Kingdom Of Castile & Leon

Fernando I (1035-1065)
or Ferdinand the Great, d. 1065, Spanish king of Castile (1035–65) and León (1037–65). He inherited Castile from his father, Sancho III of Navarre, conquered León, and took parts of Navarre from his brother García. Ferdinand fought successfully against the Muslims and reduced to vassalage the Moorish kings of Zaragoza, Badajoz, Seville, and Toledo. At the Council of Coyanza (1050) he confirmed the laws of Alfonso V and introduced church reforms. He divided his kingdom among his sons: Castile went to Sancho II, León to Alfonso VI, and Galicia to García.

Sancho II (1065-1073)
Spanish king of Castile (1065–73), son and successor of Ferdinand I. He conquered (1072) León from his brother Alfonso VI, but his sister Urraca rebelled against him at Zamora, and Sancho was assassinated while besieging the city. He was succeeded by Alfonso VI

Alfonso VI (1073-1109)
Alfonso VI, 1030–1109, Spanish king of León (1065–1109) and Castile (1072–1109). He inherited León from his father, Ferdinand I. Defeated by his brother Sancho II of Castile, he fled to the Muslim court of Toledo. After Sancho's assassination (1072) Alfonso succeeded to the throne of Castile and took Galicia from his brother García (1073). He thus became the most powerful Christian ruler in Spain. He encouraged Christians in Muslim lands to migrate north, and he raided Muslim territory, penetrating as far south as Tarifa. After the conquest of strategic Toledo (1085), he took many other cities and reached the line of the Tagus River. Alarmed by his advance, Abbad III (see Abbadids) and his Muslim allies called to their aid the Almoravid Yusuf ibn Tashfin, who defeated Alfonso in 1086. Alfonso was defeated again in 1108, and his only son died in the battle. Alfonso's reign gave a great crusading impulse to the reconquest of Spain and was also notable for the exploits of the Cid. Alfonso's court at Toledo became the center of cultural relations between Muslim and Christian Spain. French influence was strong because of the king's many French followers; French monks introduced the Cluniac reform into León during his reign. Alfonso was succeeded by his daughter Urraca.

Urraca (1109-1126) extremely rare
Urraca , d. 1126, Spanish queen of Castile and León (1109–26), daughter and successor of Alfonso VI. Her first husband, Raymond of Burgundy, died in 1107, and in 1109 she was married to Alfonso I of Aragón. Her reign was disturbed by strife among the powerful nobles and especially by recurrent warfare with her husband, who had seized her lands. The marriage was annulled in 1114, and Urraca recovered most of her lands with the help of her son by her first husband. He succeeded her as Alfonso VII.

 

Alfonso I of Aragon (1109-1126)
Alfonso I (Alfonso the Battler), d. 1134, king of Aragón and Navarre (1104–34), brother and successor of Peter I. The husband of Urraca, queen of Castile, he fought unsuccessfully to extend his authority over her kingdom. He also fought energetically against the Muslims, from whom he captured Zaragossa (1118), Calatayud (1120), and many other towns. His raid (1125) into Andalusia bolstered Christian morale, and he encouraged Christians in Muslim lands to settle in his domain. Alfonso was killed in battle against his stepson, Alfonso VII of Castile, and was succeeded by his brother Ramiro II in Aragón and by García IV in Navarre.

Alfonso VII (1126-1157) extremely rare
Alfonso VII (Alfonso the Emperor), 1104–57, Spanish king of Castile and León (1126–57), son and successor of Urraca. He recovered the places in Castile that his stepfather, Alfonso I of Aragón, had occupied and soon gained supremacy over the other Christian states in Spain. In 1135 he had himself crowned emperor in León. His many victories over the Muslims had no permanent results; his most famous conquests, Córdoba (1146) and Almería (1147), were soon lost again. Alfonso left Castile to his son Sancho III (reigned 1157–58) and León to his son Ferdinand II.

 

Sancho III (1157-1158) very rare
SANCHO III."The Beloved". Born in 1135. Became King of Castile and Leon in 1157. Married Blanche of Navarre (I3) on February 4, 1151. Died August 31, 1158. Parents: ALPHONSO VII (I4) and BERENGUELA (I5).

 

Fernando II (1157-1188)
Spanish king of León (1157–88), son and successor of Alfonso VII. He invaded Castile and set up a protectorate during the minority (1158–66) of his nephew Alfonso VIII. He also fought the Muslims in Estremadura. His son Alfonso IX succeeded him.

Alfonso VIII (1158-1214)
Alfonso VIII (Alfonso the Noble), 1155–1214, Spanish king of Castile (1158–1214), son and successor of Sancho III. Chaos prevailed during his minority, but he quickly restored order after assuming (1166) the government. Alfonso took (1177) Cuenca from the Muslims, but later (1195) he was seriously defeated by them at Alarcos. León and Navarre then invaded Castile, but Alfonso forced them to make peace, annexing Álava and Guipúzcoa from Navarre. Allied with his former Christian enemies, he led them to the great victory over the Almohads at Las Navas de Tolosa (1212). Alfonso was married to Eleanor, daughter of Henry II of England. Their children included Henry, who succeeded his father as Henry I; Blanche, who married Louis VIII of France; and Berenguela, who married Alfonso IX of León and whose son Ferdinand III united Castile and León.

Alfonso IX (1171–1230) 
Spanish king of León (1188–1230), son and successor of Ferdinand II. He conquered from the Muslims several cities in Estremadura and was frequently at war with Alfonso VIII of Castile. His marriages with Teresa of Portugal and Berenguela of Castile were both annulled by the pope. He defeated (1230) the Muslims at Mérida. His son by Berenguela, Ferdinand III, reunited (1230) León and Castile.

Fernando III (1217-1252)
Ferdinand III, 1199–1252, Spanish king of Castile (1217–52) and León (1230–52), son of Alfonso IX of León and Berenguela of Castile. At the death (1217) of her brother, Henry I of Castile, Berenguela renounced her right of succession in Ferdinand's favor. Having inherited (1230) León from his father, Ferdinand permanently united the kingdoms of Castile and León. Ferdinand spent most of his reign crusading against the Muslims. He took Córdoba (1236), Jaén (1246), and Seville (1248) and occupied Murcia (1243). He thus completed the reconquest of Spain, except for the kingdom of Granada, which became a vassal state. Ferdinand was planning an expedition to Morocco when he died and was succeeded by his son, Alfonso X. In 1671, Ferdinand was canonized by the Roman Catholic Church. Feast: May 30.

 

Alfonso X (1252-1284)
Alfonso X (Alfonso the Wise), 1221–84, Spanish king of Castile and León (1252–84); son and successor of Ferdinand III, whose conquests of the Muslims he continued, notably by taking Cádiz (1262). His mother, Beatriz, was a daughter of the German king Philip of Swabia, and Alfonso's principal ambition was to become Holy Roman Emperor. In 1257 he was elected by a faction of German princes as antiking to Richard, earl of Cornwall, but because of papal opposition and Spanish antagonism, he did not go to Germany, and in 1275 he finally renounced his claim to the imperial throne. In his domestic policy, Alfonso's assertion of royal authority led to a rebellion of the nobles. His Muslim subjects also rose (1264) against him and were subdued only with the help of James I of Aragón. After the death (1275) of his eldest son, Ferdinand, while fighting the Muslims, civil war for the succession broke out between Ferdinand's children and Alfonso's second son, who eventually succeeded him as Sancho IV. Sancho's partisans in the Cortes at Valladolid even declared Alfonso deposed (1282). The king died while the dynastic dispute was still unsettled. Alfonso stimulated the cultural life of his time. Under his patronage the schools of Seville, Murcia, and Salamanca were furthered, and Muslim and Jewish culture flowed into Western Europe. He was largely responsible for the Siete Partidas, a compilation of the legal knowledge of his time; for the Alfonsine tables in astronomy; and for other scientific and historical works.

Sancho IV (1284-1295)
Sancho IV (Sancho the Brave), 1257?-1295, Spanish king of Castile and León (1284–95), son and successor of Alfonso X. On the death (1275) of his elder brother, Ferdinand de la Cerda, Sancho was designated as Alfonso's successor by a coalition of nobles. Throughout his reign Sancho was forced to defend his throne against the claims of Ferdinand de la Cerda's heirs, who at times received the support of Aragón. He conquered (1292) Tarifa from the Muslims. His son, Ferdinand IV, succeeded him under the regency of Sancho's widow, María de Molina.

Fernando IV (1295-1312)
Ferdinand IV, 1285–1312, Spanish king of Castile and León (1295–1312), son and successor of Sancho IV. His mother, María de Molina, was regent during his turbulent minority. He tried unsuccessfully to take Algeciras from the Muslims but conquered (1309) Gibraltar with the help of Aragón. He was succeeded by his son, Alfonso XI.

Alfonso XI (1312-1350)
Alfonso XI, 1311–50, Spanish king of Castile and León (1312–50), son and successor of Ferdinand IV. His vigorous campaign against Granada provoked an invasion by the Muslims from Morocco; they took Gibraltar in 1333. In 1340, having formed alliances with Portugal, Navarre, and Aragón, Alfonso won the great victory of Tarifa (also called the battle of Salado), and in 1344 he took Algeciras. By the Ordenamiento de Alcalá, issued at Alcalá de Henares in 1348, Alfonso enforced the Siete Partidas of Alfonso X. He died while besieging Gibraltar and was succeeded by his son, Peter the Cruel.

Pedro I (1350-1368)
Peter the Cruel, 1334–69, Spanish king of Castile and León (1350–69), son and successor of Alfonso XI. His desertion of his wife, Blanche of Bourbon, for María Padilla and his favors to the Padilla family aroused the opposition of the nobles and led to several rebellions fomented by Peter's illegitimate half brother, Henry of Trastámara (later Henry II). Peter ruthlessly suppressed the rebellions, but Henry later obtained the help of Aragón, which was already at war with Castile, and France, and in 1366 he invaded Castile with French mercenaries under Du Guesclin. Peter fled, and Henry was crowned king at Burgos in 1366. Peter, however, had allied (1362) himself with England and with the help of Edward the Black Prince, he defeated Henry and Du Guesclin at Nájera (1367). Henry raised a new army with Du Guesclin, defeated Peter at Montiel (1369), and killed him in a duel after the battle. Despite his reputation for cruelty, Peter has many apologists, who see him as a defender of the rights of the commoners and the throne against the turbulent nobles. Peter's daughter Constance married John of Gaunt, who contested Henry II's succession to Castile.

Enrique II (1368-1379)
Henry II or Henry of Trastámara , 1333?–1379, Spanish king of Castile and León (1369–79), illegitimate son of Alfonso XI. After taking part in several unsuccessful revolts against his half brother, Peter the Cruel, he secured the aid of Du Guesclin and Peter IV of Aragón and drove Peter from the throne in 1366. Peter allied himself with England and, with the help of Edward the Black Prince defeated Henry at Nájera (1367), but after Edward's departure, Henry defeated and killed Peter at Montiel (1369). John of Gaunt, son-in-law of Peter the Cruel, and Ferdinand I of Portugal unsuccessfully contested his title as king and the succession of his son, John I.

 

Juan I (1379-1390)
John I (Juan I) of Castile and León (1358-1390), king of Castile and León (1379-1390), he attacked Portugal in an attempt to break the alliance between Portugal and John of Gaunt, duke of Lancaster, who was claiming the Castilian throne through marriage. Ferdinand I of Portugal submitted in 1382, marrying his daughter to John I. When Ferdinand I died, John I claimed the Portuguese throne but was defeated by Ferdinand I' son, John I of Portugal. From 1386 to 1387, John I was forced to defend against John of Gaunt's invasion. Peace was achieved when John I's son, Henry (later Henry III), was married to one of John of Gaunt's daughters. 

Enrique III (1390-1406)
Henry III, 1379–1406, Spanish king of Castile and León (1390–1406), son and successor of John I. His marriage (1388) to Catherine, daughter of John of Gaunt, ended a long dynastic conflict. Henry consolidated royal authority against the nobles. He also sent a fleet that destroyed (1400) Tétouan in N Africa, dispatched envoys to Timur, and sponsored the colonization of the Canary Islands. He was succeeded by his son John II.

Juan II (1406-1454)
John II, 1405–54, Spanish king of Castile and León (1406–54), son and successor of Henry III. He was little interested in government, which he entrusted to his favorite Alvaro de Luna. Literature, particularly poetry, flourished at his court, which was also celebrated for tournaments and brilliant festivals. John was succeeded by his son Henry IV.

Enrique IV (1454-1474)
Henry IV, 1425–74, Spanish king of Castile and León (1454–74), son and successor of John II. His weakness opened the way to civil strife and anarchy. The Castilian nobles refused to recognize Henry's alleged daughter Juana la Beltraneja as his heiress and forced the king to designate first his half brother Alfonso (d. 1468) and then his half sister Isabella (later Isabella I) as his successor. After Isabella's marriage (1469) to Ferdinand of Aragón, however, Henry again recognized Juana. On Henry's death civil war broke out among the contenders for the succession.

Ferdinand & Isabella (1474-1504)
Spanish queen of Castile and León (1474–1504), daughter of John II of Castile. In 1469 she married Ferdinand of Aragón (later King Ferdinand II of Aragón and Ferdinand V of Castile). At the death (1474) of her half brother Henry IV of Castile, the succession to Castile was contested between Isabella and Juana la Beltraneja, who was supported by Alfonso V of Portugal. The civil war ended with Isabella's victory in 1479, the year in which Ferdinand became king of Aragón. Isabella and Ferdinand, known as the Catholic kings, ruled Castile and Aragón jointly. Although the union of their crowns was personal rather than institutional, their reign in effect marked the beginning of the unified Spanish kingdom. Isabella's principal aim was to assert royal authority over the lawless Castilian nobility. To this end she revived the medieval hermandad and confiscated the lands of many magnates. She also took over the administration of the holdings of the powerful religious military orders (by making Ferdinand their grand master) and established the Inquisition under royal control. She was a prime mover in the expulsion (1492) of the Jews from Spain, the conquest (1492) of Granada, and the forced conversion of the Muslims. She showed foresight in her patronage of Christopher Columbus. The Catholic kings furthered learning and the arts and promoted great building activity. The style of the period is called isabelino after the queen; it combines Gothic, Mudejar, and Renaissance features. Isabella bequeathed Castile to her daughter Joanna, with Ferdinand as regent.