Order of Saint Michael of the Wing

This article is about the Portuguese dynastic order of knighthood. For other uses, see Order of Saint Michael (disambiguation).
Order of Saint Michael
of the Wing
Cross symbol of the order.
TypeDynastic order/
"Institution of chivalric character"[1]
Established1171[2]
Revived 1828/1848[3]
Revived 1981/1986/2001[4]
Countryformer Royal House of Portugal
Royal houseHouse of Braganza
Religious affiliationRoman Catholic
RibbonRed
MottoQuis ut Deus
FounderKing Afonso I of Portugal
Patron SaintNuno de Santa Maria Alvares Pereira[5]
Sovereign and Grand MasterDuarte Pio, Duke of Braganza
Precedence
Next (higher)Order of the Immaculate Conception of Vila Viçosa
Next (lower)Order of Merit of the Portuguese Royal House
EquivalentOrder of Saint Isabel

Ribbon of the order

The Royal Equestrian and Military Order of Saint Michael of the Wing (Latin: Ordo Equitum Sancti Michaelis sive de Ala,[6] Portuguese: Real Ordem Equestre e Militar de São Miguel da Ala) is a Portuguese Roman Catholic dynastic order that is believed to have been founded in 1147 in the Alcobaça Monastery in Alcobaça, Portugal, by King Afonso I of Portugal, in commemoration of the Conquest of Santarém from the Moors in 1147. The name was chosen in honour of the military Saint Archangel Michael, who assisted in the victory in the shape of a wing in the sky.

Its medieval history including claims of recognition in 1171 by Pope Alexander III, relies heavily on documentation from the 16th to the 18th century. It is classified by the privately operated and funded International Commission on Orders of Chivalry as an "Institution of chivalric character" that was founded as a chivalric order subsequently "revived by the dynastic successor of the founding authority" (2004).[7] The knights were under the jurisdiction of the Abbot of the Cistercian Alcobaça Monastery, and recited the same prayers as its lay brothers along with other military orders during the Reconquista.

It is considered to have been revived twice. First in 1828 or 1848 in support of the Miguelist movement by King Miguel I of Portugal, and secondly in its current form in 1981 by later Portuguese monarchists, recognised in 1986 by the Royal House of Braganza.

Duarte Pio, Duke of Braganza, pretender to the Portuguese throne as head of its former royal house, is grand master of the order and Judge of the associated Royal Brotherhood, statuted as Roman Catholic association of the faithful in 2001, with proof of previous statutes of 1630, 1848 and 1981. Ever since, the order has been conferred on individuals of merit through the brotherhood chosen exclusively by the House of Braganza.

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference Lima was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference Anderson was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference Almeida was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Sainty, Guy Stair (2006-11-22). "Royal Order of Saint Michael of the Wing". rec.heraldry. Retrieved 2011-01-21. While the Duke of Braganza is the unquestioned heir and successor of Dom Miguel, the institution of the Royal Brotherhood of St Michael of the Wing is better seen as a modern memorial revival of the original institution than any kind of continuation of the Miguelist award.
  5. ^ Rabel, Andrew (16 April 2009). "Pope to recognize Portuguese soldier/saint, Known as "The Constable", Nuno de Santa Maria Alvares Pereira will be canonized in April 2009 by the pope. In 1385 he was allied with the English to defeat Spain and the forces of the anti-pope at the Battle of Aljubarrota". Spero News. Retrieved 9 December 2011. Having been a Prior of the Hospitaller Order of Saint John (Order of Malta) and Commander of the Minor Religious Military Orders under the observance of the Cistercians of Alcobaça's rule, such as Saint Benedict of Aviz and Saint Michael of the Wing, Dom Nuno will also be venerated as a Saint or Protector of these Orders.
  6. ^ Levi 2012, p. 344.
  7. ^ Burrow, Stephen (2024-01-19). "Antigua & Barbuda's Foreign Affairs Minister praises Ambassador Dario Item as a game changer". Dominica News Online. Archived from the original on 2024-01-20. Retrieved 2024-01-20.