ÁLVAREZ PEREIRA, NONIO, blessed. - Constable of Portugal, born at Bomiardim in 1360 into a noble family. Although honored by Queen Eleonora, seeing that her government was disastrous for the country and detestable in moral terms, he did not hesitate in 1383 to join the party of the future King Giovanni I, causing him to triumph at Lisbon after a brilliant battle. He did the same at Alentejo and finally at Atoleiros against the King of Castile, Eleonora’s ally. Full of zeal for the Catholic faith, he subsequently directed his arms against the Moroccan Mohammedans, from whom he took the city of Ceuta. Through the marriage of his daughter Beatrice to Prince Alfonso, he founded the royal dynasty of Braganza; but in 1422 he laid aside all honors and riches to don the Carmelite habit in the convent of Lisbon, where he died a holy death in 1431. Benedict XV, in 1918, approved his liturgical cult.
BIBLI.: J. P. Oliveira Martins, Vida de Nun'A. P., Lisbona 1902; E. Battaglia, L'Eroe Nazionale Portugese 8, Nonio A. P., Roma 1918. Giuseppe M. Pou y Marti