- Lady Isabel was born in 1271 in Zaragoza, Spain to Peter III of Aragon and Constança Von Hohenstauffen. She was known as "the rose of Aragon". - She married King Dinis of Portugal in 1282 when she was 12 years old. Lady Isabel dedicated her life to assisting the poor and ill as queen. She was known for her piety and generosity. - Lady Isabel died in 1336 in Estremoz, Portugal. Several miracles were attributed to her, including the "Miracle of the Roses" where coins she was carrying to give to the poor miraculously turned to roses. She was canonized

2. The Queen Santa Isabel
and
The Miracle of the Roses

3. Dom Peter III
of Aragon
Constança Von
Hohenstauffen
D. Isabel’s Lineage
Lady Isabel was the daughter of
Peter III (The Great) of Aragon and
Constança Von Hohenstauffen, queen
of Sicily, granddaughter, on her
mother’s side, to Manfred, King of
Sicily and on her father’s side, to James
I, the Holly and Conqueror.
Her name was an homage given to
her great-aunt, Saint Isabel, queen of
Hungary.

4. It is tradition that Queen
Isabel was born on the 4th of
June, 1271 (in Zaragoza or
Barcelona?) wrapped up in a
fur…
Lady Isabel

The Origins

5. Genealogia de D. Isabel
Dom Peter III
King of Aragon and Sicily
(b. 1236)
Lady Constança Von
Hohenstauffen
Queen of Sicily (b. 1249)
Lady Isabel
Princess of Aragon
(Queen Saint Isabel)
(b. Zaragoza, 1271 – d,
Estremoz, 1336)
Dom Dinis
King of Portugal
(b. 1261 – d. 1325)
Lady Constança
Princess of Portugal
(b. Coimbra, 1290
– d. Valhadolid, 1313)
Dom Fernando IV
King of Castilla (b.
1285 – d. 1312)
Dom Afonso IV
King of Portugal
(b. Coimbra, 1291
– d. Lisboa, 1357)
Lady Beatriz
Princess of Castilla
(b. 1295 – d. 1359)

6. Lady Isabel lived in the Court of Aragon
until her grandfather’s death, James I. He liked
to call her “the rose of Aragon”.
Later, she went to live with her parents,
from whom, she received a thorough
education.
From early on, there were combined to her
beauty, virtues that made her a figure of
sanctity.
While other girls played, Lady Isabel
preferred praying and fasting, solitude,
meditation and charity which she practised
daily since she was eight years old.
Lady Isabel’s Childhood

7. Antonio de Vasconcelos (1860-1941),
who saw the opening of her grave, in his
work dedicated to Queen Saint Isabel he
described her beauty with the following
words.
“Of superior stature from the norm,
because she was 1,75m high, she was
robust, full, with a beautiful face. Her hair
was blond while young but it became
brown later on.”
El Pilar Cathedral, Zaragoza,
Queen Saint Isabel
“The rose of Aragon”

8.  Lady Isabel married by procuration,
in Barcelona, on the 11th of February,
1282.
 She was 12 years old when she came
to Portugal to marry King Dom
Dinis, who was already 19 years old.
 The wedding was in the Village of
Trancoso.
Marriage

9.  Lady Isabel was the messenger
of peace and the protector of the
poor. She dedicated her life
assisting those in need and ill.
 Her people’s faith in her efforts
made her known as Saint, and
several miracles were attributed
to her, like the “Miracle of the
Roses”.

10. The Queen died on the 4th of
July, 1336, in Estremoz. Her body
was taken to Coimbra and it was
followed by a long attendance.
SantaIsabelChapelandtheTowerof
“TreesCrowns”inEstremoz

11.  Her body was buried, as it was
stipulated in her will, IN Santa
Clara Convent, where she rests
in a stone tomb sculpted by
master Pêro.
 On the 15th of April, 1516, Pope
Leo X beatificated Lady Isabel
naming her “Pacis et patriae
Mater”, which means Mother of
Peace and Nation”

12.  In 1612, Pope Paul V ordered the
opening her tomb, with the
presence of Bishops from Leiria and
Coimbra and scholars from Coimbra
where it was found that the body
was uncorrupted and flexible and it
still had hair like a living person.
From that fact, Pope Urbano VIII
canonized her on the 25th of May,
1625.
This day is celebrated in the
Catholic Calendar on the 4th of July.

13.  On the 29th of October, 1677, the
Queen was transferred form the
old convent to the new convent of
Santa Clara-a-Nova. This new
construction was ordered by the
King Dom João IV.
 The new tomb made in silver was
ordered in 1614, by the Count-
Bishop of Coimbra Dom Afonso de
Castelo Branco and is inside the
new church of Santa Clara.

14. Once upon a time. . . There was a King
named Dom Dinis who lived with his
Queen Santa Isabel in the Castle of Leiria.
The Queen was very religious so she
ordered the construction of a church, the
Church of Nossa Senhora da Pena, inside
the Castle. Many builders worked very
hard to build it.

15. Queen Santa Isabel was also very
generous. She enjoyed being helpful
towards people in need and she was
always willing to protect everyone from
misery. Thus, she used to go to the
village to give money to the poor.
As for the King, he was a good
administrator of the Kingdom and of his
estate and he started to think that the
generosity of his wife was a waste of
money. So, annoyed and suspicious, he
was determined to put an end to it.
One day, the Queen went out as she
usually did. She was carrying a great
quantity of coins on her lap. She was
going to distribute them to the poor.

16. Suddenly, the King appeared. Knowing
the generous spirit of his Queen but
wondering what she was carrying on her
lap, he decided to confront her:
- ‘What are you carrying there, my Lady?’
The Queen hesitated before answering:
- ‘Roses, my Lord!
As the Queen smoothly uncovered her
lap the coins she was carrying fell on the
floor already transformed into beautiful
and fresh roses.
The King went ahead smiling and
happy while his Queen was rejoicing.