Pedro Alfonso
Encyclopedia
Pedro Alfonso or Alfónsez ' onMouseout='HidePop("84691")' href="/topics/Floruit">floruit
1126–1173) 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 extensive and a sign of his economic power. He loyally served Alfonso VII and his son Ferdinand II
militarily and diplomatically from 1128 until his death.
in 1076. Pedro took as his first wife María Fróilaz, daughter of Froila Díaz and widow of Melendo Núñez. Her mother, Estefanía Sánchez, was a daughter of Sancho, the illegitimate half-brother of Sancho IV of Navarre
. They were married by 30 November 1143 and were still together as late as 4 October 1164. They had one daughter named Elvira Pérez, who was Pedro's primary heiress. In December 1174 Elvira donated her father's former estates in Santa Marina and Villaverde
to the Order of Calatrava
. On 26 June 1175 she made a donation to the Order of Santiago
of the "houses, baths, ovens, lands, vineyards, orchards, and gardens" in Toledo as well as the lands in Azaña that she had inherited from her "illustrious" father.
By 7 September 1170, when they made a grant to the monastery of Santa María de Lapedo, Pedro had remarried to Sancha Fernández, since 1167 the widow of Álvaro Rodríguez
. She was a generous benefactress of various religious institutions, giving to Sobrado
, Caabeiro, and Meira
between 1157 and 1171. By April 1178 she was remarried to Gonzalo Ruiz
, when she granted the arras she had received from Pedro to the Knights Hospitaller
. Additionally, some properties on the river Esla owned by Sancha's sons by Álvaro, Rodrigo
and Vermudo, appear to have derived from Pedro's properties. She was still alive on 9 March 1181.
in March 1126. For a year, between 8 July 1129 and 10 June 1130, he served as alférez
, or standard-bearer in charge of the knights of the royal household, an office typically held by promising young noblemen. In 1133 Alfonso VII charged Pedro and his uncle, Suero Vermúdez
, with bringing to heel the rebellious Asturian count Gonzalo Peláez
. They had with them "all the Asturians", according to the Chronica Adefonsi, which describes the start of the campaign thus:
The war against Gonzalo raged for another two years. In 1135 Suero, Pedro, and Arias Núñez, then Bishop of León, negotiated a short-lived peace settlement. Pedro was present at the coronation of Alfonso as imperator totius Hispaniae
in May 1135, perhaps staying in tents like the rest of the nobility, even though he owned houses in the city. In the autumn of 1136 Gonzalo Peláez rebelled again and this time was captured by Pedro, who imprisoned him in the castle at Aguilar de Campoo
in the province of León.
As early as 30 November 1139 Pedro was governing the region of Asturias de Oviedo
, with Salcedo
, which he would continue to rule until 1170. According to the Poema de Almería, he accompanied Alfonso on the campaign that conquered Almería
in 1147. In 1148 after returning to Toledo he was promoted to the rank of "count
" (comes), the highest dignity in the kingdom. The Poema has much to say about him and his first wife:
At the outset of the Almería campaign Pedro was holding the tenencias of Ablaña and Tineo
in Asturias and Babia in León between the Luna and Omañas rivers. He was holding Babia as late as 27 June 1163 and Tineo 18 July 1167. Between 1157 and 1162 there are scattered references to Pedro holding the Asturian tenencias of Luna, Orna, and Teberga. By December 1168 Pedro had been granted the tenencia of Gozón
, also in Asturias.
over the waters of a certain Villanueva. In May 1162 Pedro sold some property at Villa Marín to his brother Rodrigo. In February 1154 one Greo Pérez placed himself and his land under the protection of Pedro Alfonso in exchange for provision of clothing and food. Pedro and his first wife's property acquisitions in the Asturias and León were extensive: between 30 November 1143 and 23 November 1161 they made eight (possibly nine) separate transactions.
In October 1155 Pedro entered into an agreement with a certain Miguel Azarafi. Pedro had received a bathhouse in the district of Santa Leocadia in Toledo from the king on some previous date, and in 1155 he granted it to Miguel Azarafi, who was responsible for repairing it at his own expense save for the boiler, which Pedro was responsible to replace. The profits from the bathhouse were to be divided between the two. This is the only example from the twelfth century of a nobleman in León–Castile engaged in commercial speculation.
foundations of Asturias. He made donations to San Juan Bautista de Corias
, which he had held in comanda since 1140; to Vega (1156); and to Lorenzana
(1168). Late in life he made a donation to the Cistercian monastery of Saint Mary at Nogales
(1172).
Floruit
Floruit , abbreviated fl. , is a Latin verb meaning "flourished", denoting the period of time during which something was active...
1126–1173) 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
Kingdom of Toledo
The Kingdom of Toledo was the juridical definition of a Christian medieval kingdom in what is now central Spain, created after Alfonso VI of León's capture of Toledo in 1085.-Background:...
, including in the cities of León and Toledo
Toledo, Spain
Toledo's Alcázar became renowned in the 19th and 20th centuries as a military academy. At the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War in 1936 its garrison was famously besieged by Republican forces.-Economy:...
, the most important cities of the realm. His commercial dealings, too, were extensive and a sign of his economic power. He loyally served Alfonso VII and his son Ferdinand II
Ferdinand II of Leon
Ferdinand II was King of León and Galicia from 1157 to his death.-Life:Born in Toledo, Castile, he was the son of King Alfonso VII of León and Castile and of Berenguela, of the House of Barcelona. At his father's death, he received León and Galicia, while his brother Sancho received Castile and...
militarily and diplomatically from 1128 until his death.
Family
Pedro was the son of Alfonso Vermúdez, himself the son of Vermudo Ovéquiz of the Vela family and Jimena Peláez, and Urraca Raimúndez, possibly the daughter of Raymond the Fratricide who had to flee Navarre after participating in the murder of his brother king Sancho IV of NavarreSancho IV of Navarre
Sancho IV Garcés , called Sancho of Peñalén or Sancho the Noble, was King of Navarre from 1054 to 1076. He was the eldest son and heir of García Sánchez III and Estefanía....
in 1076. Pedro took as his first wife María Fróilaz, daughter of Froila Díaz and widow of Melendo Núñez. Her mother, Estefanía Sánchez, was a daughter of Sancho, the illegitimate half-brother of Sancho IV of Navarre
Sancho IV of Navarre
Sancho IV Garcés , called Sancho of Peñalén or Sancho the Noble, was King of Navarre from 1054 to 1076. He was the eldest son and heir of García Sánchez III and Estefanía....
. They were married by 30 November 1143 and were still together as late as 4 October 1164. They had one daughter named Elvira Pérez, who was Pedro's primary heiress. In December 1174 Elvira donated her father's former estates in Santa Marina and Villaverde
Valle de Villaverde
Valle de Villaverde is a town and municipality located in the autonomous community of Cantabria, Spain. It is surrounded by the Basque municipalities of Carranza, Arcentales, and Trucíos, but the town belongs to the administration of the government of Cantabria...
to the Order of Calatrava
Order of Calatrava
The Order of Calatrava was the first military order founded in Castile, but the second to receive papal approval. The papal bull confirming the Order of Calatrava as a Militia was given by Pope Alexander III on September 26, 1164.-Origins and Foundation:...
. On 26 June 1175 she made a donation to the Order of Santiago
Order of Santiago
The Order of Santiago was founded in the 12th century, and owes its name to the national patron of Galicia and Spain, Santiago , under whose banner the Christians of Galicia and Asturias began in the 9th century to combat and drive back the Muslims of the Iberian Peninsula.-History:Santiago de...
of the "houses, baths, ovens, lands, vineyards, orchards, and gardens" in Toledo as well as the lands in Azaña that she had inherited from her "illustrious" father.
By 7 September 1170, when they made a grant to the monastery of Santa María de Lapedo, Pedro had remarried to Sancha Fernández, since 1167 the widow of Álvaro Rodríguez
Álvaro Rodríguez
Álvaro Rodríguez was a Galician magnate during the reigns of Alfonso VII and Ferdinand II.Álvaro was the son of Rodrigo Vélaz and Urraca Álvarez, perhaps a daughter of Álvar Fáñez and Mayor Pérez, daughter of Pedro Ansúrez. He married Sancha, an illegitimate daughter of Fernando Pérez de Traba and...
. She was a generous benefactress of various religious institutions, giving to Sobrado
Sobrado Abbey
Sobrado Abbey is a former Cistercian monastery, now a Trappist monastery, in the province of A Coruña in Galicia in Spain. It is situated in the municipality of Sobrado, about 9 km east of Corredoiras and about 46 km south-east of Betanzos, at an altitude of 540 m above sea level.-History:A...
, Caabeiro, and Meira
Meira
Meira, is a municipality in the Spanish province of Lugo and a parish of the municipality of Moaña....
between 1157 and 1171. By April 1178 she was remarried to Gonzalo Ruiz
Gonzalo Ruiz
Gonzalo Ruiz or Rodríguez was the ruler of La Bureba throughout much of the mid-twelfth century. He held important positions at the courts of successive Castilian monarchs and guarded the frontier with Navarre, to whose Jiménez rulers he was related...
, when she granted the arras she had received from Pedro to the Knights Hospitaller
Knights Hospitaller
The Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Saint John of Jerusalem of Rhodes and of Malta , also known as the Sovereign Military Order of Malta , Order of Malta or Knights of Malta, is a Roman Catholic lay religious order, traditionally of military, chivalrous, noble nature. It is the world's...
. Additionally, some properties on the river Esla owned by Sancha's sons by Álvaro, Rodrigo
Rodrigo Álvarez
Rodrigo Álvarez was a Galician magnate in the Kingdom of León. He founded the Order of Mountjoy in 1174 and affiliated it with the Cistercian Order that he had long patronised....
and Vermudo, appear to have derived from Pedro's properties. She was still alive on 9 March 1181.
Political and military life
According to the Chronica Adefonsi imperatoris, Pedro was among the first group of nobles to do homage to Alfonso VII at ZamoraZamora, Spain
Zamora is a city in Castile and León, Spain, the capital of the province of Zamora. It lies on a rocky hill in the northwest, near the frontier with Portugal and crossed by the Duero river, which is some 50 km downstream as it reaches the Portuguese frontier...
in March 1126. For a year, between 8 July 1129 and 10 June 1130, 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...
, or standard-bearer in charge of the knights of the royal household, an office typically held by promising young noblemen. In 1133 Alfonso VII charged Pedro and his uncle, Suero Vermúdez
Suero Vermúdez
Suero Vermúdez was an Asturian nobleman, extensive landowner, patron of churches, territorial governor, and military leader...
, with bringing to heel the rebellious Asturian count Gonzalo Peláez
Gonzalo Peláez
Gonzalo Peláez was the ruler of the Asturias from 1110 to 1132, during the reigns of Queen Urraca and her son, Alfonso VII . He held high military posts under the latter, but in 1132 he began a five-year rebellion against Alfonso, punctuated by three brief reconciliations...
. They had with them "all the Asturians", according to the Chronica Adefonsi, which describes the start of the campaign thus:
Pedro Alfonso besieged Alba de Quirós. Count Gonzalo was at that time entrenched in Proaza. The forces of the King bravely tightened the siege against the rebels. They set up ambushes all around the castles, along the roads and paths and over the mountains. Whomever they caught, they sent away with his hands cut off. This was done for several days. The Count had been rebelling against the King for nearly two years.
The war against Gonzalo raged for another two years. In 1135 Suero, Pedro, and Arias Núñez, then Bishop of León, negotiated a short-lived peace settlement. Pedro was present at the coronation of Alfonso as imperator totius Hispaniae
Imperator 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...
in May 1135, perhaps staying in tents like the rest of the nobility, even though he owned houses in the city. In the autumn of 1136 Gonzalo Peláez rebelled again and this time was captured by Pedro, who imprisoned him in the castle at Aguilar de Campoo
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...
in the province of León.
As early as 30 November 1139 Pedro was governing the region of Asturias de Oviedo
Asturias 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...
, with Salcedo
Salcedo
Salcedo or Salzedo is a Spanish noble surname, of a family proceeding from the Kings of León, of which a branch passed to Portugal. It is also used through marriage and female line by the only legitimate branch and representative of the Salazar family...
, which he would continue to rule until 1170. According to the Poema de Almería, he accompanied Alfonso on the campaign that conquered Almería
Almería
Almería is a city in Andalusia, Spain, on the Mediterranean Sea. It is the capital of the province of the same name.-Toponym:Tradition says that the name Almería stems from the Arabic المرية Al-Mariyya: "The Mirror", comparing it to "The Mirror of the Sea"...
in 1147. In 1148 after returning to Toledo he was promoted to the rank of "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...
" (comes), the highest dignity in the kingdom. The Poema has much to say about him and his first wife:
Meanwhile, the daring Asturian chief measures his pace. He is neither hateful nor harsh with anyone. He is undefeated on sea and on land. He is powerful in his forces, not fearing the dangers of death. He is correct in his appearance, and he scorns death. He is dexterous in battle and no less competent in the hunt. Traversing the mountains, he knows where to find the springs of water. He disdains the waves of the sea as if they were the furrows in a field. No one equals him in surmounting opposition. This people constantly seeks the Savior's protection as they gallop from the northern shores. They join other comrades with the greatest speed. The illustrious Pedro Alfonso was their leader (dux illustris). He was not yet a consul, but he was equal to all in his own right. He is a burden to no one. He stands out among all as a virtuous man, and he is famed for his honor. He exceeds all of his peers in integrity. He is as handsome as Absalom, as strong as Samson, and he possesses the wisdom of Solomon. The Emperor made him a consul upon returning from his campaign. He attained this honored title through his own merits. Pedro Alfonso was indeed respected by the Emperor among his nobles. His royal and pious wife María enhanced his distinction. She was the daughter of a count, and through her merits she became a countess. Shining like a jewel she will thus live on through the ages.
At the outset of the Almería campaign Pedro was holding the tenencias of Ablaña and 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 Asturias and Babia in León between the Luna and Omañas rivers. He was holding Babia as late as 27 June 1163 and Tineo 18 July 1167. Between 1157 and 1162 there are scattered references to Pedro holding the Asturian tenencias of Luna, Orna, and Teberga. By December 1168 Pedro had been granted the tenencia 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....
, also in Asturias.
Commercial transactions
Between 1148 and 1154 Pedro was especially keen to acquire interest in Asturian monasteries. During this period he purchased properties in seven monasteria (monastic estates). On 1 June 1153 Pedro got into a property dispute with fellow count Ramiro FróilazRamiro Fróilaz
Ramiro Fróilaz was a Leonese magnate, statesman, and military leader. He was a dominant figure in the kingdom during the reigns of Alfonso VII and Ferdinand II. He was primarily a territorial governor, but also a court figure, connected to royalty both by blood and by marriage...
over the waters of a certain Villanueva. In May 1162 Pedro sold some property at Villa Marín to his brother Rodrigo. In February 1154 one Greo Pérez placed himself and his land under the protection of Pedro Alfonso in exchange for provision of clothing and food. Pedro and his first wife's property acquisitions in the Asturias and León were extensive: between 30 November 1143 and 23 November 1161 they made eight (possibly nine) separate transactions.
In October 1155 Pedro entered into an agreement with a certain Miguel Azarafi. Pedro had received a bathhouse in the district of Santa Leocadia in Toledo from the king on some previous date, and in 1155 he granted it to Miguel Azarafi, who was responsible for repairing it at his own expense save for the boiler, which Pedro was responsible to replace. The profits from the bathhouse were to be divided between the two. This is the only example from the twelfth century of a nobleman in León–Castile engaged in commercial speculation.
Religious patronage
The monastery of Lapedo belonged in Pedro's family. According to the Historia compostellana, he attained complete control of it in two agreements with his brother Gonzalo and his cousin Vela Gutiérrez on 23 and 29 July 1141 respectively. The list of Pedro and his first wife's donations to Lapedo is long. In 1149 he made a donation of sixteen cows to the cathedral of San Salvador de Oviedo. Pedro was also an important benefactor of the BenedictineBenedictine
Benedictine refers to the spirituality and consecrated life in accordance with the Rule of St Benedict, written by Benedict of Nursia in the sixth century for the cenobitic communities he founded in central Italy. The most notable of these is Monte Cassino, the first monastery founded by Benedict...
foundations of Asturias. He made donations to San Juan Bautista de Corias
San Juan Bautista de Corias
San Juan Bautista de Corias is a former Benedictine monastery in Corias on the right bank of the Narcea dedicated to Saint John the Baptist. It was founded in 1032 on his own land by Count Piñolo Jiménez and his wife Aldonza Muñoz, wealthy Leonese aristocrats...
, which he had held in comanda since 1140; to Vega (1156); and to Lorenzana
Lourenzá
Lourenzá is a municipality in Lugo province in Galicia in northwest Spain....
(1168). Late in life he made a donation to the Cistercian monastery of Saint Mary at Nogales
San Esteban de Nogales
San Esteban de Nogales is a municipality located in the province of León, Castile and León, Spain. According to the 2004 census , the municipality has a population of 350 inhabitants....
(1172).
Further reading
- Barton, Simon (2000). "From Tyrants to Soldiers of Christ: The Nobility of Twelfth-century León-Castile and the Struggle Against Islam". Nottingham Medieval Studies, 44.
- Barton, Simon (2006). "The 'Discovery of Aristocracy' in Twelfth-Century Spain: Portraits of the Secular Élite in the Poem of Almería". Bulletin of Hispanic Studies, 83.
- Canal Sánchez-Pagín, José María (1986). "El conde leonés Fruela Díaz y su esposa la navarra doña Estefanía Sánchez (siglos XI–XII)". Príncipe de Viana, 47:177, 23–42.
- Canal Sánchez-Pagín, José María (1981). "Elvira Pérez, condesa de Urgel: una asturiana desconocida". Asturiensia medievalia, 4:93–129.
- Estepa Díez, C. (1977). Estructura social de la ciudad de León (siglos XI–XIII). León.
- Floriano Cumbreño, A. C. (1962). Estudios de historia de Asturias. Oviedo.
- Salazar y Acha, Jaime de (1985). "Una familia de la alta Edad Media: Los Velas y su realidad histórica". Estudios Genealógicos y Heráldicos, 1:19–64.
- Salazar y Acha, Jaime de (2006). "Urraca, un nombre egregio en la onomástica altomedieval". En la España medieval, 1:29–48.