Vímara Peres

Vímara Peres
Count of Portugal
Reign	868–873
Successor	Lucídio Vimaranes
House	House of Vímara Peres
Born	820 A Coruña, Kingdom of Galicia
Died	873 Guimarães, County of Portugal

D. Vímara Peres, Count of Portugal (Galicia, circa 820 – Guimarães, 873) was a Portu-Galician Christian duke of the 9th century within the Kingdom of Asturias.

Life

He was a vassal of the King of Asturias, Alfonso III, and was sent to reconquer and secure from the Moors (Arabs and Berbers who had invaded Visigothic Hispania), in the west coastal fringe of Gallaecia, the area from the Minho River to the Douro River, including the city of Portus Cale, later Porto and Gaia, from where the name of Portugal emerged.

Count

The Kingdom of Asturias was divided internally into several counties or royal provinces. Portus Cale was one of theese asturian counties. In 868 Count Vímara Peres was named Count of Portugal, after the reconquest of the region north of the Douro river. Later Portuguese historians viewed this event as the earliest milestone in the history of the state of Portugal, although Portugal did not achieve independence until the 12th century.

He was able to expel the Moors and founded a fortified town under his own name Vimaranis (of Vimar) which later became Guimaranis, present day Guimarães (the Portuguese call it "The Cradle City"). Vímara Peres died in 873 in Guimarães. His son, Lucídio Vimaranes (Lucídio, son of Vímara), took control of the county.

See also

• Portucale
• History of Portugal
• The establishment of the monarchy in Portugal
• Timeline of Portuguese history

Vímara Peres House of Vímara Peres Born: ca. 820 Died: 873
Portuguese nobility
New title	Count of Portugal 868–873	Succeeded by Lucídio