Retrato da Rainha D. Maria I
Autor: Manuel Maria Bordalo Pinheiro, atribuída a
Centro de Fabrico: Portugal (?)
Data: Século XIX
Material: Óleo sobre tela
Dimensões (cm): Larg. 84,5; alt. 105
Proprietário: Museu de Aveiro
N.º de Inventário: 14-A
Queen Maria was the first woman wielding the sceptre in Portugal. She ascended to the throne in 1777 and initiated a period known as “Viradeira” during which the Marquis of Pombal resigned and was exiled.
Her religiousness earned her the epithet of “The Pious”. During her reign, political prisoners were freed; the Royal Academy of Sciences and the Casa Pia were created; the Estrela Basilica and the S. Carlos Theatre in Lisbon were built and, in Porto, the Santo António Hospital and the Theatre of S. João.
A lottery was also created in order to fund social missions, namely the Santa Casa da Misericórdia. She was later on deemed mentally insane and died in Brazil in 1816.
Did you know… that the Portuguese expression “Maria vai com as outras” is related to Queen Maria I?
This popular expression is used to refer to someone who seems to have no opinion or will of their own, and has difficulty making decisions.
Maria I was Queen of Portugal, the eldest daughter of King José and mother of João VI.
She began to show the first signs of dementia around 1789 and was considered unfit to rule from 1792 onwards.
Due to the French invasions, Queen Maria I and the royal family decided to embark for Brazil, where the queen spent the last years of her life. Living in seclusion, she was only seen when she went out for walks, accompanied by her ladies-in-waiting. Upon seeing the monarch being led by the hands of her ladies, the people exclaimed: “Maria vai com as outras!!” (Maria goes with the others).