Manifestis Probatum

Manifestis Probatum (Latin for 'Manifestly proven') is a great papal bull and the founding document of Portugal. Promulgated on 23 May 1179 by Pope Alexander III, the bull officially recognized the independence of Portugal from the Kingdom of León by confirming the Kingdom of Portugal to the now-recognized king Afonso Henriques and his successors. The bull is, therefore, the single most important written document from Portugal's independence process.

The Papacy did not recognize the legitimacy of Afonso's adoption of the royal title in 1139, and continued to regard him as a vassal of León. On 13 December 1143, Afonso wrote Pope Innocent II the letter Claves Regni (Latin for 'Keys of the Kingdom'), declaring his decision to enfeoff Portugal to the Holy See and asking for protection against any interference in Portugal's territory. On 1 May 1144, Pope Lucius II replied by letter Devotionen Tuam (Latin for 'Your Devotion') and stated that he recognized Afonso's devotion, but still referred to Portugal as a land instead of a kingdom, and to Afonso as duke instead of a king.

The switch in papal policy in 1179 was caused by Afonso's reconquest of lands to the south of the Iberian Peninsula to which no other Christian monarch had claim. The papal bull itself was later confirmed on 16 April 1212, during the reign of King Afonso II by Pope Innocent III with the papal bull Manifestis Probatum and again on 11 January 1218 with the bull Manifestis Probatum est of Pope Honorius III addressed to the same king.


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