Military Order of Aviz
| Military Order of Aviz Ordem Militar de Avis | |
|---|---|
Emblem of the Order | |
| Awarded by the President of Portugal | |
| Type | Ancient military order |
| Established |
|
| Country | Portugal |
| Ribbon | Green |
| Motto | Pax (Peace) |
| Eligibility | Officials of the military and National Republican Guard with at least 7 years serving as an official, foreign military dignitaries |
| Criteria | "Demonstrated, throughout the military career, high moral and professional attributes, expressed through irreproachable conduct, recognized civic qualities, and military virtues; Have rendered highly meritorious, notably relevant and distinguished services that have contributed to the military prestige of the Armed Forces or the National Republican Guard, with particular emphasis on services rendered in campaign or involving life-threatening risk". |
| Status | Active |
| Founder | Afonso Henriques |
| Grand Master | President of Portugal |
| Chancellor | Jaime Gama |
| Grades |
|
| Precedence | |
| Next (higher) | Military Order of Christ |
| Next (lower) | Military Order of Saint James of the Sword |
Insignia of the Order Ribbon bar of the order | |
The Military Order of Aviz (Portuguese: Ordem Militar de Avis), known previously to 1910 as the Royal Military Order of Saint Benedict of Aviz (Portuguese: Real Ordem Militar de São Bento de Avis), and before 1789 as the Knights of Saint Benedict of Aviz (Portuguese: Ordem de São Bento de Avis) or Friars of Santa Maria of Évora, is one of the four former ancient Portuguese military orders. It gave its name and coat of arms to the House of Aviz that ruled Portugal between 1385 and 1580. The founding king of House of Aviz, John I of Portugal, was an illegitimate son of a previous king, and thus not a member of his father's Portuguese House of Burgundy; however, John was the grand master of the Order of Aviz, and thus was known as "John of Aviz." Founded in 1146, it is the oldest Portuguese honorific order.