Sancho III of Castile
Encyclopedia
Sancho III was King of Castile and Toledo
for one year, from 1157 to 1158. During the Reconquista
, in which he took an active part, he founded the Order of Calatrava
. He was called el Deseado (the Desired) due to his position as the first child of his parents, born after eight years of childless marriage.
" as early as 1149. His father's will partitioned the kingdom between his two sons: Sancho inherited the kingdoms of Castile and Toledo, and Ferdinand
inherited León. The two brothers had just signed a treaty when Sancho suddenly died in the summer of 1158, being buried at Toledo.
He had married in 1151 to Blanche of Navarre, daughter of García Ramírez of Navarre, having two sons;
There may also have been an older son who died in infancy.
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:...
for one year, from 1157 to 1158. During 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...
, in which he took an active part, he founded 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:...
. He was called el Deseado (the Desired) due to his position as the first child of his parents, born after eight years of childless marriage.
Life
He was the eldest son of King Alfonso VII of León and Castile and Berengaria of Barcelona. During his father's reign, he appears as "king of NájeraNájera
Nájera is a small town located in the "Rioja Alta" region of La Rioja, Spain on the river Najerilla. Nájera is a stopping point on the Way of St James.-History:...
" as early as 1149. His father's will partitioned the kingdom between his two sons: Sancho inherited the kingdoms of Castile and Toledo, and Ferdinand
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...
inherited León. The two brothers had just signed a treaty when Sancho suddenly died in the summer of 1158, being buried at Toledo.
He had married in 1151 to Blanche of Navarre, daughter of García Ramírez of Navarre, having two sons;
- Alfonso VIII of CastileAlfonso VIII of CastileAlfonso VIII , called the Noble or el de las Navas, was the King of Castile from 1158 to his death and King of Toledo. He is most remembered for his part in the Reconquista and the downfall of the Almohad Caliphate...
, his successor - infante García, who died at birth in 1156, apparently also resulting in the death of Queen Blanche.
There may also have been an older son who died in infancy.
Ancestry
Further reading
- Szabolcs de Vajay, "From Alfonso VIII to Alfonso X" in Studies in Genealogy and Family History in Tribute to Charles Evans on the Occasion of his Eightieth Birthday, 1989, pp. 366–417.