Rodrigo González de Lara
Encyclopedia
Rodrigo González de Lara (floruit
1078–1143) 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 (1109–26), during which time he was married to the queen's half-sister and ruled a large part of the old County of Castile. He and his elder brother, Pedro González
, led the opposition to Alfonso VII early in his reign (1126–57). He led a revolt in 1130 and was exiled in 1137. He was a leader in the Reconquista
—about which the contemporary Chronica Adefonsi imperatoris has much to say—and also took part in the military activities of the Crusader states
on two occasions. He travelled widely throughout Spain, but ended his days in Palestine.
. Rodrigo's inheritance was modest.
A certain Rodrigo González who was alférez
(standard-bearer) of Alfonso VI between 29 January 1078 and 9 June 1081 may have been Rodrigo González de Lara. If so, he was a very old man when he died. The alférez did sign the carta de arras (charter of bridewealth) of Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar, El Cid Campeador
, in 1080/1. A Rodrigo González who signed eight royal diplomas between 1092 and 1099 has also been identified with the alférez, the son of Gonzalo Núñez, and the later Crusader.
, the valley of Mena
, and Asturias de Santillana, formerly held by his cousin Rodrigo Muñoz. By 1119 he was ruling the Trasmiera
, the region north of the Miera, which up until then had also been held by Rodrigo Muñoz. He is not recorded there after 1120, by which time his rule had extended westward over Aguilar de Campoo
. At the same time he first appeared as governing "in Castile" (in castella), probably a reference to Old Castile; certainly he was not governing all of Castile. There are references to a "Count Rodrigo" governing Castile as early as 9 May 1112, but this may be Rodrigo Muñoz.
By 13 April 1121 Rodrigo was a count
. In 1122 he made a donation to the Benedictine
monastery of Santa María de Piasca. Sometime before 1122 Rodrigo married Sancha (born c.1101), a daughter of Alfonso VI and his fourth wife Isabel. She bore him three daughters: Elvira, Sancha, and Urraca.
Rodrigo confirmed a total of fifteen royal charters during Urraca's reign. It was during the final six years of Urraca's reign, a period of general peace, that Rodrigo held power in the Kingdom of León
. As early as 1120 he was governing Liébana
, and by 1122 he was also governing Nángulo, Piedras Negras
, and the Tierra de Campos
. By 1125 he was ruling Pernía as well. A private document dated 17 June 1126 refers to both Rodrigo and Pedro as holding Lara, Campos, and Asturias de Santillana, seemingly jointly. Their rule in none of these places can be traced after Urraca's death. On 10 May 1125 at Sahagún
, Rodrigo and the queen made a joint donation of the monastery at Vega to the Order of Fontevraud. His wife Sancha was dead by that time, and Urraca, their youngest daughter, was put in the custody of Sancha Raimúndez, the king's sister.
In 1127 he sold an estate at Arce to the parish of Santillana del Mar
. There is evidence, in the former of a thirteenth-century copy of a private charter, that Alfonso tried to lure Rodrigo to his side by making him alférez in the winter of 1127–28. Despite their earlier submission, Pedro, Rodrigo, and their allies refused to join the army Alfonso assembled at Atienza
in 1129 to fight Alfonso I of Aragon and Navarre. The king then relieved Rodrigo of his post as alférez, replacing him with Pedro Alfónsez. Early in 1130 he rebelled against the king. The rebellion seems to have been designed to place on the throne Fernando Pérez de Lara, Rodrigo's nephew, an illegitimate son of Pedro González and Queen Urraca. It had the support of Alfonso of Aragon and of his agent in Castile, Bertrán de Risnel
, son-in-law of Pedro. While Pedro and Bertrán took the city of Palencia
, and another relative of Rodrigo's, Jimeno Íñiguez, rebelled at Valencia de Don Juan
, Rodrigo took up arms in Asturias de Santillana, the northwestern part of Castile. A minor noble, Pedro Díaz, rebelled from his castle of Valle. He was put down by the brothers Osorio
and Rodrigo Martínez
. By June the king had retaken Palencia and captured Pedro and Bertrán.
Having dealt with the other rebels, Alfonso turned to Asturias, where "he captured their fortified castles, set fire to their fields and hacked down their trees and vineyards." Forced to sue for peace, Rodrigo sent envoys requesting a meeting with the king on the banks of the Pisuerga
. Per the agreement Rodrigo and Alfonso would each be accompanied by only six of their knights. During the meeting the king became so enraged by Rodrigo's "disrespectful remarks" that he seized him by the throat and they both fell from their horses. At this Rodrigo's retinue fled and the count was taken "as if he were a common prisoner." Rodrigo found his castles and tenencias confiscated, with Asturias placed in the hands of Rodrigo Gómez
. There is a record of a comitem Rodericum Gundisalui de Asturias ("count Rodrigo González of Asturias") present on 3 November 1140 at the hearing of a dispute between the Bishop of Burgos, Ramiro, and the Bishop of Calahorra, Sancho, in the presence of the king, but it is probably unreliable. It is unlikely that Rodrigo ever regained his place in eastern Asturias. Within a few days of his being released (only after all his castles and fiefs had been received by the king), Rodrigo returned to acknowledge his crimes and seek mercy, which he received by the end of 1131, when he was appointed alcaide of Toledo
in place of Gutierre Armíldez, who had died.
against the Moors were indeed great, but they have not been described in this book." And "The other battles which the Consul Rodrigo fought with the king of the Almoravides are not recorded in this book."
Rodrigo's government in Toledo can be traced in the documents between 1132 and 1136, and he was also governor of Segovia
in 1133. The Chronica Adefonsi (I, §23) records that Alfonso "entrusted Toledo to him and extensive territories on the frontier and in Castile" and (II, §119) "he was made commander of all troops in Toledo and leader of Extremadura
." In June 1132 he gathered the militias of Ávila, Segovia, Toledo, and "the other cities under Toledo's jurisdiction" and combined this force of both cavalry
and infantry
with an even larger army drawb from Castile and Extremadura. He then led them in a raid into Muslim territory, down the valley of the Guadalquivir
, devastating the environs of Seville
. The Chronica Adefonsi notes that he "cut down the fruit trees". He took many captives and a large booty. The Almoravid governor (or king) of Seville, Umar, raised a large army from among his allies and fought Rodrigo in a pitched battle. Rodrigo divided his infantry into two groups, archers
and slingers
, and placed his bravest men at the front. The second line was composed of the militia of Ávila, which engaged an Arab wing, and the third of the militia of Segovia, which faced an Almoravid and Andalusion (native) wing. The militia of Toledo and the troops from the Trans-Sierra and Castile were left in reserve at the rear, under the personal command of Rodrigo "to reinforce the weak and to bring medical aid to the wounded." Umar was captured and ultimately beheaded. So important was this battle that it was recorded in three chronicles: the Chronica Adefonsi, the Anales toledanos primeros, and the Arabic chronicle of Ibn Idhari
(who errs in dating it to 1130). The author of the Chronica, probably bishop Arnaldo of Astorga, quotes from I Maccabees 9 in describing a encounter he evidently considered of biblical proportions (II, §121):
The victory of Rodrigo inspired a contingent from Salamanca
to go raiding in the region around Badajoz
. Some muladí
es, Muslims living under Christian rule, that had fled Rodrigo's camp had given away the Salamancans' position to the Almoravid sultan, Ali ibn Yusuf ben Tashfin
, who promptly attacked and defeated it.
In late May 1133 Rodrigo commanded half of the royal army marching out from Toledo. The army was divided "because there was not enough drinking water ... nor was there enough grass to feed the animals." Rodrigo led his forces through the Despeñaperros Pass. The two armies traversed uninhabited territory for fifteen days before meeting before the enemy castle at Galledo. Thereafter the army followed same route as in the previous year: the Guadalquivir valley as far as Seville, but then continued on to Jerez de la Frontera
, which was sacked, and Cádiz
, whose countryside was terrorised. The army returned to Toledo by late summer with a vast booty of camels, horses, cattle, sheep, and goats. In July 1135 Alfonso gave him and Rodrigo Martínez some properties confiscated from another rebel, the Asturian Gonzalo Peláez
. One historian believes he regained the long lost fief of Asturias de Santiallana at about this time.
by July 1135 Rodrigo had contracted a second marriage to Estefanía, daughter of Ermengol V of Urgell
and widow of the Castilian magnate Fernando Garcés. Estefanía had received a carta de arras from her first husband on 12 November 1119, and she was widowed around 1125. Despite this, on 6 September 1135 Rodrigo praised his new wife for her youth in his carta de arras. On 7 September 1135 Rodrigo witnessed a donation of the churches of Tovar
and Laguna
by his eldest daughter, Elvira, and her husband, the brother of his new wife, Ermengol VI of Urgell
, to the convent of Santa María de Valladolid. Estefanía bore Rodrigo two sons, Pedro and Rodrigo.
. Shortly after, for reasons unknown, Rodrigo fell from favour and was exiled. According to at least one manuscript of the Chronica Adefonsi imperatoris, this occurred in October 1134, but documentary evidence seems to indicate that it actually took place in 1137. Of his own accord he surrendered Toledo and the other tenencias he held, which still included Aguilar and Old Castile according to royal documents date as late as 1 April 1137, to the king in person ("[he] kissed the King's hand in farewell and [took] leave of his comrades"). He decided to turn his exile into a pilgrimage
("he became a pilgrim and crossed the sea of Jerusalem for purpose of prayer", in the words of the Chronica), visiting Jerusalem and fighting the Muslims in the Holy Land for two years. He reputedly built the castle called Toron (later le Toron des Chevaliers, modern Latrun
) facing Ascalon
, which was then still in Muslim hands. The Chronica says the he garrisoned it "with knights, infantrymen, and provisions, and he gave it to the Knights Templars."
Rodrigo returned to Spain, via the Adriatic and Italy
, in 1139, and, being barred from returning to Castile or his patrimonial lands, sojourned at various courts in the east of the peninsula. He served for a time Raymond Berengar IV of Barcelona
, who made him lord of Huesca
and Jaca
between 1139 and 1141. He was later in the service of García Ramírez of Navarre and then the Almoravid governor of Valencia
, Abengania. The Chronica Adefonsi says that while he only stayed a few days at Valencia, he contracted leprosy
(from a "Saracen potion"). He did briefly return to Castile, where on 8 February 1141 he granted the village of Huérmeces
to the Benedictines of Arlanza
. He eventually made his way to the Urgell, where on 24 March 1143 he witnessed, as comes Roricus, the final will and testament of his brother-in-law and son-in-law, Count Ermengol VI. His daughter Elvira had probably died by then. Sometime in or after 1143 he returned to the Holy Land, and there he died. Shortly before her husband's death Estefanía founded a Cistercian monastery at Valbuena de Duero
(15 February 1143). Her sons, unlike the sons of her husband's brother, never rose to as high a rank in the kingdom as their father had.
Historian Antonio Suárez de Alarcón owned several manuscript fragments of the Chronica, which were used by Enrique Flórez
in amending the first published edition of the text by Francisco de Berganza
. Alarcón himself had made extensive used only of those passages relating to Rodrigo González, since he had established the descent of the Marqueses de Trocifal from him in his Relaciones genealógicas de la casa de los Marqueses de Trocifal, Condes de Torresvedras (Madrid, 1656).
Floruit
Floruit , abbreviated fl. , is a Latin verb meaning "flourished", denoting the period of time during which something was active...
1078–1143) was a Castilian
Kingdom 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...
nobleman of the House of Lara
House of Lara
The House of Lara or Casa de Lara are a noble family, known from the medieval Kingdom of Castile.Two of its branches, those from the Duke of Nájera and from the Marquis of Aguilar de Campoo were considered Grandees of Spain...
. Early in his career he ruled that half of Asturias
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...
allocated to Castile. He was faithful to the crown throughout the reign of Queen Urraca (1109–26), during which time he was married to the queen's half-sister and ruled a large part of the old County of Castile. He and his elder brother, Pedro González
Pedro González de Lara
Pedro González de Lara was a Castilian magnate. He served Alfonso VI as a young man, and later became the lover of Alfonso's heiress, Queen Urraca. He may have joined the First Crusade in the following of Raymond IV of Toulouse, earning the nickname el Romero...
, led the opposition to Alfonso VII early in his reign (1126–57). He led a revolt in 1130 and was exiled in 1137. He was a leader in the Reconquista
Reconquista
The Reconquista was a period of almost 800 years in the Middle Ages during which several Christian kingdoms succeeded in retaking the Muslim-controlled areas of the Iberian Peninsula broadly known as Al-Andalus...
—about which the contemporary Chronica Adefonsi imperatoris has much to say—and also took part in the military activities of the Crusader states
Military history of the Crusader states
The military history of the Crusader states began with the formation of the County of Edessa in 1097 and ended with the loss of Ruad in 1302 it was the last Christian stronghold in the Holy Land.-War with the Seljuks:...
on two occasions. He travelled widely throughout Spain, but ended his days in Palestine.
Youth under Alfonso VI (1078–1112)
Rodrigo was a son of Gonzalo Núñez de Lara and Godo Núñez, and kinsman of Gonzalo SalvadórezGonzalo Salvadórez
Gonzalo Salvadórez , "called Cuatro Manos on account of his great valour", was one of the most powerful Castilian noblemen of his era, a kinsman of the Lara family, and by tradition, descendant of the Counts of Castile...
. Rodrigo's inheritance was modest.
A certain Rodrigo González who was 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...
(standard-bearer) of Alfonso VI between 29 January 1078 and 9 June 1081 may have been Rodrigo González de Lara. If so, he was a very old man when he died. The alférez did sign the carta de arras (charter of bridewealth) of Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar, El Cid Campeador
El Cid
Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar , known as El Cid Campeador , was a Castilian nobleman, military leader, and diplomat...
, in 1080/1. A Rodrigo González who signed eight royal diplomas between 1092 and 1099 has also been identified with the alférez, the son of Gonzalo Núñez, and the later Crusader.
Governing the Asturias (1112–1130)
Rodrigo González de Lara first appears holding a fief (tenencia) from the crown on 29 February 1112, when he was governing all the Cantabrian region south of the river MieraPas and Miera valleys
The Valleys of the Pas and Miera Rivers comprise an administrative comarca in Cantabria, Spain. It is formed by the valleys of said rivers, each one being a natural comarca of its own.-Pas valley:...
, the valley of Mena
Valle de Mena
The Valley of Mena is a municipality of the province of Burgos, Spain, that borders Biscay.The town has 3,926 inhabitants and the town is under jurisdiction of Villasana de Mena District....
, and Asturias de Santillana, formerly held by his cousin Rodrigo Muñoz. By 1119 he was ruling the Trasmiera
Trasmiera
Trasmiera is a historic comarca of Cantabria , located to the east of the Miera River , reaching the western side of the Asón...
, the region north of the Miera, which up until then had also been held by Rodrigo Muñoz. He is not recorded there after 1120, by which time his rule had extended westward over 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...
. At the same time he first appeared as governing "in Castile" (in castella), probably a reference to Old Castile; certainly he was not governing all of Castile. There are references to a "Count Rodrigo" governing Castile as early as 9 May 1112, but this may be Rodrigo Muñoz.
By 13 April 1121 Rodrigo was a 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...
. In 1122 he made a donation to the Benedictine
Benedictine
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...
monastery of Santa María de Piasca. Sometime before 1122 Rodrigo married Sancha (born c.1101), a daughter of Alfonso VI and his fourth wife Isabel. She bore him three daughters: Elvira, Sancha, and Urraca.
Kingdom of León
The Kingdom of León was an independent kingdom situated in the northwest region of the Iberian Peninsula. It was founded in AD 910 when the Christian princes of Asturias along the northern coast of the peninsula shifted their capital from Oviedo to the city of León...
. As early as 1120 he was governing Liébana
Liébana
Liébana is a comarca of Cantabria .It covers 570 square kilometers and is located in the southwest of Cantabria, bordering Asturias, León and Palencia...
, and by 1122 he was also governing Nángulo, Piedras Negras
Piedras Negras
Piedras Negras may refer to:* Piedras Negras, Coahuila, a city in northern Mexico* Piedras Negras , an archaeological site of the pre-Columbian Maya civilization, located in the present-day Petén department of Guatemala...
, and the Tierra de Campos
Tierra de Campos
Tierra de Campos is a large historical region or greater comarca that straddles the provinces of León, Zamora, Valladolid and Palencia, in Castile and León, Spain...
. By 1125 he was ruling Pernía as well. A private document dated 17 June 1126 refers to both Rodrigo and Pedro as holding Lara, Campos, and Asturias de Santillana, seemingly jointly. Their rule in none of these places can be traced after Urraca's death. On 10 May 1125 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...
, Rodrigo and the queen made a joint donation of the monastery at Vega to the Order of Fontevraud. His wife Sancha was dead by that time, and Urraca, their youngest daughter, was put in the custody of Sancha Raimúndez, the king's sister.
Rebellion against Alfonso VII (1130–1131)
There is a false document dated 18 April 1125 that names Rodrigo González as villicus imperatoris, that is, imperial majordomo. After the queen's death on 8 March 1126, the "towers of León", that is, the royal fortress in the city of León, refused to submit to her son, Alfonso VII, preferring the rule of Pedro González, who had been the queen's lover, and his brother Rodrigo, whom the author of the Chronica Adefonsi (I, §3) says "preferred war rather than peace with the King". Eventually the brothers were forced to make submission to Alfonso VII and did not do so willingly, as the other magnates:
Other counts saw that the King's power was increasing daily. They were the Castilians, Pedro de Lara and his brother, Rodrigo González, who lived in Asturias de Santillana. Gimeno Íñiguez was also present. He governed Coyanza in the territory of León. They were indeed frightened; and, as such, they directed their attention toward arranging a peace conference. However, their treaty with the King was made in a most insincere manner. Actually they preferred to follow the King of Aragón.
In 1127 he sold an estate at Arce to the parish of Santillana del Mar
Santillana del Mar
Santillana del Mar is a historic town situated in Cantabria, Spain. Certain features of this historical town includes Altamira Caves and many historic buildings, attracting thousands of holiday-makers every year....
. There is evidence, in the former of a thirteenth-century copy of a private charter, that Alfonso tried to lure Rodrigo to his side by making him alférez in the winter of 1127–28. Despite their earlier submission, Pedro, Rodrigo, and their allies refused to join the army Alfonso 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 :...
in 1129 to fight Alfonso I of Aragon and Navarre. The king then relieved Rodrigo of his post as alférez, replacing him with Pedro Alfónsez. Early in 1130 he rebelled against the king. The rebellion seems to have been designed to place on the throne Fernando Pérez de Lara, Rodrigo's nephew, an illegitimate son of Pedro González and Queen Urraca. It had the support of Alfonso of Aragon and of his agent in Castile, Bertrán de Risnel
Bertrán de Risnel
Beltrán or Bertrán de Risnel was an Aragonese or Occitan statesman and general. He was a nephew or cousin of Alfonso the Battler and represented his interests in León and Castile during the reigns of Urraca and Alfonso VII. His main activities took place in these kingdoms, where he held titles and...
, son-in-law of Pedro. While Pedro and Bertrán took the city of Palencia
Palencia
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...
, and another relative of Rodrigo's, Jimeno Íñiguez, rebelled at Valencia de Don Juan
Valencia de Don Juan
Valencia de Don Juan is a municipality located in the province of León, Castile and León, Spain. According to the 2004 census , the municipality has a population of 4,165 inhabitants.It's well known by its medieval castle....
, Rodrigo took up arms in Asturias de Santillana, the northwestern part of Castile. A minor noble, Pedro Díaz, rebelled from his castle of Valle. He was put down by the brothers Osorio
Osorio Martínez
Osorio Martínez was a magnate from the Province of León in the Empire of Alfonso VII. He served the emperor militarily throughout his long career, which peaked in 1138–41. Besides the documentary sources, which are somewhat meagre at times after his fall from royal favour, he is mentioned in two...
and 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...
. By June the king had retaken Palencia and captured Pedro and Bertrán.
Having dealt with the other rebels, Alfonso turned to Asturias, where "he captured their fortified castles, set fire to their fields and hacked down their trees and vineyards." Forced to sue for peace, Rodrigo sent envoys requesting a meeting with the king on the banks of the Pisuerga
Pisuerga River
The Pisuerga is a river in northern Spain, the Duero's second largest tributary. It rises in the Cantabrian Mountains in the province of Palencia, autonomous region of Castile and León....
. Per the agreement Rodrigo and Alfonso would each be accompanied by only six of their knights. During the meeting the king became so enraged by Rodrigo's "disrespectful remarks" that he seized him by the throat and they both fell from their horses. At this Rodrigo's retinue fled and the count was taken "as if he were a common prisoner." Rodrigo found his castles and tenencias confiscated, with Asturias placed in the hands of Rodrigo Gómez
Rodrigo Gómez
Rodrigo Gómez was a Castilian nobleman and military leader under Alfonso VII. He governed large parts of Asturias and northern Castile, was involved in the politics with neighbouring Navarre, to whose royal family he was related by marriage, and took part in the Reconquista...
. There is a record of a comitem Rodericum Gundisalui de Asturias ("count Rodrigo González of Asturias") present on 3 November 1140 at the hearing of a dispute between the Bishop of Burgos, Ramiro, and the Bishop of Calahorra, Sancho, in the presence of the king, but it is probably unreliable. It is unlikely that Rodrigo ever regained his place in eastern Asturias. Within a few days of his being released (only after all his castles and fiefs had been received by the king), Rodrigo returned to acknowledge his crimes and seek mercy, which he received by the end of 1131, when he was appointed alcaide of 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:...
in place of Gutierre Armíldez, who had died.
Frontier rule (1131–1137)
Rodrigo "waged numerous wars against the Moors. He killed many and took many prisoners. He also carried away large quantities of booty from their lands." The author of the Chronica twice states that only a fraction of his military actions are recorded: "He had fought many battles in Moorish territory. The military experiences of Rodrigo González and Rodrigo FernándezRodrigo Fernández
Rodrigo Fernández Bustamante, better known as Rodrigo Fernández is a Mexican football midfielder currently playing for Cruz Azul U-17.-Cruz Azul:...
against the Moors were indeed great, but they have not been described in this book." And "The other battles which the Consul Rodrigo fought with the king of the Almoravides are not recorded in this book."
Rodrigo's government in Toledo can be traced in the documents between 1132 and 1136, and he was also governor of Segovia
Segovia
Segovia is a city in Spain, the capital of Segovia Province in the autonomous community of Castile and León. It is situated north of Madrid, 30 minutes by high speed train. The municipality counts some 55,500 inhabitants.-Etymology:...
in 1133. The Chronica Adefonsi (I, §23) records that Alfonso "entrusted Toledo to him and extensive territories on the frontier and in Castile" and (II, §119) "he was made commander of all troops in Toledo and leader of Extremadura
Extremadura
Extremadura is an autonomous community of western Spain whose capital city is Mérida. Its component provinces are Cáceres and Badajoz. It is bordered by Portugal to the west...
." In June 1132 he gathered the militias of Ávila, Segovia, Toledo, and "the other cities under Toledo's jurisdiction" and combined this force of both cavalry
Cavalry
Cavalry or horsemen were soldiers or warriors who fought mounted on horseback. Cavalry were historically the third oldest and the most mobile of the combat arms...
and infantry
Infantry
Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
with an even larger army drawb from Castile and Extremadura. He then led them in a raid into Muslim territory, down the valley of the Guadalquivir
Guadalquivir
The Guadalquivir is the fifth longest river in the Iberian peninsula and the second longest river to be its whole length in Spain. The Guadalquivir is 657 kilometers long and drains an area of about 58,000 square kilometers...
, devastating the environs of Seville
Seville
Seville is the artistic, historic, cultural, and financial capital of southern Spain. It is the capital of the autonomous community of Andalusia and of the province of Seville. It is situated on the plain of the River Guadalquivir, with an average elevation of above sea level...
. The Chronica Adefonsi notes that he "cut down the fruit trees". He took many captives and a large booty. The Almoravid governor (or king) of Seville, Umar, raised a large army from among his allies and fought Rodrigo in a pitched battle. Rodrigo divided his infantry into two groups, archers
Archers
Archers may refer to:*People who practice archery*The Royal Company of Archers, a Scottish ceremonial unit*The Archers, long running BBC Radio 4 soap opera*"The Archers", nickname for British film-making partnership of Powell and Pressburger...
and slingers
Slingers
The Slingers are a group of fictional superheroes in the Marvel Comics universe. They starred in their own eponymous short-lived comic book.-History:...
, and placed his bravest men at the front. The second line was composed of the militia of Ávila, which engaged an Arab wing, and the third of the militia of Segovia, which faced an Almoravid and Andalusion (native) wing. The militia of Toledo and the troops from the Trans-Sierra and Castile were left in reserve at the rear, under the personal command of Rodrigo "to reinforce the weak and to bring medical aid to the wounded." Umar was captured and ultimately beheaded. So important was this battle that it was recorded in three chronicles: the Chronica Adefonsi, the Anales toledanos primeros, and the Arabic chronicle of Ibn Idhari
Ibn Idhari
Abū al-Abbas Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Idhāri al-Marrākushi who lived in the late 13th and the early 14th century, was the author of an important medieval text on the history of the Maghreb and Iberia written in 1312.Little is known about the life of this author, who was born in Al-Andalus and...
(who errs in dating it to 1130). The author of the Chronica, probably bishop Arnaldo of Astorga, quotes from I Maccabees 9 in describing a encounter he evidently considered of biblical proportions (II, §121):
The battle began as the Saracens shouted and sounded their brazen trumpets and drums. They uttered cries and invoked Mohammed. The Christians called out with all their heart to the Lord, to Mary and to Saint James. They prayed that they would show them mercy and forget the sins of the king and of their forefathers. Many on both sides fell wounded shortly after the battle had begun. Rodrigo realized that the King of Sevilla's army was the stronger. Consequently, all of the bravest warriors joined with Rodrigo and they attacked. The King of Sevilla fell in the field and died, as did many of his officers. Rodrigo González pursued the survivors all the way to the gates of Sevilla. After picking up the spoils, he began his march back to the camp.
The victory of Rodrigo inspired a contingent from Salamanca
Salamanca
Salamanca is a city in western Spain, in the community of Castile and León. Because it is known for its beautiful buildings and urban environment, the Old City was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1988. It is the most important university city in Spain and is known for its contributions to...
to go raiding in the region around Badajoz
Badajoz
Badajoz is the capital of the Province of Badajoz in the autonomous community of Extremadura, Spain, situated close to the Portuguese border, on the left bank of the river Guadiana, and the Madrid–Lisbon railway. The population in 2007 was 145,257....
. Some muladí
Muladi
The Muladi were Muslims of ethnic Iberian descent or of mixed Arab, Berber and European origin, who lived in Al-Andalus during the Middle Ages. They were also called "Musalima" .-Etymology:...
es, Muslims living under Christian rule, that had fled Rodrigo's camp had given away the Salamancans' position to the Almoravid sultan, Ali ibn Yusuf ben Tashfin
Ali ibn Yusuf
Ali ibn Yusuf was the 5th Almoravid king he reigned 1106–1143.-Biography:Ali was recognized as the heir of his father Yusuf ibn Tashfin in 1102. He succeeded his father upon his death in 1106. Ali ruled from Morocco and appointed his brother Tamin ibn Yusuf as governor of Al-Andalus...
, who promptly attacked and defeated it.
In late May 1133 Rodrigo commanded half of the royal army marching out from Toledo. The army was divided "because there was not enough drinking water ... nor was there enough grass to feed the animals." Rodrigo led his forces through the Despeñaperros Pass. The two armies traversed uninhabited territory for fifteen days before meeting before the enemy castle at Galledo. Thereafter the army followed same route as in the previous year: the Guadalquivir valley as far as Seville, but then continued on to Jerez de la Frontera
Jerez de la Frontera
Jerez de la Frontera is a municipality in the province of Cádiz in the autonomous community of Andalusia, in southwestern Spain, situated midway between the sea and the mountains. , the city, the largest in the province, had 208,896 inhabitants; it is the fifth largest in Andalusia...
, which was sacked, and Cádiz
Cádiz
Cadiz is a city and port in southwestern Spain. It is the capital of the homonymous province, one of eight which make up the autonomous community of Andalusia....
, whose countryside was terrorised. The army returned to Toledo by late summer with a vast booty of camels, horses, cattle, sheep, and goats. In July 1135 Alfonso gave him and Rodrigo Martínez some properties confiscated from another rebel, the Asturian 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...
. One historian believes he regained the long lost fief of Asturias de Santiallana at about this time.
by July 1135 Rodrigo had contracted a second marriage to Estefanía, daughter of Ermengol V of Urgell
Ermengol V of Urgell
Ermengol V , called El de Mollerussa , was the Count of Urgell from 1092 to his death. He was the son of Ermengol IV and his first wife, Lucy of La Marche....
and widow of the Castilian magnate Fernando Garcés. Estefanía had received a carta de arras from her first husband on 12 November 1119, and she was widowed around 1125. Despite this, on 6 September 1135 Rodrigo praised his new wife for her youth in his carta de arras. On 7 September 1135 Rodrigo witnessed a donation of the churches of Tovar
Tovar
-People:*Tovar * Tovar, a fictional character from The Strangerhood-Places:* Tobar or Tovar, a Spanish village ruled by the Tovar family in the Middle-Ages, place of origin of the Tovar surname* Tovar Municipality, Mérida, Mérida , Venezuela...
and Laguna
Laguna
Laguna may refer to:* Laguna Pueblo, a Native American people of the southwestern United States- Asia :* Laguna , Philippines, a province of the Philippines found in the CALABARZON region in Luzon...
by his eldest daughter, Elvira, and her husband, the brother of his new wife, Ermengol VI of Urgell
Ermengol VI of Urgell
Ermengol VI , called el de Castilla, was the Count of Urgell from 1102 to his death. He was the son and successor of Ermengol V and María Ansúrez.He was born in Valladolid, whence his nickname comes...
, to the convent of Santa María de Valladolid. Estefanía bore Rodrigo two sons, Pedro and Rodrigo.
Exile and wanderings (1137–1143)
On 3 February 1137 Rodrigo made a donation to Segovia CathedralSegovia Cathedral
Segovia Cathedral is a Roman Catholic religious building in Segovia, Spain. It is located in the main square of the city, the Plaza Mayor, and is dedicated to the Virgin Mary....
. Shortly after, for reasons unknown, Rodrigo fell from favour and was exiled. According to at least one manuscript of the Chronica Adefonsi imperatoris, this occurred in October 1134, but documentary evidence seems to indicate that it actually took place in 1137. Of his own accord he surrendered Toledo and the other tenencias he held, which still included Aguilar and Old Castile according to royal documents date as late as 1 April 1137, to the king in person ("[he] kissed the King's hand in farewell and [took] leave of his comrades"). He decided to turn his exile into a pilgrimage
Pilgrimage
A pilgrimage is a journey or search of great moral or spiritual significance. Typically, it is a journey to a shrine or other location of importance to a person's beliefs and faith...
("he became a pilgrim and crossed the sea of Jerusalem for purpose of prayer", in the words of the Chronica), visiting Jerusalem and fighting the Muslims in the Holy Land for two years. He reputedly built the castle called Toron (later le Toron des Chevaliers, modern Latrun
Latrun
Latrun is a strategic hilltop in the Ayalon Valley in Israel overlooking the road to Jerusalem. It is located 25 kilometers west of Jerusalem and 14 kilometers southeast of Ramla.-Etymology:...
) facing Ascalon
Ashkelon
Ashkelon is a coastal city in the South District of Israel on the Mediterranean coast, south of Tel Aviv, and north of the border with the Gaza Strip. The ancient seaport of Ashkelon dates back to the Neolithic Age...
, which was then still in Muslim hands. The Chronica says the he garrisoned it "with knights, infantrymen, and provisions, and he gave it to the Knights Templars."
Rodrigo returned to Spain, via the Adriatic and Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, in 1139, and, being barred from returning to Castile or his patrimonial lands, sojourned at various courts in the east of the peninsula. He served for a time Raymond Berengar IV of Barcelona
Ramon Berenguer IV, Count of Barcelona
Ramon Berenguer IV , sometimes called the Holy, was the Count of Barcelona who effected the union between the Kingdom of Aragon and the Principality of Catalonia into the Crown of Aragon....
, who made him lord of Huesca
Huesca
Huesca is a city in north-eastern Spain, within the autonomous community of Aragon. It is also the capital of the Spanish province of the same name and the comarca of Hoya de Huesca....
and Jaca
Jaca
Jaca is a city of northeastern Spain near the border with France, in the midst of the Pyrenees in the province of Huesca...
between 1139 and 1141. He was later in the service of García Ramírez of Navarre and then the Almoravid governor of Valencia
Taifa of Valencia
The Taifa of Valencia was a medieval taifa kingdom which existed, in and around Valencia, Spain during four distinct periods: from 1010 to 1065, from 1075 to 1099, from 1145 to 1147 and last from 1229 to 1238 when it was finally conquered by Aragon....
, Abengania. The Chronica Adefonsi says that while he only stayed a few days at Valencia, he contracted leprosy
Leprosy
Leprosy or Hansen's disease is a chronic disease caused by the bacteria Mycobacterium leprae and Mycobacterium lepromatosis. Named after physician Gerhard Armauer Hansen, leprosy is primarily a granulomatous disease of the peripheral nerves and mucosa of the upper respiratory tract; skin lesions...
(from a "Saracen potion"). He did briefly return to Castile, where on 8 February 1141 he granted the village of Huérmeces
Huérmeces
Huérmeces is a municipality located in the province of Burgos, Castile and León, Spain. According to the 2004 census , the municipality has a population of 131 inhabitants....
to the Benedictines of Arlanza
Arlanza
The River Arlanza rises in the Sierra de la Demanda, near Quintanar de la Sierra in an area known as Fuente Sanza. As it flows through the province of Burgos, Spain, it passes through the municipalities of Castrovido, Salas de los Infantes, Covarrubias and Lerma...
. He eventually made his way to the Urgell, where on 24 March 1143 he witnessed, as comes Roricus, the final will and testament of his brother-in-law and son-in-law, Count Ermengol VI. His daughter Elvira had probably died by then. Sometime in or after 1143 he returned to the Holy Land, and there he died. Shortly before her husband's death Estefanía founded a Cistercian monastery at Valbuena de Duero
Valbuena de Duero
Valbuena de Duero is a municipality located in the province of Valladolid, Castile and León, Spain. According to the 2004 census , the municipality has a population of 502 inhabitants.-Villages:...
(15 February 1143). Her sons, unlike the sons of her husband's brother, never rose to as high a rank in the kingdom as their father had.
Historian Antonio Suárez de Alarcón owned several manuscript fragments of the Chronica, which were used by Enrique Flórez
Enrique Florez
Enrique Flórez de Setién y Huidobro was a Spanish historian.Florez was born in Valladolid. At 15 years old, he entered the order of St Augustine. He subsequently became professor of theology at the University of Alcala, where he published a Cursus theologiae in five volumes...
in amending the first published edition of the text by Francisco de Berganza
Francisco de Berganza
Fray Francisco de Berganza y Arce , better known as Padre Berganza, was a Spanish Benedictine monk and medievalist...
. Alarcón himself had made extensive used only of those passages relating to Rodrigo González, since he had established the descent of the Marqueses de Trocifal from him in his Relaciones genealógicas de la casa de los Marqueses de Trocifal, Condes de Torresvedras (Madrid, 1656).