Sebastian I, King of Portugal "the Desired" (Sebastião I, Portuguese pronunciation: [sɨbɐʃˈtiɐ̃ũ], o Desejado; born in Lisbon, 20 January 1554; presumed to have died at Alcácer-Quibir, 4 August 1578) was the 16th king of Portugal and the Algarves. He was the son of Prince John of Portugal and his wife, Joan of Spain. His paternal grandparents were John III of Portugal and Catherine of Habsburg; his maternal grandparents were the Holy Roman Empero...
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Sebastian I, King of Portugal "the Desired" (Sebastião I, Portuguese pronunciation: [sɨbɐʃˈtiɐ̃ũ], o Desejado; born in Lisbon, 20 January 1554; presumed to have died at Alcácer-Quibir, 4 August 1578) was the 16th king of Portugal and the Algarves. He was the son of Prince John of Portugal and his wife, Joan of Spain. His paternal grandparents were John III of Portugal and Catherine of Habsburg; his maternal grandparents were the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V and Isabella of Portugal.
Sebastian was born shortly after 8 in the morning of 20 January, 1554 (Saint Sebastian's Day), and he took his name from that fact. Shortly after his birth a doctor, Fernando Abarca Maldonado, who had come to Portugal in the entourage of his mother and who probably had helped deliver him, cast his horoscope. Among other things, Maldonado predicted that Sebastian would be very attracted to women, marry and have many children, all of which proved to be wrong.
Sebastian became heir to the throne on the death...
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