Gonzalo Peláez
Encyclopedia
Gonzalo Peláez was the ruler of the Asturias
from 1110 to 1132, during the reigns of Queen Urraca (1109–26) and her son, Alfonso VII (1126–57). He held high military posts under the latter, but in 1132 he began a five-year rebellion against Alfonso, punctuated by three brief reconciliations. He died in exile in Portugal
.
Of uncertain origins, Gonzalo may have been the son of Pelayo Peláez and Mumadonna (Mayor) González. The only link is a charter of 1097 by which a certan Mummadonna cognomento domna Maiore Gundesaluiz ("Mumadonna called lady Mayor González") made a donation to the Diocese of Oviedo for the good of her soul and that of her husband, Pelayo Peláez, making reference to their son named Gonzalo. On 18 November 1118 a Gonzalo Peláez, perhaps not the same man, received lands in the Araduey valley in the province of León from Queen Urraca along with his wife Mayor Muñoz. If it is the same man he may have been Leonese rather than Asturian, as usually assumed.
, which he held until April 1132. He was originally a mere castellan
in Oveto (at Oviedo
). On 1 February 1113 Gonzalo received half of Almunia de Candamo from Pelagius of Oviedo
. By June 1113 he was dominante Asturias (lording it over Asturias), and in a document of December he was described as caput terra (head of the land). In May 1120 he was referred to as regnante Asturias (ruling Asturias) and Asturias presidente (presiding in Asturias), but his most common designation (after 1123 at least) was potestas in Asturias (the power in Asturias). That throughout Urraca's reign Gonzalo did not use the title count
although he was apparently very powerful suggests that in the Asturias that dignity had been retired, perhaps in deference to bishop Pelagius. Starting in 1115 Urraca appears to have limited Gonzalo's power. That year a certain Gonzalo Sánchez was made castellan at Tineo
in the western Asturias. Between 1120 and 1125 Suero Vermúdez
appears as count in Tineo, and he also held Luna to the south, in León, thus controlling the passes of the Cordillera Cantábrica connecting the two provinces. As early as 1114 Suero was sharing jurisdiction in a lawsuit argued before Pelagius and Gonzalo.
The Chronica Adefonsi imperatoris names "Count Gonzalo Peláez" as one of those magnates who pledged fealty to Alfonso VII upon his succession in 1126, but this seems an error, as Gonzalo did not receive the comital title until February 1130, perhaps extorted from the king in a time of emergency. The Chronica goes on to describe him as the "governor of Asturias [who] allied himself with the King, and was appointed Consul in charge of all military outposts in Asturias". In 1129 Alfonso VII sent Gonzalo, whom the Chronica descibres as "Duke of Asturias", and Suero Vermúdez to negotiate with Alfonso I of Aragon and Navarre at Almazán
. He served as alférez
between November 1131 (possibly as early as July) and March 1132. He was then at the height of his power. The Chronica Adefonsi accuses him of not sufficiently or wholeheartedly aiding the king in the defence of the frontier against Alfonso of Aragon, and of openly defying Queen Urraca "after she had honored him." One modern historian, however, attributes Gonzalo's rise from obscurity to "almost total power in Asturias" to his faithfulness to Urraca during the civil wars of the first half of her reign.
in 1130, Gonzalo rebelled against Alfonso. He was supported by his relative, a minor local nobleman, Rodrigo Gómez, but he did not have the support of the bishop Alfonso of Oviedo. The king diverted an army he had assembled at Atienza
to campaign against Aragon to the Asturias, to campaign against Gonzalo. Rodrigo Gómez was seized, stripped of his lands and titles, and "sent away". When Gonzalo retreated before the royal army's approach, many of his knights were captured. Alfonso had them "kept under guard at the rear". He captured the castle of Gozón
and those nearest it, but he was unable to take the fortress of Tudela where Gonzalo had shut himself in. When Gonzalo realised how many of his knights had been captured he negotiated a year-long truce (a "mutual covenant of peace" in the words of the Chronica). Tudela was handed over, but Gonzalo retained his hold on the castles of Proaza
, Buanga
, and Alba de Quirós, "all very strong fortresses" according to the Chronica.
, who had the help of "all of the Asturians", though what the chronicler means by this last phrase is unclear. Suero first attacked Buanga and Pedro Alba de Quirós, although Gonzalo was then at Proaza. The royal forces tightened the encirclement of Gonzalo's strongholds. Ambushes were prepared on all roads leading to his castles and over the mountains. The Chronica records that "whomever they caught, they sent away with his hands cut off," which "was done for several days".
The uprising, still ongoing, is mentioned in a royal charter of May 1134 (Gundinsalvo comite in rebellione posito in castro buanga samna). In the spring of 1135 Gonzalo made peace with the king through his negotiators, Suero, Pedro, and Bishop Arias of León. According to the Chronica Adefonsi, Gonzalo threw himself at Alfonso's feet, admitted his guilt, and begged for forgiveness, which he received. Gonzalo was stayed at the royal palace for several days receiving highest honours. All this was undoubtedly the public ceremony, designed to safeguard the king's reputation, but in the negotiations Gonzalo had agreed to relinquish his three castles only on the condition that he receive the tenencia of Luna, which had formerly belonged to Suero Vermúdez. To this Alfonso agreed, on the advice of his counsellors, who included his sister Sancha Raimúndez and his wife Berengaria
.
—appears to have quickly failed, for in July 1135 Alfonso awarded the property of Gonzalo Peláez to Rodrigo Martínez
and Rodrigo González de Lara
, and a royal document of December 1135 records that Gonzalo was then in open revolt in Buanga. The next spring the king and Gonzalo again reconciled, and the latter was with the court at Sahagún
throughout March 1136.
. He is not, however, cited as tenente (holding) Luna in any surviving documents, and the king may not have fulfilled his part of the accord, though the Chronica says that he ordered Luna turned over to him "in order to avoid any further rebellion." By early 1137 Gonzalo was in revolt, but this time he was arrested by Pedro Alfonso and imprisoned in the castle of Aguilar
. The king ordered him released and banished, setting a specific day on which he was to go into exile. Gonzalo complied. By October he had taken up residence in Portugal at the court of Afonso Henriques, accompanied by his household knights. He may have been plotting to harass Alfonso from there. The Chronica records that he intended to "wage war by sea"
against both Galicia and the Asturias, which had the support of Afonso, who treated him with honour and promised to reward him with high office.
Gonzalo never did, for he died—Deo disponente ("God disposing") in the words of the Chronica—in March the next year (1138). The author of the Chronica, an obvious partisan of Alfonso VII, notes caustically that he "caught a fever and died an exile in a foreign land." His knights bore his body back to Oviedo for burial, as the king permitted. In 1143 his surviving sister, Cristina Peláez, and her husband, Gonzalo Vermúdez, made a grant to the church of Oviedo for the sake of his soul.
Asturias
The Principality of Asturias is an autonomous community of the Kingdom of Spain, coextensive with the former Kingdom of Asturias in the Middle Ages...
from 1110 to 1132, during the reigns of Queen Urraca (1109–26) and her son, Alfonso VII (1126–57). He held high military posts under the latter, but in 1132 he began a five-year rebellion against Alfonso, punctuated by three brief reconciliations. He died in exile in Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
.
Of uncertain origins, Gonzalo may have been the son of Pelayo Peláez and Mumadonna (Mayor) González. The only link is a charter of 1097 by which a certan Mummadonna cognomento domna Maiore Gundesaluiz ("Mumadonna called lady Mayor González") made a donation to the Diocese of Oviedo for the good of her soul and that of her husband, Pelayo Peláez, making reference to their son named Gonzalo. On 18 November 1118 a Gonzalo Peláez, perhaps not the same man, received lands in the Araduey valley in the province of León from Queen Urraca along with his wife Mayor Muñoz. If it is the same man he may have been Leonese rather than Asturian, as usually assumed.
Rule in the Asturias
Gonzalo first appears in the record in 1095, but without a noble title. By July 1110 he had received the tenencia of Asturias de OviedoAsturias de Oviedo
Asturias de Oviedo is one of the historical comarcas in the Kingdom of Asturias. It extended from the Eo River in the west to the Deva River in the east, and from the Bay of Biscay in the north to the Cordillera Cantábrica in the south...
, which he held until April 1132. He was originally a mere castellan
Castellan
A castellan was the governor or captain of a castle. The word stems from the Latin Castellanus, derived from castellum "castle". Also known as a constable.-Duties:...
in Oveto (at Oviedo
Oviedo
Oviedo is the capital city of the Principality of Asturias in northern Spain. It is also the name of the municipality that contains the city....
). On 1 February 1113 Gonzalo received half of Almunia de Candamo from Pelagius of Oviedo
Pelagius of Oviedo
Pelagius of Oviedo was a medieval ecclesiastic, historian, and forger who served the Diocese of Oviedo as an auxiliary bishop from 1098 and as bishop from 1102 until his deposition in 1130 and again from 1142 to 1143. He was an active and independent-minded prelate, who zealously defended the...
. By June 1113 he was dominante Asturias (lording it over Asturias), and in a document of December he was described as caput terra (head of the land). In May 1120 he was referred to as regnante Asturias (ruling Asturias) and Asturias presidente (presiding in Asturias), but his most common designation (after 1123 at least) was potestas in Asturias (the power in Asturias). That throughout Urraca's reign Gonzalo did not use the title count
Count
A count or countess is an aristocratic nobleman in European countries. The word count came into English from the French comte, itself from Latin comes—in its accusative comitem—meaning "companion", and later "companion of the emperor, delegate of the emperor". The adjective form of the word is...
although he was apparently very powerful suggests that in the Asturias that dignity had been retired, perhaps in deference to bishop Pelagius. Starting in 1115 Urraca appears to have limited Gonzalo's power. That year a certain Gonzalo Sánchez was made castellan at Tineo
Tineo
- Politics :-Parroquias :-Tourism:The Sacred Art Museum of Tineo is located at the Plaza Alonso Martinez inside the Convento de San Francisco del Monte , a 14th century Roman Catholic church accessible via the AS-217 road.-External links:***...
in the western Asturias. Between 1120 and 1125 Suero Vermúdez
Suero Vermúdez
Suero Vermúdez was an Asturian nobleman, extensive landowner, patron of churches, territorial governor, and military leader...
appears as count in Tineo, and he also held Luna to the south, in León, thus controlling the passes of the Cordillera Cantábrica connecting the two provinces. As early as 1114 Suero was sharing jurisdiction in a lawsuit argued before Pelagius and Gonzalo.
The Chronica Adefonsi imperatoris names "Count Gonzalo Peláez" as one of those magnates who pledged fealty to Alfonso VII upon his succession in 1126, but this seems an error, as Gonzalo did not receive the comital title until February 1130, perhaps extorted from the king in a time of emergency. The Chronica goes on to describe him as the "governor of Asturias [who] allied himself with the King, and was appointed Consul in charge of all military outposts in Asturias". In 1129 Alfonso VII sent Gonzalo, whom the Chronica descibres as "Duke of Asturias", and Suero Vermúdez to negotiate with Alfonso I of Aragon and Navarre at Almazán
Almazán
Almazán is a municipality located in the province of Soria, Castile and León, Spain. According to the 2004 census , the municipality has a population of 5,755 inhabitants.- External links :*...
. He served as alférez
Alférez
Alférez is a junior officer rank also used in Spain, Argentina, Chile and Uruguay. The variant Alferes is used in Portugal and was formerly also used in Brazil. A naval variant, Frigate Alférez, is used in Spain, Dominican Republic and Peru. "Alférez" is often translated as ensign...
between November 1131 (possibly as early as July) and March 1132. He was then at the height of his power. The Chronica Adefonsi accuses him of not sufficiently or wholeheartedly aiding the king in the defence of the frontier against Alfonso of Aragon, and of openly defying Queen Urraca "after she had honored him." One modern historian, however, attributes Gonzalo's rise from obscurity to "almost total power in Asturias" to his faithfulness to Urraca during the civil wars of the first half of her reign.
First rebellion
In 1132, for reasons unknown, but perhaps connected to the revolt of the Lara family in CastileKingdom of Castile
Kingdom of Castile was one of the medieval kingdoms of the Iberian Peninsula. It emerged as a political autonomous entity in the 9th century. It was called County of Castile and was held in vassalage from the Kingdom of León. Its name comes from the host of castles constructed in the region...
in 1130, Gonzalo rebelled against Alfonso. He was supported by his relative, a minor local nobleman, Rodrigo Gómez, but he did not have the support of the bishop Alfonso of Oviedo. The king diverted an army he had assembled at Atienza
Atienza
Atienza is a municipality located in the province of Guadalajara, Spain. According to the 2006 census , the municipality has a population of 437 inhabitants.There were ancient Celtiberian settlements in the Cerro del Padrastro.- Geology :...
to campaign against Aragon to the Asturias, to campaign against Gonzalo. Rodrigo Gómez was seized, stripped of his lands and titles, and "sent away". When Gonzalo retreated before the royal army's approach, many of his knights were captured. Alfonso had them "kept under guard at the rear". He captured the castle of Gozón
Gozón
Gozón is a municipality in the Autonomous Community of the Principality of Asturias, Spain. The Cantabrian Sea lies on its northern edge, and it is bordered to the south by Corvera de Asturias, to the west by Avilés, and to the east by Carreño....
and those nearest it, but he was unable to take the fortress of Tudela where Gonzalo had shut himself in. When Gonzalo realised how many of his knights had been captured he negotiated a year-long truce (a "mutual covenant of peace" in the words of the Chronica). Tudela was handed over, but Gonzalo retained his hold on the castles of Proaza
Proaza
Proaza is a municipality in the Autonomous Community of the Principality of Asturias, Spain. It is bordered on the north by Santo Adriano and Grado, on the south by Teverga and Quirós, on the west by Yernes y Tameza and Teverga, and on the east by Quirós....
, Buanga
Sama de Grado
Sama de Grado is one of 28 parishes in the municipality of Grado, within the province and autonomous community of Asturias, in northern Spain.The population is 164 .-Villages and hamlets:*La Corredoria*Doró...
, and Alba de Quirós, "all very strong fortresses" according to the Chronica.
Second rebellion
In 1133 Alfonso went to Oviedo and demanded the surrender of the castles. Gonzalo refused and prepared to fight at Proaza. The Chronica reports that "he had killed the horse the King was riding, along with several men." Again unable to suppress the rebellion, Alfonso left troops under the command of Suero Vermúdez and Pedro AlfonsoPedro Alfonso
Pedro Alfonso or Alfónsez was an Asturian magnate, dominating the region from 1139 until his death. He had vast landholdings in the Asturias, the province of León, and Toledo, including in the cities of León and Toledo, the most important cities of the realm. His commercial dealings, too, were...
, who had the help of "all of the Asturians", though what the chronicler means by this last phrase is unclear. Suero first attacked Buanga and Pedro Alba de Quirós, although Gonzalo was then at Proaza. The royal forces tightened the encirclement of Gonzalo's strongholds. Ambushes were prepared on all roads leading to his castles and over the mountains. The Chronica records that "whomever they caught, they sent away with his hands cut off," which "was done for several days".
The uprising, still ongoing, is mentioned in a royal charter of May 1134 (Gundinsalvo comite in rebellione posito in castro buanga samna). In the spring of 1135 Gonzalo made peace with the king through his negotiators, Suero, Pedro, and Bishop Arias of León. According to the Chronica Adefonsi, Gonzalo threw himself at Alfonso's feet, admitted his guilt, and begged for forgiveness, which he received. Gonzalo was stayed at the royal palace for several days receiving highest honours. All this was undoubtedly the public ceremony, designed to safeguard the king's reputation, but in the negotiations Gonzalo had agreed to relinquish his three castles only on the condition that he receive the tenencia of Luna, which had formerly belonged to Suero Vermúdez. To this Alfonso agreed, on the advice of his counsellors, who included his sister Sancha Raimúndez and his wife Berengaria
Berenguela of Barcelona
Berenguela or Berengaria of Barcelona was Queen consort of Castile, León and Galicia She was the daughter of Raimon III of Barcelona and Dulce Aldonza Milhaud...
.
Third rebellion
Gonzalo undersigned four documents on 26 May 1135, and participated in the business of the royal court a week later (2 June). This reconciliation—made just in time for Alfonso's coronation as Imperator HispaniaeImperator totius Hispaniae
Imperator totius Hispaniae is a Latin title meaning "Emperor of all Spain". In Spain in the Middle Ages, the title "emperor" was used under a variety of circumstances from the ninth century onwards, but its usage peaked, as a formal and practical title, between 1086 and 1157...
—appears to have quickly failed, for in July 1135 Alfonso awarded the property of Gonzalo Peláez to Rodrigo Martínez
Rodrigo Martínez
Rodrigo Martínez was a Leonese nobleman, landowner, courtier, military leader, governor, and diplomat, "the most powerful lay figure in the region of the western Tierra de Campos," who "emerges as far and away the most regular visitor to the court of Alfonso VII between 1127 and 1138." He was a...
and Rodrigo González de Lara
Rodrigo González de Lara
Rodrigo González de Lara was a Castilian nobleman of the House of Lara. Early in his career he ruled that half of Asturias allocated to Castile. He was faithful to the crown throughout the reign of Queen Urraca , during which time he was married to the queen's half-sister and ruled a large part of...
, and a royal document of December 1135 records that Gonzalo was then in open revolt in Buanga. The next spring the king and Gonzalo again reconciled, and the latter was with the court at Sahagún
Sahagún
Sahagún can refer to:*Sahagún, Spain, a town and monastery in Léon, Spain. Cradle of the Mudéjar architecture*Sahagún, Córdoba, the second town in population in Córdoba Department, Colombia, also called "The Cultural City of Cordoba"People...
throughout March 1136.
Last rebellion, exile and death
Gonzalo remained with the court and on good terms with the king until at least late October, when the court was at PalenciaPalencia
Palencia is a city south of Tierra de Campos, in north-northwest Spain, the capital of the province of Palencia in the autonomous community of Castile-Leon...
. He is not, however, cited as tenente (holding) Luna in any surviving documents, and the king may not have fulfilled his part of the accord, though the Chronica says that he ordered Luna turned over to him "in order to avoid any further rebellion." By early 1137 Gonzalo was in revolt, but this time he was arrested by Pedro Alfonso and imprisoned in the castle of Aguilar
Aguilar de Campoo
Aguilar de Campoo is a town in the province of Palencia, autonomous community of Castile and León, Spain. It is close to the River Pisuerga.-History:In 1255 Alfonso X the Wise declared it Villa Realenga...
. The king ordered him released and banished, setting a specific day on which he was to go into exile. Gonzalo complied. By October he had taken up residence in Portugal at the court of Afonso Henriques, accompanied by his household knights. He may have been plotting to harass Alfonso from there. The Chronica records that he intended to "wage war by sea"
Naval warfare
Naval warfare is combat in and on seas, oceans, or any other major bodies of water such as large lakes and wide rivers.-History:Mankind has fought battles on the sea for more than 3,000 years. Land warfare would seem, initially, to be irrelevant and entirely removed from warfare on the open ocean,...
against both Galicia and the Asturias, which had the support of Afonso, who treated him with honour and promised to reward him with high office.
Gonzalo never did, for he died—Deo disponente ("God disposing") in the words of the Chronica—in March the next year (1138). The author of the Chronica, an obvious partisan of Alfonso VII, notes caustically that he "caught a fever and died an exile in a foreign land." His knights bore his body back to Oviedo for burial, as the king permitted. In 1143 his surviving sister, Cristina Peláez, and her husband, Gonzalo Vermúdez, made a grant to the church of Oviedo for the sake of his soul.