#berenguela de castilla

[isadomna]

Berenguela and Blanche of Castile

Daughters of Alfonso VIII of Castile and Eleanor of England, Berenguela maintained strong connections with her sister Blanche, Queen of France. Their letters are in Latin. Latin was still, at the beginning of the 13th century, the language of writing, while French and Castilian became the languages ​​commonly spoken, even at court. Berenguela and Blanche were well-educated, competent and forceful like their formidable grandmother Eleanor of Aquitaine.

The two sisters will also lead a parallel existence, each exerting, in their own country, a comparable influence. Much like her younger sister Blanche in France, Berenguela presents an interesting case of co-rulership with her son in Castile. Furthermore, both have ties with warfare and played determinant roles in the success of military campaigns as well as access to – and maintenance of – the throne.

Berenguela and Blanche directed a great deal of their personal energy into assuring that all of their children were appropriately married. It was Blanche who suggested sending Joan of Ponthieu as a bride for her nephew Fernando after his first wife's death. Berenguela and Blanche became the mothers of fighting saints King Fernando III and King Louis IX.

In the Archives Nationales de France are nine letters written to King Louis VIII and his wife Blanche of Castile, during Louis’s brief reign from 1223 to 1226. These letters informed Louis VIII that Alfonso VIII of Castile had intended his throne to pass to a son of Louis and Blanche, if his own son Enrique died without heirs. Louis VIII should therefore immediately send his son to Castile, where his correspondents—the scions of several major Castilian noble houses—would take up arms to set him on the throne and overthrow the “foreigner” (alienus) who was in power. The most prominent of these Castilian magnates were Rodrigo Díaz de Cameros and Gonzalo Pérez de Molina. This conspiracy was an explicit attempt to dispose of the current Castilian monarchy and replace it with a new configuration of rulers. It was therefore a far more serious threat than either Rodrigo Díaz’s or Gonzalo Pérez’s earlier revolts had been. And it was aimed squarely at the legitimacy of the reigning monarchs.

The letters’ most perplexing feature is the suggestion that Blanche’s claim to the Castilian throne superseded Berenguela’s. Some historians have even taken this as evidence that Blanche was the elder sister, though that claim is patently false. Yet the plot to overthrow Fernando III was first of all an attempt to unseat Berenguela. It was through her that Fernando III claimed hereditary right and legitimate descent from Alfonso VIII. To say that Alfonso VIII had excluded Berenguela from the succession, and to describe Fernando as a “foreigner,” was to reject the Castilian identity that Berenguela had tried to reclaim during her ten years as a solitary queen in her father’s court, and that she had negotiated with varying success during her regency and the subsequent wars. It was to define her not as the daughter and sister of the latest kings of Castile, but as the cast-off wife of the king of León.

To be sure, Blanche and her sons were at least as French as Berenguela and Fernando III were Leonese. But the rebels were apparently willing to overlook this quibble; their appeal was directed as much to Louis VIII as to his queen. Besides, the threat of union with France was diminished by the fact that Blanche and Louis VIII had no fewer than five living sons at the time that they ruled France. The rebels never insisted that the son sent to them should be Louis VIII’s firstborn, and a younger brother’s accession in Castile considerably reduced the risk of union between the crowns. All five French princes were underage, but so much the better; the minorities of Alfonso VIII and Enrique I had proved how much power nobles could gain in a regency. Louis VIII was sufficiently intrigued by the rebels’ offer to have asked them for proof of their promised support. His wife, however, was likely to be less sympathetic. A combination of Blanche’s unwillingness to contribute to her older sister’s overthrow and Fernando III’s military successes after 1224 probably quashed the plot.

Sources:

JANNA BIANCHINI,THE QUEEN'S HAND: POWER AND AUTHORITY IN THE REIGN OF BERENGUELA OF CASTILE

Regine Pernoud, La Reine Blanche

[fotograrte]

Santa Catalina disputando con un filósofo ante el tribunal del Emperador Majencio (Relieve, siglo XIII)

Se trata de un relieve fechado entre los años 1252 y 1286 (siglo XIII), realizado en mármol blanco, perteneciente a la colección Ars Casacuberta Marsans. Formó parte de la exposición temporal “Alfonso X, el legado de un rey precursor”, que tuvo lugar en el Museo de Santa Cruz, de Toledo, en 2022. Se cumplían los 800 años del nacimiento de este rey que nació el día 23 de noviembre de 1221,…

[nanshe-of-nina]

Women’s History Meme || Sibling Relationships (1/5) ↬ Berenguela, reina de Léon y de Castilla and Blanca de Castilla, reine de France

Queen Berenguela of Castile (1180–1246) was, in her lifetime and for some time thereafter, a dominant figure on the political landscape of the kingdoms of Castile and Leon. She typified the medieval elite woman whose ordained role in life was to be a wife and mother. The political circumstances of her native Castile, however, complicated and even enhanced Berenguela’s reproductive responsibilities. As the eldest daughter of Alfonso VIII of Castile and his wife Leonor of England, Berenguela was at different points in her young life the presumed heir to the throne. The Castilians adhered to the Visigothic principle of partible inheritance. Although favoring sons, this principle meant that daughters had a claim to inheritance. Therefore, it was possible for a woman to inherit the throne when a male heir was lacking as had happened with Alfonso VI’s daughter Urraca in 1109 and with Berenguela in 1217. Berenguela’s awareness of and concern for her own lineage derived not only from a strong, involved identification with her natal family, based on her position as her father’s daughter, but also from her awareness of her own self as an element of that lineage. Her experiences and activities can be usefully contextualized by those of her numerous and important sisters, especially Urraca, Blanche, Leonor, and Constanza. They show ways in which Berenguela was like other elite women; indeed, her life could have turned out very much like one of theirs. Despite their individual circumstances, together they help demonstrate ways in which Berenguela was and was not alone in her experiences of family, marriage, motherhood, religion, and, above all, gender. Furthermore, the sisters were key elements of Berenguela’s family; throughout their lives, they remained in contact, if only for seemingly political reasons at times. Family visits, the fostering of children, and prayers for the dead suggest affective bonds as well as a deep sensibility of filial and sisterly piety among the members of this family. Berenguela’s sister Blanca (1188–1252) is better known as Blanche of Castile, queen of France, one of the most famous women of the Middle Ages. From the time of her marriage to the French heir Louis, Blanche was destined for significance, even if only as another female link in the seemingly miraculous chain of male inheritance that had secured the Capetian throne for generations. Three years after Blanche’s husband Louis became king, he was dead, and Blanche became regent both for her young son, Louis IX, and for the kingdom of France. Blanche became queen of France at a time when the institution of queenship seems to have undergone a shift, becoming increasingly relegated to the private, domestic world of the queen’s own household; at the very least, there is a change in the way documentation presented the queen’s activities at court. Although Blanche’s own political experiences were particular to her Capetian context, examining the several parallels between her experiences and those of her sister Berenguela points to certain consistencies in thirteenth-century royal motherhood and queenship. — Berenguela of Castile (1180–1246) and Political Women in the High Middle Ages by Miriam Shadis [old version]

[terciariosfranciscanos]

HOY CELEBRAMOS A NUESTRO HERMANO SAN FERNANDO III, EL SANTO.

Fernando III, «el Santo», rey de León y de Castilla, hijo de Alfonso IX de León y de Berenguela de Castilla, nació el año 1198 en el reino leonés, probablemente cerca de Valparaíso (Zamora). Tradicionalmente se afirma que perteneció a la Tercera Orden Franciscana. Fue el rey de la reconquista del sur de España. Su visión política de altas miras es reconocida por los historiadores, y las gentes de toda clase y condición bendijeron su reinado sabio, ecuánime, prudente. En los territorios reconquistados por él, nunca hubo vencedores y vencidos. Con razón es proclamado «señor de la convivencia de cristianos, musulmanes y judíos». Contrajo dos matrimonios sucesivos, que fueron felices, y de ambos tuvo en conjunto trece hijos. Fue hombre de óptimos sentimientos y limpias costumbres. Además de administrar con sabiduría sus reinos, promovió las artes y las ciencias, y colaboró en la propagación de la fe. Vivió rodeado del respecto y afecto de unos y otros, y su muerte fue llorada por todos. Murió en Sevilla el 30 de mayo de 1252.-

[armatofu]

Fernando III el Santo fue rey gracias a las dos esposas de su padre, Alfonso IX de León. La primera, Teresa de Portugal, logró que sus hijas cedieran sus derechos al trono de León en favor de Fernando. La segunda, su madre Berenguela, abdicó para nombrarlo rey de Castilla.

[latristereina]

What do you think of Queen Berenguela of Castile?

I have not studied her extensively, but from what I have read about her, she was a smart and politically savvy woman. She let her son rule because she knew it was the best option for Castile, she actively participed in the politics of the kingdom, and thanks to her intervention the kingdoms of Castile and León were united in the person of her son, Fernando III.

[roehenstart]

Queen Berenguela of Castile. By Francisco Prats y Velasco.

Nicknamed “the Great”, was queen regnant of Castile in 1217 and queen consort of León from 1197 to 1204.

When her father died, she served as regent for her younger brother Henry I in Castile until she succeeded him on his untimely death. Within months, she turned Castile over to her son, Ferdinand III, concerned that as a woman she would not be able to lead Castile's forces. However, she remained one of his closest advisors, guiding policy, negotiating, and ruling on his behalf for the rest of her life. She was responsible for the re-unification of Castile and León under her son's authority, and supported his efforts in the Reconquista.

[enalfersa]

Berenguela

[venicepearl]

Berenguela I de Castilla - José María Rodríguez de Losada

Berengaria (nicknamed The Great ; 1179 or 1180 – 8 November 1246) was queen regnant of Castile in 1217 and queen consort of León from 1197 to 1204. As the eldest child and heir presumptive of Alfonso VIII of Castile, she was a sought after bride, and was engaged to Conrad, the son of Holy Roman Emperor Frederick I Barbarossa. After his death, she married her cousin, Alfonso IX of León, to secure the peace between him and her father. She had five children with him before their marriage was voided by Pope Innocent III.

[zack4x4]

SAN FERNANDO.

SAN FERNANDO. Fernando III, «el Santo», rey de León y de Castilla, hijo de Alfonso IX de León y de Berenguela de Castilla, nació el año 1198 en el reino leonés, probablemente cerca de Valparaíso (Zamora). Tradicionalmente se afirma que perteneció a la Tercera Orden franciscana. Fue el rey de la reconquista del sur de España. Su visión política de altas miras es reconocida por los historiadores,…

[isadomna]

La reina sin reino aborda la azarosa y compleja vida de Berenguela de Castilla, que fue reina consorte de León entre 1197 y 1204 por su matrimonio con el rey Alfonso IX, quien convocara las primeras Cortes de Europa; un matrimonio anulado por el papa Inocencio II ya que los cónyuges eran parientes en tercer grado.

Al morir su hermano Enrique siendo solo un niño, los derechos dinásticos del reino de Castilla pasaron a Berenguela, que los traspasó a Fernando, uno de los hijos que tuvo con Alfonso IX y a quien Berenguela protegió y aconsejó a lo largo de toda su vida. Uno de los hechos más conocidos de este periodo es el que se refiere al final del Reino de León como estado medieval independiente: en 1230, antes de fallecer, Alfonso IX designa como herederas al trono leonés a sus hijas Sancha y Dulce, frutos de su primer matrimonio con Teresa de Portugal, en detrimento de los derechos de Fernando III. Berenguela se reunió en la villa de Benavente con la madre de las infantas y consiguió la firma de lo que se ha dado en llamar «la concordia de Benavente», por el que estas renunciaban al trono en favor de su hermanastro a cambio de dinero y otras ventajas.

«en una jugada maestra, Berenguela, con audacia y sentido de la oportunidad, consigue que su hijo Fernando, apenas un adolescente, sea proclamado rey. Este movimiento desencadenará tanto oposiciones como adhesiones que la astuta Berenguela sabrá manejar siempre a favor de la dinastía y de Fernando III, el Santo, quien estará destinado a culminar la Reconquista para el reino de Castilla».

[afranciscomiradiezblr-blog]

¿Historias cortas para no dormir y no tener pesadillas?

Turismo Castilla y León-Comarca: Montes Torozos

CASTILLO DE TIEDRA - VALLADOLID

La localidad de Tiedra se sitúa en la comarca vallisoletana de los Montes Torozos, sobre un espigón dominando el valle del Duero hacia Toro. Se trata de un antiguo núcleo, con importantes restos de la Edad del Hierro y la época romana.

La primera mención al Castillo de Tiedra se remonta al reinado de Sancho II de Castilla, cuando éste ordena a Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar que se entreviste con su hermana Doña Urraca para que cediese la ciudad de Zamora a cambio de Medina de Rioseco y el infantado de Valladolid incluyendo el castillo de Tiedra.

El Cid no consigue la capitulación de Doña Urraca y Sancho II se ve obligado a sitiar la ciudad de Zamora, muriendo en este sitio. En la separación de los reinos tras la muerte de Alfonso VII, Tiedra pasó a manos leonesas, pero pronto volvió a poder castellano, ya que Alfonso IX se lo entregó a Doña Berenguela en compensación tras su divorcio.

[nanshe-of-nina]

Castilian Infantas aesthetic, part I

Elvira, comtessa de Tolosa. Daughter of Alfonso VI de Castilla and Jimena Muñoz.

Teresa, condessa de Portugal. Daughter of Alfonso VI de Castilla and Jimena Muñoz.

Elvira, Regina di Sicilia. Daughter of Alfonso VI de Castilla and Zaida de Sevilla.

Constanza, reine des Francs. Daughter of Alfonso VII and Berenguera de Barcelona. Mother of Marguerite de France, Queen of England and Alais de France, comtesse du Vexin.

Sancha, Nafarroako erregina. Daughter of Alfonso VII and Berenguera de Barcelona. Mother of Berengela Nafarroakoa, Queen of England and Zuria Nafarroakoa, comtesse de Champagne.

Sancha, reina d’Aragó. Daughter of Alfonso VII and Ryksa Polska. Mother of Constança d’Aragó, Sacri Romani Imperatrix; Leonor d’Aragó, comtessa de Tolosa; and Sancha d’Aragó, comtessa de Tolosa. Grandmother of Joana de Tolosa.

Urraca, rainha de Portugal. Daughter of Alfonso VIII and Eleanor of England. Mother of Leonor de Portugal, Dronning af Danmark.

Blanca, reine de France. Daughter of Alfonso VIII and Eleanor of England. Mother of Saint Isabelle de France.

Berenguela, Latin Empress of Constantinople. Daughter of Berenguela I and Alfonso IX de León. Mother of Marie de Brienne, Latin Empress of Constantinople.

[armatofu]

Fernando III el Santo

(Fernando III de Castilla y León, llamado el Santo; Monasterio de Valparaíso, Zamora, 1199/1201 - Sevilla, 1252) Rey de Castilla y de León. Con él volvieron a unirse ambas Coronas, al heredar el reino de Castilla por la muerte de su tío Enrique I (1217) y el de León por la muerte de su padre Alfonso IX (1230). Las dos herencias plantearon problemas y resistencias, salvadas gracias a la habilidad diplomática de la reina madre Berenguela.

Una vez sometidos los nobles díscolos y unificados los dos reinos, Fernando III de Castilla y de León dio un fuerte impulso a la Reconquista, aprovechando la superioridad militar obtenida sobre el Islam desde la victoria de su abuelo Alfonso VIII de Castilla en la batalla de Las Navas (1212). Dicha empresa habría de conducir a la reconquista del valle del Guadalquivir, que convirtió al reino castellano-leonés en un territorio mucho más extenso que cualquiera de sus vecinos, y en el único que conservaba frontera terrestre con el Islam (por la supervivencia del reino de Granada hasta el siglo XV).

El inicio de esa gran campaña guerrera fue aprobado en la Curia de Carrión de 1224, coincidiendo con las luchas por el poder que se abrieron entre los musulmanes al morir el sultán almohade Abú Yacub Yusuf. Una tras otra fueron cayendo en manos cristianas ciudades musulmanas tan significativas como Córdoba (1236) o Jaén (1246). Sevilla, en cambio, resistió duramente, exigiendo añadir al esfuerzo militar en tierra la actuación de la flota castellana del Cantábrico bajo el mando de Ramón Bonifaz, que asedió la ciudad por el río y bloqueó el Atlántico para impedir que llegaran refuerzos. Finalmente, Sevilla se rindió al rey Fernando en 1248.

En cambio, no consiguió completar el dominio de la Baja Andalucía con la toma de Cádiz -aunque lo intentó varias veces-, objetivo que cumpliría su hijo Alfonso X el Sabio. A la reconquista siguió la repoblación de las tierras recién incorporadas mediante repartimientos a caballeros y peones cristianos. Fernando III de Castilla murió en 1252, cuando preparaba una campaña para continuar la Reconquista hacia el norte de África; fue enterrado en la catedral de Sevilla. La Iglesia católica le canonizó en 1671.

Cómo citar este artículo: Fernández, Tomás y Tamaro, Elena. «Biografia de Fernando III el Santo». En Biografías y Vidas. La enciclopedia biográfica en línea [Internet]. Barcelona, España, 2004. Disponible en https://www.biografiasyvidas.com/biografia/f/fernando_iii.htm [fecha de acceso: 12 de noviembre de 2023].