Denis of Portugal

Diniz the Farmer, King of Portugal

The son of Afonso III, he was a notably peace-loving monarch during a tempestuous time in European history. He signed a border pact with Ferdinand IV of Castile (1297)which has endured to the present day. In Diniz's reign the University of Coimbra was also founded. Known as the "Farmer" for his policy of redevelopment and promotion of infrastructure, Diniz effectively founded the Portuguese navy under command of a Genoese admiral; encouraged forestisation policies; granted numerous municipal charters and promulgated the nucleus of a Portuguese law code. At the time of Diniz's death in 1319 he had placed Portugal on an equal par with the other Iberian Kingdoms