- published: 27 Jun 2010
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The House of Braganza (Portuguese:Casa de Bragança; Portuguese pronunciation: [bɾɐˈɣɐ̃sɐ]), officialy the Most Serene House of Braganza (Portuguese: Sereníssima Casa de Bragança), is an important Portuguese noble house that later became the royal house of the Kingdom of Portugal and its colonial empire, from 1640 to 1910. In 1822 a branch of the house proclaimed independence of the Portuguese colony of Brazil, founding and ruling the Empire of Brazil from 1822 to 1889, as the Brazilian Imperial Family.
The House of Braganza forms a collateral line of the House of Aviz, which ruled Portugal from 1385 until 1580. The House of Aviz was itself a branch of the Portuguese House of Burgundy (also called Afonsine Royal House), and thus of the House of Burgundy. The Afonsine Royal House founded Portugal in 1139, when it proclaimed independence of the County of Portugal from the Kingdom of León. The Afonsine Royal House ruled until 1385, when the House of Aviz succeeded the throne, as result of the 1383-1385 Succession Crisis.