Comenda

For the Portuguese parish of the municipality of Gavião, see Comenda (Gavião).

In Portugal, a comenda is a benefit that was granted to knights in military orders, but now describes a purely honorary distinction. In the past, comenda could be a piece of land given as a reward for services, together with the duty to defend it from enemies and criminals. The holder of a comenda is called a comendador (commander) in Portuguese.

See also

• Honorific orders of Portugal