CASTRO, INEZ DE ( ? -1355). A Spanish noblewoman whose unhappy fate has been made the subject of tragedies and poems. She Iran the daughter of Pedro Fernandez de Castro, a de scendant of the royal family of Castile. After 1340 Inez lived with her cousin, Constantia, the betrothed wife of Dorn Pedro, son of Alfonso IV. of Portugal. Constantin died in 1345, and Dom Pedro, as she afterwards claimed, secretly married Inez, in the presence of the Archbishop• of (luarda. As the King feared that this union might prove injurious to the claims of Ferdi nand. son of the deceased Constantin, it was de termined in the King's Council that Inez must die. Accordingly, three Portuguese knights hast ened to Coimbra and executed the sentence (1355). Dom Pedro attempted a revolt against his father, but finally became reconciled. Two years later Alfonso died, and the murderers of Inez left Portugal and sought shelter with Pedro the Cruel of Castile. Pedro proposed to the young King of Portugal an exchange of fugitives, and the latter consented. One of the three assas sins escaped through the kindness of a beggar, but the other two were tortured in the presence of King Pedro at Santarem (1360). According to a tradition, immortalized by Camoens, Pedro established the legality of his marriage with Inez, caused her body to he exlmmed, and, placing it upon the throne, required all the nobles to do her homage. Inez's body was in
terred at Aleobaea, and a fine marble monument was erected over the grave, surmounted by her statue, wearing a crown.
CASTRO, .10.ke DE A Portuguese naval commander and explorer. Ile was born in Lisbon, and as a youth distinguished himself in number of campaigns against the Moors of Tan giers and Tunis. Upon his return from an expedi tion to the lied Sea, he was made, in 1543, com mander of n fleet to clear the European seas of pirates. in 1545 he was sent out as viceroy of the Indies to supplant Martin de Souzo. Valiantly seconded by his two sons, he overthrew Mahmud. King of Cambodia, relieved the beleaguered town of Diu, and defeated the great army of Adhel Khan. Ile subsequently completed the subjuga tion of Slalaeea. and prepared the way for the invasion of Ceylon. The unceasing warfare he carried on against kings and rajahs wore him out before his time. Shortly after receiving his full commission as viceroy he died. at Ormus. He wrote a description of the Red Sea entitled the Rolciro, which was very important for his day (latest edition by Corvo, Lisbon. 1332). Consult Andrada, ride de Dom dodo de Castro (Lisbon, 1651). '