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✅The Iberian Union and Its Consequences in the Azores

In the year 1580, when the settlement of the Azores was still very precarious, a dynastic crisis arose in Portugal following the deaths of King Sebastian at the Battle of Alcácer-Quibir in 1578 and, two years later, of Cardinal-King Henry, his uncle and successor.

At the time, there were several contenders for the Portuguese throne, among them Philip II, King of Spain and grandson of King Manuel I. However, on July 24, 1580, Dom António, Prior of Crato, who was also a grandson of King Manuel I, was crowned in Lisbon.

Despite the support that each of the rival cousins received, both domestically and internationally, Philip II chose military intervention to assert his claim. His troops, commanded by the Duke of Alba, advanced on Lisbon, while most of the Portuguese Empire eventually declared their support for him.

Defeated by the Spanish forces, Dom António sought refuge in France. However, in the Azores, his claim to the throne was enthusiastically supported, as the idea of being ruled by a foreign king was fiercely rejected. The islands of Santa Maria and São Miguel sided with Philip II, but the remaining seven islands resisted Spanish annexation, centering their opposition on Terceira Island, where Dom António’s supporters, mainly French mercenaries, were based.

At the time, Spain was a great military power, and for three years, it organized powerful naval forces to impose the rule of Philip II over Terceira and the other resistant islands.

The battle between Spanish forces, led by Álvaro de Bazán, Marquis of Santa Cruz, and the troops of Dom António, supported by the French, is thoroughly documented by Gaspar Frutuoso, António Cordeyro, and the Spanish chronicler Antonio de Herrera. The Battle of Vila Franca, fought on July 26, 1582, stands out as one of the most brutal and significant naval battles in the waters of the Azores, resulting in a decisive victory for the Spanish fleet.

"And so, on the 26th of July, on the feast day of Saint Anne, the battle raged with such fury that the galleons, captains, and admirals clashed and fought for more than five continuous hours, with nothing to be seen but unbridled death everywhere…"
(Antonio Cordeyro, op. cit., p. 164)

However, resistance on Terceira Island only ended in July 1583, when a powerful Spanish fleet, again commanded by the Marquis of Santa Cruz, finally subdued it.

Afterward, Spanish forces moved to the remaining islands, securing their allegiance. Faial Island was the first to surrender, followed by the others, and thus, Philip II officially became the ruler of the Azores.

Nearly sixty years later, Portugal restored its independence, and, with the courageous leadership of Francisco Ornelas da Câmara, the town of Praia was the first in the Azores to proclaim King John IV as the new monarch. This news quickly spread to the other islands, which also declared their support for Portuguese independence. However, the Spanish garrison at São Filipe Fortress on Monte Brasil, in Angra, resisted the siege imposed by the local population for nearly twelve months, only surrendering on March 16, 1642.

With this, the Azores were once again under Portuguese rule. In celebration of the restoration, King John IV decided to rename and rebuild the fortress of São Filipe, which was henceforth known as Fortress of São João Baptista.

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