Gonçalo (Gonçalves) Pereira

Who was Gonçalo (Gonçalves) Pereira?

Dom Gonçalo (Gonçalves) Pereira, 97th Archbishop of Braga was a Portuguese clergyman, politician and audacious warrior.

Raised at the palaces of King Denis of Portugal and student at the University of Salamanca, he returned to Portugal and was nominated Dean of the see of Porto and charged with negotiations with the Curia Romana.

Elected 27th Bishop of Lisbon on August 21, 1322, he was elevated to Archbishop of Braga in 1326. He mediated the disagreements between Denis and his son Afonso IV of Portugal, being an auxiliar of Queen Elizabeth of Aragon on her peacemaking mission. In 1338 he was as the Ambassador of Afonso IV of Portugal to Castile to obtain the peace between the two Kingdoms. He fought at the famous Battle of Salado. He died on 22 December 1348.

He was the father of Álvaro Gonçalves Pereira by Teresa Peres Vilarinho and the paternal grandfather of the Saint Constable of Portugal Nuno Álvares Pereira.