The Military Order of Saint Benedict of Aviz, previously to 1910 Royal Military Order of Saint Benedict of Aviz, previously to 1789 Knightsof Saint Benedict of Aviz or Friars of Santa Maria of Évora, is a Portuguese order of chivalry, founded in Portugal in 1146. It gave its name and coat of arms to the Aviz Dynasty that ruled Portugal between 1385 and 1580.
The Military Order of Christ is the former order of Knights Templar as it was reconstituted in Portugal. Before 1910, it was known as the Royal Military Order of Our Lord Jesus Christ, and the Order of the Knights of Our Lord Jesus Christ. It was founded in 1319, with the protection of King Denis of Portugal, after the Templars were abolished on 22 March 1312 by the papal bull, Vox in excelso, issued by Pope Clement V. King Denis refused to pursue and persecute the former knights as had occurred in most of the other sovereign states under the political influence of the Catholic Church.
Alfredo Jorge Nobre da Costa, GCC, ComC, OMRI, commonly known as Nobre da Costa, was a Portuguese engineer and politician who briefly served as prime minister of Portugal from August to November 1978.
António de Almeida Santos was a Portuguese lawyer, politician and government minister.
The Order of Liberty, or the Order of Freedom, is a Portuguese honorific civil order that distinguishes relevant services to the cause of democracy and freedom, in the defense of the values of civilization and human dignity. The order was created in 1976, after the Carnation Revolution of 1974 in which the corporatist authoritarian Estado Novo regime of António de Oliveira Salazar and Marcello Caetano was deposed. The Grand Collar can also be given by the President of Portugal to former Heads of State and others whose deeds are of an extraordinary nature and particular relevance to Portugal, making them worthy of such a distinction. This can include political acts, physical acts of defense for Portugal, or the good representation of Portugal in other countries.
Henrique Nuno Pires Severiano Teixeira is a Portuguese academic and politician. Severiano Teixeira is a full professor at New University of Lisbon, and was also the vice rector of the same institution. He is director of the Portuguese Institute of International Relations (IPRI), an academic research institute that belongs to NOVA University of Lisbon. He is currently a visiting professor at Georgetown University.
Portugal has a system of orders, decorations, and medals as a means of honouring individuals for personal bravery, achievement, or service to Portugal.
The Royal Equestrian and Military Order of Saint Michael of the Wing 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.
Adriano José Alves Moreira, ComC GCC GOIH GCSE was a Portuguese lawyer, professor and a leading political figure in Portugal throughout the second half of the 20th century.
The Order of Prince Henry is a Portuguese order of knighthood created on 2 June 1960, to commemorate the quincentenary of the death of the Portuguese infante Prince Henry the Navigator, one of the main initiators of the Age of Discovery. Minor reforms of the constitution of the Order occurred in 1962 and 1980.
The Order of Merit is a Portuguese Honorific Order of civil merit intended to award those responsible for meritorious acts or services performed in the exercise of any functions, both in the public and the private sphere, which reveal self-sacrifice in favor of the community. The decorations are given by the President of the Portuguese Republic, in his role as the Grand-Master of the Portuguese Honorific Orders. The Order of Merit can be awarded, during life or posthumously, to both Portuguese and foreign citizens; it can also be awarded to localities or institutions that are legal persons governed by public law or of public utility. This order has been awarded to a number of people performing the most diverse functions such as ambassadors, businesspeople, military personnel, athletes and musicians.
Domingos Teixeira de Abreu Fezas Vital is a Portuguese diplomat. He served as Portuguese Ambassador to the United States from September 2015 to December 2021 and to The Bahamas. Currently he is the Portuguese Ambassador to the Holy See and to the Sovereign Order of Malta.
Henrique José Monteiro de Mendonça was an influent Portuguese capitalist in Lisbon and important landowner in the Portuguese colony of São Tomé and Príncipe; he was one of the protagonists of the economic phenomenon that saw that colony turn into one of the world's main producers and exporters of cocoa in the early 20th century.
Maria da Graça Andrada is a Portuguese doctor who specialised in pediatrics, particularly cerebral palsy, and in physical rehabilitation. She has been president of the Portuguese Cerebral Palsy Association and was made a Grand Officer of the Order of Prince Henry, as well as being the recipient of other major awards.
Maria Isabel Guerra Bastos Gonçalves, who used the pseudonym Isabel da Nóbrega, was a Portuguese writer, playwright, columnist, translator and radio broadcaster. On 9 June 2000, she was made a Grand-Officer of the Order of Merit. On 25 April 2011, she was made a Grand-Officer of the Order of Liberty.
Rui Manuel Monteiro Lopes Ramos is a Portuguese history lecturer and researcher. He is a co-founder and member of the Board of Directors of the online newspaper Observador. In 2013, he was awarded the Ordem do Infante D. Henrique.
