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A Prince who carved his own place in history
Pedro & Inźs de Castro Algarve's X Factor Leave all those tourists trappings behind and discover the real secrets of Algarve. Algarve Winter Sun Some hints on planning your own long stay and suggestions of things to do. Forget Mexico, the Monarch butterfly is resident in Algarve and easy to find
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Tucked away on the western side of the Iberian Peninsula, Portugal is a country almost forgotten in spite of being Britain's oldest ally. The two countries have been closely linked since John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster, Prince of England came to the aid of Joćo in Portugal to prevent the Spanish Castillians taking the throne of Portugal. This was not an act of charity on behalf of John of Gaunt, he firmly believed he had a claim to the Castillian throne through his marriage to Constanza of Castile. The famous Battle of Aljubarrota in 1385 resulted in a decisive victory for Joćo. Later that year, Joćo was crowned Joćo I, the first king of the House of Avis. Relations with England were sealed by the Treaty of Windsor of 1386 and by Joćo's marriage to Philippa of Lancaster, daughter of John of Gaunt. This important turning point in Portuguese history opened the door to so many events on which tourism now depends. Joćo was the bastard son of Pedro & Inźs de Castro, a wonderful love story featured in these pages. Batalha Abbey, built to commemorate the Battle of Aljubarrota, is now high on the list of places to visit. Joćo and Philippa had some brilliant children, one of whom was Henry the Navigator. His work supported Portugal's voyages of discovery around the word. The wealth returning to Portugal from the colonies, particularly from the spice trade, helped to build Palaces, churches and public buildings of some grandeur. It allowed merchants to gain wealth and build fine houses but left the ordinary people struggling on small farms becoming poorer by the year. This contrast still exists, especially in the north of the country, where old farming styles, tools and implements are still in common use. Lying on a north-south axis, Portugal is truly a land of contrasts with climates ranging from Atlantic, European and Mediterranean all of which have fashioned and shaped lifestyles together with the rugged mountains of the north and the huge plains of the south. There is much to discover and so much to see and so much history.
Through these pages it is intended to explore the country in sections, the north, the central part including Lisbon and the south featuring the already well-know Algarve.
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