Episcopal Appointments and Royal Power: Theory and Practice of an unwritten Privilege in Medieval Portugal

The aim of this article is to study the role of kings in the episcopal appointments in Portugal from 1245 to 1357. This chronology covers the period marked by the government of three kings: Afonso III, Dinis and Afonso IV on what it is a crucial phase in the construction of Portuguese royalty after the deposition of king Sancho II by the pope in 1245. At the same time the procedures of episcopal elections are considerable defined by the papacy and the canon law, leaving less space for royal influence. That is why we will reflect about the forms this influence can adopt as a key element in the king’s policy of reward loyalty.