The Queen Santa Isabel

andThe Miracle of

the Roses

Dom Peter III of Aragon

Constança Von Hohenstauffen

D. Isabel’s Lineage Lady Isabel was the daughter of Peter III (The Great) of Aragon and Constança Von Hohenstauffen, queen of Sicily, granddaughter, on her mother’s side, to Manfred, King of Sicily and on her father’s side, to James I, the Holly and Conqueror. Her name was an homage given to her great-aunt, Saint Isabel, queen of Hungary.

It is tradition that Queen Isabel was born on the 4th of June, 1271 (in Zaragoza or Barcelona?) wrapped up in a fur…

Lady Isabel

The Origins

Genealogia de D. Isabel

Dom Peter IIIKing of Aragon and

Sicily (b. 1236)

Lady Constança Von Hohenstauffen

Queen of Sicily (b. 1249)

Lady Isabel Princess of Aragon(Queen Saint Isabel)

(b. Zaragoza, 1271 – d, Estremoz, 1336)

Dom DinisKing of Portugal

(b. 1261 – d. 1325)

Lady ConstançaPrincess of

Portugal(b. Coimbra, 1290

– d. Valhadolid, 1313)

Dom Fernando IVKing of Castilla

(b. 1285 – d. 1312)

Dom Afonso IVKing of Portugal(b. Coimbra, 1291 – d. Lisboa, 1357)

Lady BeatrizPrincess of

Castilla(b. 1295 – d. 1359)

Lady Isabel lived in the Court of Aragon until her grandfather’s death, James I. He liked to call her “the rose of Aragon”.  Later, she went to live with her parents, from whom, she received a thorough education.  From early on, there were combined to her beauty, virtues that made her a figure of sanctity.  While other girls played, Lady Isabel preferred praying and fasting, solitude, meditation and charity which she practised daily since she was eight years old.

Lady Isabel’s Childhood

Antonio de Vasconcelos (1860-1941), who saw the opening of her grave, in his work dedicated to Queen Saint Isabel he described her beauty with the following words.

“Of superior stature from the norm, because she was 1,75m high, she was robust, full, with a beautiful face. Her hair was blond while young but it became brown later on.”

El Pilar Cathedral, Zaragoza,

Queen Saint Isabel

“The rose of Aragon”

Lady Isabel married by procuration, in Barcelona, on the 11th of February, 1282.

She was 12 years old when she came to Portugal to marry King Dom Dinis, who was already 19 years old.

The wedding was in the Village of Trancoso.

Marriage

Queen of Peace and protector of the poor

Lady Isabel was the messenger of peace and the protector of the poor. She dedicated her life assisting those in need and ill.

Her people’s faith in her efforts made her known as Saint, and several miracles were attributed to her, like the “Miracle of the Roses”.

The Queen died on the 4th

of July, 1336, in Estremoz.

Her body was taken to

Coimbra and it was

followed by a long

attendance.

Santa Isabel Chapel and the Tower of “Trees Crowns” in Estremoz

“Mother of peace and Nation”

Her body was buried, as it was stipulated in her will, IN Santa Clara Convent, where she rests in a stone tomb sculpted by master Pêro.

On the 15th of April, 1516, Pope Leo X beatificated Lady Isabel naming her “Pacis et patriae Mater”, which means Mother of Peace and Nation”

Beatification

Canonization

In 1612, Pope Paul V ordered the opening her tomb, with the presence of Bishops from Leiria and Coimbra and scholars from Coimbra where it was found that the body was uncorrupted and flexible and it still had hair like a living person.

From that fact, Pope Urbano VIII canonized her on the 25th of May, 1625.

This day is celebrated in the Catholic Calendar on the 4th of July.

Patroness of Coimbra On the 29th of October,

1677, the Queen was transferred form the old convent to the new convent of Santa Clara-a-Nova. This new construction was ordered by the King Dom João IV.

The new tomb made in silver was ordered in 1614, by the Count-Bishop of Coimbra Dom Afonso de Castelo Branco and is inside the new church of Santa Clara.

The Legend Of The Miracle Of The Roses

Once upon a time. . . There was a King named Dom Dinis who lived with his Queen Santa Isabel in the Castle of Leiria.

The Queen was very religious so she ordered the construction of a church, the Church of Nossa Senhora da Pena, inside the Castle. Many builders worked very hard to build it.

Queen Santa Isabel was also very generous. She enjoyed being helpful towards people in need and she was always willing to protect everyone from misery. Thus, she used to go to the village to give money to the poor.

As for the King, he was a good administrator of the Kingdom and of his estate and he started to think that the generosity of his wife was a waste of money. So, annoyed and suspicious, he was determined to put an end to it.

One day, the Queen went out as she usually did. She was carrying a great quantity of coins on her lap. She was going to distribute them to the poor.

Suddenly, the King appeared. Knowing the generous spirit of his Queen but wondering what she was carrying on her lap, he decided to confront her:

- ‘What are you carrying there, my Lady?’

The Queen hesitated before answering:

- ‘Roses, my Lord!

As the Queen smoothly uncovered her lap the coins she was carrying fell on the floor already transformed into beautiful and fresh roses.

The King went ahead smiling and happy while his Queen was rejoicing.

THE END