Diniz the Farmer, King of Portugal was the son of
Afonso III[?], and was a notably peace-loving monarch during a tempestuous time in European history. He signed a border pact with
Ferdinand IV of Castile (
1297) which has endured to the present day. In Diniz's reign the
University of Coimbra[?] was also founded. Known as the "Farmer" for his policy of redevelopment and promotion of infrastructure, Diniz effectively founded the Portuguese navy under command of a Genoese admiral; encouraged forestisation policies; granted numerous municipal charters and promulgated the nucleus of a Portuguese law code. At the time of Diniz's death in
1319 he had placed
Portugal on an equal par with the other Iberian Kingdoms