Saint Saint Elizabeth of Portugal

Elizabeth of Portugal (Elisabet in Catalan, Isabel in Aragonese, Portuguese and Spanish; 1271 – 4 July 1336), also known as Elizabeth of Aragon, was Queen of Portugal from 1282 to 1325 as the wife of King Denis. She is venerated as a saint in the Catholic Church, under the name Saint Elizabeth of Portugal or Queen Saint Elizabeth (Rainha Santa Isabel in Portuguese). Born in 1271 into the royal house of Aragon, Elizabeth was the daughter of Infante Peter and his wife Constance of Sicily (later King Peter III of Aragón and Queen Constance II of Sicily, and the sister of three kings: Alfonso III and James II of Aragon and Frederick III of Sicily. She was a great-niece and namesake of Elizabeth of Hungary, the original source of the miracle of the roses, often depicted in art. Like her great-aunt, she became a member of the Third Order of Saint Francis. Elizabeth was educated very piously, and led a life of strict regularity from her childhood: she said the full Divine Office daily, fasted and did other penances. Elizabeth's marriage to King Denis of Portugal was arranged in 1282 when she was 11 years old, receiving the towns of Óbidos, Abrantes and Porto de Mós as part of her dowry. It was only in 1288 that the wedding was celebrated, when Denis was 26 years old, while Elizabeth was 17. Denis, a poet and statesman, was known as the Farmer King, because he planted a large pine forest near Leiria to prevent the soil degradation that threatened the region. Elizabeth quietly pursued the regular religious practices of her youth and was devoted to the poor and sick. Such a life was taken as a reproach to many around her and caused ill will in some quarters. Eventually, her prayer and patience succeeded in converting her husband, who had been leading a sinful life of adultery.