Sancho Manuel de Vilhena

His Lordship

The Count of Vila Flor
Portrait by Feliciano de Almeida, c. 1673–75
Born1610
Lisbon, Portugal
Died3 February 1677(1677-02-03) (aged 66–67)
Lisbon, Portugal
AllegianceKingdom of Portugal
RankGeneral
Battles / wars

D. Sancho Manuel de Vilhena, 1st Count of Vila Flor (1610 – 3 February 1677), was a Portuguese nobleman and military leader, of royal background.

He participated in several battles in Central Europe and fought the Dutch in Brazil between 1638 and 1640. During the Portuguese Restoration War, he was appointed general, and participated in the defence of Beira. His greatest victories were the Battle of the Lines of Elvas in 1659 and the Battle of Ameixial in 1663.

Equestrian portrait of the Count of Vila Flor with the Battle of Ameixial in the background, in Aplausos Académicos e Relação do Felice Sucesso da Célebre Vitória do Ameixial, 1673

António Manuel de Vilhena, Grand Master of the Order of Saint John and ruler of Malta, was his fifth son.

He was memorialized in a prominent azulejo of the Room of the Battles (Sala das Batalhas) in the Palace of the Marquises of Fronteira, created in 1671–72 and depicting the Battle of Ameixial.[1]

  1. ^ The inscription in Portuguese reads as follows: Altissimo enseaimaimportante memoravel batalha Domingial q' ganharão asenvensiveis armas portuguezas asitidas da direcção do Conde Devillaflor eosmais cabos e pessoas notaveis [damaged section] em seus ostos aonumeroso vetereno easis formidavel exercito deCastela que governava Dom ião de Austria oprimeiro Castelhano que por suas virtudes fama nasimento heomais natural filho de Felippe 4 idisputada econseguida aos 8 deiunho de 663 com total rota detodo o exercito eperda universal do trem de bagagens eartilharia epessoas degrande conta e grandes deespanha e dous mil cavallos q' se tomarão vivos for a os mortos eferidos que ficarão no campo. Nuno Lemos Pires (2000). "Os painéis de azulejos da Sala das batalhas do Palácio Fronteira de um ponto de vista militar". Academia.edu.