Funeral rites
Original title: Exéquias
Account of the solemn funeral rites (exéquias) held in Funchal for deceased Portuguese monarchs, drawn from the municipal archive's records, including the ceremony of breaking the shields.
Royal funeral rites in Funchal
The Livro de Acclamações e Exequias, in the archive of the Funchal Municipal Council (Câmara Municipal do Funchal), records that solemn funeral rites were held in the Cathedral of this city on the deaths of the following monarchs:
The said book does not record any funeral rites in Funchal on the death of Pedro IV. The Indice Alphabetico of the Council’s registers states that in 1495 Manuel I sent a letter to the Senate (senado, the municipal council) instructing it to acclaim him and to hold the funeral of John II; that in 1656 a letter came from the queen announcing the death of John IV; that in 1666 a letter came from the king reporting the death of the queen; and finally that in 1683 Prince Pedro sent a letter to the Council informing it of the death of King Afonso VI. The same book also states that 192,300 réis (old Portuguese money of account; 1$000 = 1,000 réis, 1:000$000 = one conto = 1,000,000 réis) were spent on the funeral rites of Queen Luisa de Guzmán in 1666, and that 100,000 réis from the municipal levy (imposição) were spent on those of Afonso VI. The funeral rites of the kings were preceded by the ceremony of the breaking of the shields, performed by the councillors (vereadores) at various points in the city; for this purpose a procession was organised in which the authorities, the officials and all other persons of standing in the city took part. The last time the ceremony of the breaking of the shields took place in Funchal was at the funeral rites of Luís I.
When Joseph I died, every member of the chapter of Funchal Cathedral (the Sé) (Sé do Funchal) refused to deliver that monarch’s funeral oration, pleading ‘lack of strength for so lofty a task’. It was the Franciscan friar José Faustino who saved the situation, giving a speech fitting for the occasion.
The funeral orations for Luís I and for Carlos I and his son Louis Philippe have been published. The former was delivered by Canon António Aires Pacheco, and the latter by the chaplain of the 27th Infantry Regiment, Father Luís Alves Martins.
Bound together with the regulations (regimento) of the councillors and the charter (foral) of the Municipal Council of Lisbon, the archive of the Funchal Council holds a document entitled Dos estilos que ha nas exéquias de hum Rey defunto e na acclamaçãao do vivo em as cidades e pouos, which sets out all the ceremonies held in Funchal on the death of the former monarchs.
In this article
Time
Years mentioned · 12-
D. Manuel ascended the throne and asked the Funchal council to acclaim him and hold João II's funeral rites.
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A letter from Queen Luísa de Gusmão announced the death of D. João IV to Funchal.
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Funeral rites for Queen Luísa de Gusmão were held in Funchal at a cost of 192$300 réis.
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Prince Pedro informed the Funchal council of the death of King Afonso VI.
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Funeral rites for D. João V were held in Funchal Cathedral.
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Funeral rites for King José I were held in Funchal.
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Funchal's council held the breaking-of-shields ceremony and royal funeral rites for Queen Maria I.
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Funeral rites for João VI were held in Funchal.
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Funeral rites for Queen Maria II were held in Funchal.
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Funeral rites for King Pedro V were held in Funchal Cathedral.
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Funeral rites for King Luís I were held in Funchal, with the last shield-breaking ceremony and the last bando proclaimed; councillors wore old ceremonial dress.
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Funeral rites with a eulogy for King Carlos I and Prince Luís Filipe were held in Funchal Cathedral.
Place
Places mentioned · 03
Abroad
- Funchal
City where the rites and shield-breaking ceremonies took place.
The capital of the archipelago and seat of the principal captaincy, where settlement began; it was made a vila c.1451–52. Its bay, the widest in the archipelago, lies between Ponta do Garajau and Ponta da Cruz and offers sheltered anchorage, though its harbour had never been studied oceanographically. The Elucidário discusses it as a health resort with climate data and records the January 1906 disturbances, the Danish prince's visit in May 1846 and recent volcanic cones in the area.
- Funchal Cathedral (the Sé)
Funchal. Cathedral where the royal funeral rites were held.
The Sé do Funchal is the cathedral of Funchal, in the parish of Sé. It was begun in 1493, became a parish seat in 1508 and a cathedral in 1514. It was the starting point of processions and the place of the vow to São Tiago, and bishops are buried there.
- Lisbon
Portugal. Its council's regulations are bound with the document on funeral customs.
The Portuguese capital, seat of the Relação court and of the Misericórdia whose privileges and statutes were extended to Funchal. Henrique Franco de Sousa studied at its Royal Academy of Fine Arts, and Luiz José Baiardo moved there in 1821.
People
People mentioned · 19-
King whose death was announced in 1683; his Funchal rites cost 100$000 réis.
- António Aires Pachecob. 1854
Canon who gave the published funeral oration for Luís I.
- Carlos Id. 1922
King of Portugal honoured with his son in Funchal on 31 March 1908.
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King whose funeral Funchal was asked to hold in 1495.
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King whose death was announced to Funchal by the queen's letter of 1656.
- John Vd. 1750
King of Portugal whose funeral rites were held in Funchal Cathedral on 19 December 1753.
- John VId. 1826
King of Portugal whose Funchal funeral rites were held on 10 May 1826.
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Franciscan friar who delivered José I's funeral oration after the cathedral chapter declined.
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King of Portugal whose Funchal funeral rites took place on 28 June 1777.
- Louis Philipped. 1908
Crown prince of Portugal, honoured together with his father Carlos I in Funchal in 1908.
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- Luís Alves Martinsb. 1873
Chaplain of Infantry Regiment no. 27 who gave the published oration for Carlos I and Luís Filipe.
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King of Portugal whose Funchal rites on 29 November 1889 saw the last breaking of the shields ceremony.
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Queen whose Funchal funeral rites in 1666 cost 192$300 réis.
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King who in 1495 wrote to the Funchal council asking to be acclaimed and for João II's funeral rites.
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Queen of Portugal honoured with funeral rites in Funchal on 17 December 1816.
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Queen of Portugal honoured in Funchal on 26 January 1854.
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King for whom, according to the records, no funeral rites were held in Funchal.
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King of Portugal whose Funchal funeral rites were held on 19 January 1862.
- Peter IId. 1706
Prince who in 1683 informed the Funchal council of Afonso VI's death.