Sword of Portuguese King Dom Dinis (1279-1325)

Philip · 29th October 2022, 08:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fernando

Not that Dom Dinis was much of a military;
For ones perusal, he has only been on the battle field a couple times. His preferences were more on the culture side. A great troubadour, with plenty songs written and a couple of them with his own music.

Wasn't Dom Dinis also known for practical achievements, especially in advancing Portuguese agriculture? After all, isn't his honorary title "o Lavrador" (the Farmer)? I read somewhere that he implemented a system in which fields were to be aligned in specific directions to optimize sunlight and irrigation, and so that windbreaks of tall trees around their borders minimized crop damage during harsh storms.

fernando · 30th October 2022, 10:41 AM

You are right Filipe. I did not further expand on Dom Dinis biography as i thought i should not bore the members with such long story.
Yes, his cognomen was Lavrador (Farmer) but also Rei Poeta (Poet King). He did increment the Leiria Pine Forest started by his father. Besides this being a defence for agriculture, preventing the advance of damaging sands, this later became an added value in the XV century discoveries period, as the pine wood was fundamental for the building of caravels and so was the pitch to protect them.

fernando · 31st October 2022, 12:25 PM

Maria Antonia Amaral, the sword study coordinator, details to RTP (public TV) ...

"Made of iron, silver handle and enamel application, it is one of the rare royal swords found "in situ" in Europe", says the Directorate-General for Cultural Heritage, sharing images of the moment when this historic element was removed, with specific care from the grave.

Maria Antónia Amaral, coordinator of the study, even says that this is a rare sword around the world. "It was an apparatus sword. Let's say it was not a sword that the king would take to war, since it is full of decorations and has a very heavy weight on the handle".

31st October 2022, 12:25 PM	#3
fernando Lead Moderator European Armoury Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Portugal Posts: 9,645	More on the sword ... Maria Antonia Amaral, the sword study coordinator, details to RTP (public TV) ... "Made of iron, silver handle and enamel application, it is one of the rare royal swords found "in situ" in Europe", says the Directorate-General for Cultural Heritage, sharing images of the moment when this historic element was removed, with specific care from the grave. Maria Antónia Amaral, coordinator of the study, even says that this is a rare sword around the world. "It was an apparatus sword. Let's say it was not a sword that the king would take to war, since it is full of decorations and has a very heavy weight on the handle".

30th October 2022, 10:41 AM	#2
fernando Lead Moderator European Armoury Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Portugal Posts: 9,645	You are right Filipe. I did not further expand on Dom Dinis biography as i thought i should not bore the members with such long story. Yes, his cognomen was Lavrador (Farmer) but also Rei Poeta (Poet King). He did increment the Leiria Pine Forest started by his father. Besides this being a defence for agriculture, preventing the advance of damaging sands, this later became an added value in the XV century discoveries period, as the pine wood was fundamental for the building of caravels and so was the pitch to protect them.