amigo

Que pret'esteve de me fazer bem
Cantiga de Amor

Senhor, conmigo nom posso eu poer
Cantiga de Amor

Tal ventura quis Deus a mim, senhor
Cantiga de Amor

Vistes tal cousa, senhor, que mi avém
Cantiga de Amor