Publication Date
2009
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Tags period
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Second male child born from the marriage between Dom Francisco de Melo, 2nd Marquis of Ferreira as well as 2nd Count of Tentúgal, and Dona Eugénia, daughter of the 4th Duke of Braganza, Dom Jaime.

He was supposed to embark on the great fleet that was arranged in 1572 by King Sebastian, who had the vague purpose of providing assistance to the Catholic League in the fight against the Ottomans or helping the French Crown against the Huguenot party. However, the serious damages caused by a storm rendered the project unfeasible even before the ships had left the river Tagus. Two years later, Dom Nuno was finally able to engage in his first military campaign, thus accompanying King Sebastian in the initial Moroccan expedition. In 1578, he went back with the King to that same field of action, where he and his brother, Dom Constantino de Braganza e Melo, were then made prisoners as a result of the battle fought in Alcácer Quibir. Afterwards, they were both rescued by their father who was incidentally one of the personalities who had tried to dissuade King Sebastian from his daring project.

Dom Rodrigo de Melo, Dom Nuno's eldest brother, also lost his life on that occasion. Therefore, Dom Nuno became the heir of the House of Tentúgal as well as the 3rd Count of Tentúgal, a title granted by King Philip I. It was also during the Dual Monarchy that he married Dona Mariana de Castro, daughter of Dom Rodrigo de Moscoso Osorio, 5th Count of Oropesa. He died on February the 28th, 1597, and was buried in his family pantheon, which is located inside the church of the Convent of Lóios, in Évora.

Bibliografy:
FREIRE, Anselmo Braamcamp, Brasões da Sala de Sintra, vol. I, s.l., Imprensa Nacional-Casa da Moeda, 1996. SOUSA, D. António Caetano de, História Genealógica da Casa Real Portuguesa, tomo X, s.l., QuidNovi/Público & Academia Portuguesa da História, 2007.


Translated by: Alice Resendes