Count of Penela (Portuguese: Conde de Penela) was a Portuguese title of nobility. It was created on 10 October 1471 by King Afonso V of Portugal and granted to his 4th cousin, Dom Afonso de Vasconcelos e Menezes, 1st Count of Penela.
Dom Afonso was close related to the Portuguese royal family, once his great-grandfather was Infante John of Portugal (son of Peter I of Portugal and Inês de Castro).
Pedro I (1320–1367) King of Portugal | __________________________|............................. | | : | | : Fernando I Infante João João I (1345–1383) (1349–1397) (1357–1433) King of Portugal Duke of Valencia de Campos King of Portugal | (Spanish title) | | : | | : | | : | Beatrice Afonso Duarte I (1372–1408) (c.1370- ?) (1391–1438) Queen de jure Lord of Cascais King of Portugal | | | | | | Fernando de Vasconcelos | (c.1400- ?) | Lord of Soalhães | | | | | | | Afonso de Vasconcelos Royal House of Portugal (1441- ?) 1st Count of Penela
A second creation of this title occurred in December 1907, when King Charles I of Portugal granted it to José Maria de Portugal de Vasconcelos da Costa Mexia de Matos.
"Nobreza de Portugal e do Brasil" – Vol. III, page 117/118. Published by Zairol Lda., Lisbon 1989.