Arlindo Homem / Cultural Heritage
The face of King D. Dinis when he was 64 years old, the age at which he died.
Seven centuries after his death, the face of King D. Dinis was revealed after extensive 3D facial reconstruction work.
The king’s face is from when he was 64 years old, the age at which he would have died in 1325, and reveals an elderly man, of long light hair and sad blue eyeswearing a crown and a red cape.
“It’s about first scientifically based image of a Portuguese monarch from the first dynasty, which portrays him at the end of his life”, says the statement from Património Cultural about the research work carried out at the Odivelas Monastery.
The Conservation and Restoration Project for the Tomb of D. Dinis began in 2016, as part of an initiative by the extinct General Directorate of Cultural Heritage in partnership with the City of Odivelas.
The opening of the king’s tomb in 2023 was a decisive step towards allowing the DNA analysis of .
“I had all my teeth and just one cavity”
A 3D reconstruction was carried out at the Liverpool John Moores University FaceLab, under the scientific coordination of anthropologist Eugénia Cunha, from the University of Coimbra.
“What we have here was done with solid scientific data, from a very well preserved skeletonwith all facial bones preserved”, explains the anthropologist.
Eugênia Cunha also says that the king would have “an elongated nose” and “a slightly receding chin”, with “blue eyes” that “could also have a little green mixed in”.
“It would be between 1.65 and 1.68 meters”the scientist also reveals, noting that she had a “population affinity 71% European“.
“He had all teeth the age of his death and just a cavity“, also points out Eugénia Cunha, considering that he was “an adult with great survival” and “a resistant one”.
“Although there were individuals who reached advanced ages, being 63 years old 700 years ago It would be like being 90 years old or more today“, explains the scientist, noting that he would have benefited from belonging to “an elite” and “good nutrition”.
“According to historical records, the king would have been bedridden before he died, which may have led to him being thinner in the face“, he notes.
“First proven portrait of a Portuguese king”
Eugénia Cunha also tells Público that this is “the first scientifically proven portrait of a Portuguese king”.
“This face can be scientifically proven to be like this. It wasn’t an artist who imagined what D. Dinis would be like. It was his skull and genetics that told us what he really looked like”, highlights the anthropologist.
The scientist also explains that DNA analysis was done through root of a tooth. “Then we put the crown in place. We only destroyed the root of the tooth”, he highlights, highlighting that they were not “destroying a femur or pulling out teeth”.
D. Dinis was responsible for one of the longest reigns in Portugal between 1279 and 1325.
Known as the Farmer and how the Poet-King or Troubadour-Kingwas defined by Fernando Pessoa as “the ship planter to be”, being associated with the .
The face of King D. Dinis will be made known to the country in a traveling exhibition that will begin in April.
