# Afonso III of Portugal

> King of Portugal

**Wikidata**: [Q295850](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q295850)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Afonso_III_of_Portugal)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/afonso-iii-of-portugal

## Summary

Afonso III of Portugal, also known by his nickname "O Bolhonês" (The Boulognese), was a King of Portugal who ruled the Kingdom of Portugal during the 13th century. Born on May 5, 1210, he served as monarch until his death on February 16, 1279, and is documented as a human and head of the monarchy of this southwestern European kingdom.

## Biography

- **Born:** May 5, 1210
- **Nationality:** Kingdom of Portugal
- **Known for:** Serving as King of Portugal; associated with the coat of arms of the Kingdom of Portugal dating to 1247
- **Field(s):** Monarchy, governance of the Kingdom of Portugal
- **Other Names:** Afonso III, O Bolhonês

## Contributions

Afonso III is associated with the coat of arms of the Kingdom of Portugal documented from 1247 (Brasão de armas do reino de Portugal), as well as a royal seal dated 1266 (AfonsoIIISeal1266.jpg). He governed the Kingdom of Portugal, a kingdom in southwestern Europe that was established on July 25, 1139 and endured until 1910. His reign contributed to the continuity and administration of this long-standing European monarchy. A statue of Afonso III exists in Faro (EstatuaDAfonsoIIIFaro.JPG), commemorating his legacy.

## FAQs

**What does the nickname "O Bolhonês" mean?**
"O Bolhonês" is the Portuguese nickname for Afonso III, traditionally understood to refer to his connection to Boulogne. This alias distinguishes him from other Portuguese monarchs named Afonso.

**When did Afonso III live and rule?**
He was born on May 5, 1210 and died on February 16, 1279. He served as monarch of the Kingdom of Portugal during the 13th century.

**What kingdom did Afonso III govern?**
He was the monarch of the Kingdom of Portugal, a sovereign state in southwestern Europe that was founded on July 25, 1139 and lasted until 1910.

## Why They Matter

Afonso III holds significance as one of the monarchs of the Kingdom of Portugal, a kingdom that spanned from 1139 to 1910 and played a central role in the history of southwestern Europe. His association with the 1247 coat of arms of the kingdom links him to the formalization of Portuguese royal heraldry. The existence of his royal seal from 1266 attests to the functioning of monarchical administration and diplomatic documentation during his reign. His statue in Faro speaks to an enduring cultural memory and regional importance, particularly in the Algarve region.

## Notable For

- King of Portugal from the 13th century, reigning until his death in 1279
- Associated with the coat of arms of the Kingdom of Portugal dated to 1247
- Connected to a surviving royal seal from 1266
- Remembered by the nickname "O Bolhonês"
- Commemorated with a statue located in Faro
- Linked to the broader Kingdom of Portugal, which endured from 1139 to 1910

## Body

### Identity and Aliases

Afonso III of Portugal is identified as a human (Homo sapiens) and a monarch — defined as a person at the head of a monarchy. His primary alias is simply "Afonso III," and he is further known by the descriptive nickname "O Bolhonês." He is extensively catalogued across international authority databases, with identifiers in systems including ISNI (0000000115590814), VIAF (262906554), the Library of Congress (no2007128513), GND (14137005X), BNF (166333931), SUDOC (081173318), and many others.

### Kingdom and Citizenship

His citizenship and sovereign domain was the Kingdom of Portugal, a kingdom in southwestern Europe. This kingdom's inception is recorded as July 25, 1139. The Kingdom of Portugal is associated with multiple historical entity designations (Q45670, Q377350, Q903779) reflecting its evolution over centuries until its dissolution in 1910.

### Birth and Death

Afonso III was born on May 5, 1210. He died on February 16, 1279. These dates place him firmly in the 13th century, during the medieval period of Portuguese and broader European history.

### Heraldry and Symbols

The coat of arms linked to his period is documented as "Brasão de armas do reino de Portugal (1247).svg," suggesting a formalized or updated royal heraldic achievement associated with or used from 1247 onward. His royal seal from 1266 (AfonsoIIISeal1266.jpg) is a surviving artifact of his reign, representing the instruments of monarchical authority and authentication of documents.

### Commemoration

A physical statue of Afonso III is located in Faro (EstatuaDAfonsoIIIFaro.JPG), indicating a regional commemorative presence, likely tied to historical events or governance decisions related to the Algarve and southern Portugal.

### Cataloguing and Documentation

Afonso III is widely documented across knowledge bases and biographical reference systems. He appears in Wikidata with 51 sitelinks across language editions of Wikipedia and related projects. His Wikipedia title is "Afonso III of Portugal," and his Wikidata description is "King of Portugal." He holds catalog entries in Britannica (biography/Afonso-III), Treccani (alfonso-iii-re-di-portogallo), and numerous other national and international biographical dictionaries and genealogical databases. His Freebase identifier is /m/0r_9, and he is recorded in systems ranging from Genealogics (p11431.htm#i114305) to Bildindex (person/1c77cc52-f7e0-4973-bb0e-82899ed70bb0). The sheer breadth of these identifiers — spanning European national libraries, academic databases, and genealogical registries — underscores his enduring prominence in historical scholarship and public knowledge.

## References

1. Integrated Authority File
2. Czech National Authority Database
3. EL / Alphonse
4. The Peerage
5. International Standard Name Identifier
6. Virtual International Authority File
7. Encyclopædia Britannica Online
8. Find a Grave
9. Gran Enciclopèdia Catalana
10. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013
11. HMML Authority File