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Mateush AlvareshAn impostor who posed as King Sebastian I of Portugal.
Country:
 Portugal |
Biography of Mateus Alvarés
Mateus Alvarés was a pretender who claimed to be the king of Portugal, Sebastian I. He was also known as False-Sebastian II and "the king of Erisery" due to the location of his "court." Alvarés was convicted as a rebel and sentenced to death.
According to surviving documents, the future claimant to the throne was born in Praia, in a family of a stonemason (according to other sources, a construction worker). At a young age, he became a novice at the San Miguel Monastery near Lisbon. It is believed that he moved between several monasteries, possibly residing in the Santa Cruz Monastery for some time, but ultimately took his monastic vows in Erisery near the Tagus River. However, his patience did not last long, and he was not drawn to the seclusion of the monastery. With the permission of the monastery authorities, he became a wandering hermit, living off charity. This category of individuals was highly respected in villages, and often a monk's fate depended on gaining the trust of a wealthy (and preferably influential) person. Alvarés was fortunate in this regard. His upbringing, proper speech, and certain manners immediately attracted attention in a country electrified with anticipation of the "missing king Sebastian," who was expected to come to the rescue of his subjects in the most critical moments. It took just a spark for people to fanatically believe in the miracle. Rumors began to spread that the young monk was none other than King Sebastian himself, who had exiled himself after a lost battle. Unlike the first pretender, the red-bearded and fair-skinned Alvarés did bear some resemblance to the deceased king. This slight resemblance and his own hopes were enough for the wealthiest man in the area, Antonio Simões, to take him under his patronage, and thus, the career of the pretender began.
Unlike other False-Sebastians who preferred to go with the flow and rely on wealthy patrons, Alvarés developed a real plan to seize the Portuguese throne. However, he started cautiously. He pretended to dissuade the first fervent followers (which only fueled their enthusiasm even more). The rumors spread, and one by one, villages and towns fell under the charm of the young monk. People were willing to travel miles just to catch a glimpse of him. The news of the new pretender reached the capital, and it reached the ears of Diogo Fonséca, who had arrested and condemned the first pretender. While the government decided what to do with this new impostor and hoped that the rumors would die down on their own, a decisive turning point occurred in his fate.
Alvarés met his closest advisor, Pedro Afonso, who would play one of the crucial roles in the pretender's destiny. Pedro Afonso was a strong, broad-shouldered peasant in his fifties with a thunderous voice. He possessed exceptional strength, bravery, and a willingness to do whatever it took to achieve his goals. As a staunch opponent of the Spaniards, he had fought against them as a soldier of the Prior's battalion until the Battle of Crato. After the defeat, he sought a new leader and found one in Mateus Alvarés. According to surviving witness testimonies, despite the skepticism of his friends who believed Alvarés was an obvious impostor, Pedro Afonso replied, "Whether he is a king or not, he will reign by the day of St. John." Apparently, by that time, the pretender himself had started believing in his own star. In the village of Erisery, he openly declared himself King Sebastian for the first time and formed a group of 800 followers. He handed over the command to Afonso, who added the title "do Meneses" to his name.
At first, the venture teetered on the brink of failure as Fonséca sent a detachment to arrest the pretender and bring him to the capital. However, they failed to execute the order. The group immediately disbanded, hiding in the mountains or hastily sailing into the open sea (mostly local fishermen). Several women, children, and monks were captured by the authorities, but as soon as the representative of the government departed, the group reassembled and grew even larger. The "royal court" of the pretender was established in Erisery, earning him the title "the king of Erisery" that would go down in history. To solidify his connection with his loyal follower, Alvarés officially married the daughter of Pedro Afonso. The wedding was celebrated with grandeur, and the bride was proclaimed the Portuguese queen. Due to the lack of a better crown, she was crowned with a diadem taken from a statue of the Holy Virgin.
The new self-proclaimed king generously conferred noble titles upon his followers. Afonso became the Marquis of Torres Vedras, the Count of Monsanto, the Lord of Erisery, and the Governor of Lisbon (although the assumption of the last position was postponed for better times). The "royal court" issued decrees and appeals, even attaching a Great Royal Seal made by a local craftsman. The messages urged the people to arm themselves and rise against the Spanish invaders in the name of the "legitimate" king.
These messages and decrees began to stir serious unrest. One of them even reached Coimbra directly into the hands of the confessor of King Cardinal Dom Henrique and the Jesuit father, Father Henriques. The government in Lisbon was alarmed and decided to take urgent measures to capture the impostor.
During this time, the "king" lived in seclusion, allowing only a few loyal followers to approach him. Historians agree that the pretender cleverly maintained the air of mystery, knowing that it fueled people's imaginations. Occasionally, he would share fragments of the Battle of Alcácer-Quibir with his small circle, but he revealed very little, ensuring that the details appeared believable yet unverifiable.
It is believed that during this time, the pretender began a secret correspondence with Admiral Dom Diogo de Sousa, possibly to secure his support or to present the letters as evidence to the skeptical. However, Dom Diogo demanded proof of the claimant's authenticity, which he could not provide. As a result, Dom Diogo wisely stayed out of the game.
Historian de Castro, however, claims that Dom Diogo allegedly sent an invitation to the pretender but backed out at the last moment, deciding not to take risks because the "king" arrived with someone else.
Nevertheless, the pretender did not give up and sent the next letter to the Archbishop of the capital, Dom Alberto. The letter was to be delivered by the young son of Simões, who took on this mission with complete obedience and trust in those who sent him.
The letter was delivered to the recipient on Ascension Day, right after leaving the church, and explicitly advised the Archbishop (who was of Spanish origin) to leave immediately. The messenger was promptly arrested but was released thanks to the Archbishop's intervention.
Meanwhile, Afonso's group continued to grow and transformed into a military force of 1,000 people. Several representatives of the rebel group went to the town of Torres Vedras to buy weapons and ammunition, arresting the entire city administration and keeping them under lock and key, threatening them with death. The armed confrontation had begun.
In the nearby town of Mafra, the population also rose against the Spanish invaders and rallied under the pretender's banner. Dr. Pereira, the royal judge, was locked in his house without being able to report what was happening to the capital. The rebels' plan was simple - to raise cities one by one, starting from Mafra through Sintra, and march towards the capital, seizing Lisbon on June 23, the day of St. John.
The Spanish government, on the other hand, began to realize that their policy of waiting was becoming dangerous. Admiral Santa Cruz, the future commander of the Invincible Armada, received orders to hand over several regiments to Don Fonséca to suppress the uprising before it gained serious momentum.
At the same time, news arrived that the insurgents had infiltrated the home of the world judge of Mafra, and Dr. Pereira, along with all the members of the magistracy, was executed and thrown into the sea from a cliff. In his letter, Pedro Afonso directly stated that the same fate would befall anyone who refused to recognize King Don Sebastian's authority.
Without delay, Fonséca and his troops marched towards Erisery, but just five miles away, the rebel group intercepted his path, consisting of about 200 people. Fonséca tried to resolve the situation peacefully by promising amnesty to everyone except the leaders, on the condition that they swore allegiance to the Spanish king, Philip. The response he received was a barrage of gunfire. After a short battle, the rebel group was dispersed, shot at close range, or taken prisoner.
Subjecting the captured leaders to torture, Fonséca learned that the main rebel forces were located in the town of Torres Vedras. Joining forces with the regiments of Captains de San Estevan and Calderon, who were sent by the government to quickly deal with the insurgents, Fonséca marched in that direction. Soon, the cavalry reconnaissance reported that the rebel group was approaching him with the clear intention of fighting. They also boasted that they would capture him as a hostage or execute him.
Unable to determine the exact number of people in the false king's army, Fonséca chose a cunning and ultimately successful strategy. He hid his arquebusiers in thick wheat fields and set out to meet the enemy accompanied by only a few horsemen. The trick worked perfectly - as soon as the rebel group saw the detachment, they immediately pursued it, falling into the trap. Afonso and his closest aide managed to escape, but the rest were either shot at close range or captured.
However, a small group managed to break through and take refuge in the Santa Maria de Porto Church, where they resisted the royal soldiers for some time. However, they perished almost to the last man - even their enemies acknowledged their bravery and patriotism.
In contrast to his followers, Alvarés displayed far less courage. Desperate about the possibility of victory, even before the main battle began, he attempted to flee to the mountains. His unexpected escape caused confusion among the ranks of the rebels, and the false king was caught after a short pursuit, recognized, and escorted to the capital along with a few of his followers.
On June 12, the "king of Erisery," as he would be called from then on, entered the capital through the San Antonio gate amid hissing and jeering from the onlookers. However, the authorities rightly feared that the impostor could be forcibly rescued, and Fonséca ordered unprecedented security measures - doubling the guards of the prison.
A substantial reward was also offered for the capture of Pedro Afonso, who managed to escape into the mountains and thus evade trial.
Under torture, the false king confessed to everything and revealed his true identity. He assured them that he had posed as Don Sebastian to save his homeland from the Spanish invasion.
"I planned," he dictated to his secretary, "to enter the capital on the night of St. John when the festivities begin. I believed that people would recognize me and follow me, energetic and bold people ready to kill anyone who opposed the rule of Don Sebastian. I was fully confident that my audacious plan would succeed. After capturing the capital, I would address my subjects from the palace balcony and say, 'Look, here I am before you - King Don Sebastian, the defender of his subjects and the patriot of his country, who has come to free you from the Spanish yoke. From now on, you are free to choose as your king whoever you deem worthy.'"
The Spanish authorities understood how dangerous this charismatic and eloquent pretender was. Consequently, unlike the first False-Sebastian, he was tried behind closed doors and sentenced to quartering.
On June 14, 1585, the executioner first severed his right hand, "with which the wicked signed his decrees," and then placed a noose around his neck. His lifeless body was dismembered, and the pieces were sent to all provinces of the kingdom, while his head was displayed in a public square for all to see.
Shortly after, Pedro Afonso, recognized at the moment when he was buying supplies in one of the villages, was also captured, brought to Lisbon, forced to confess under torture, and executed following his king.
No information about Alvarés' wife has been preserved. It is presumed that she ended her days in prison or a monastery, sentenced as a participant in the rebellion.
