Treaty of Sahagún (1158)
Encyclopedia
The Treaty of Sahagún ended a state of war between the Castile
and León
, establishing pacem et ueram amiciciam (peace and true friendship) between their respective monarchs, Sancho III
and Ferdinand II
, who called themselves boni fratres et boni amici (good brothers and good friends). It was signed at the monastery of Sahagún
on 23 May 1158.
On the death of Alfonso VII (21 August 1157) his realms were partitioned between his two sons: Castile, with Toledo
to the eldest, and León, with Galicia
, to the younger one. According to Rodrigo Jiménez de Rada
, this division was instigated by the factitious Manrique Pérez de Lara
of Castile and Fernando Pérez de Traba of León, who, the historian says, "aimed to sow the seed of discord thereby." According to Rodrigo, Ferdinand II, in response to calumnious accusations at court, confiscated the fiefs of some of his leading magnates, who then went into exile at the court of Sancho III, seeking redress. The Castilian king marched on army on León, but Ferdinand arranged to meet him at Sahagún and a peace was negotiated. The documentary sources do not provide a clear chronology of the exile of any magnates, although it is known to have occurred. Later sources connected these events with the (probably legendary) Mutiny of the Trout
.
The Treaty of Sahagún put an end to the quarrel. It stipulated that Sancho should return the seized lands to his brother, but also that they should be held in fidelitate (in fealty
) from Ferdinand by three counts: Ponce Giraldo de Cabrera
, Osorio Martínez
, and Ponce de Minerva
. If either party ignored his treaty obligations the lands reverted to the other after a year, save those bestowed on Osorio, who secured hereditary rights. The other counts could only be succeeded, in the event of death, by their sons or by certain other noblemen stipulated by the treaty.
Sancho and Ferdinand also agreed to aid one another militarily against any enemy save their uncle, Raymond Berengar IV, Prince of Aragon. They also agreed not to enter into any alliances with Afonso Henriques
, King of Portugal. The treaty further divided Portugal between them—in the event of its conquest—and divided al-Andalus
into respective zones of reconquista
. León received the right to conquer the regions of the cities of Niebla
, Montánchez
, Mérida
, Badajoz
, Évora
, Mértola
, and Silves, an extension of the Vía de la Plata
to the sea by Lisbon
. This allotment appears in hindsight severely limiting to León, but which would not have seemed that way at the time. The most important part of the treaty declared that if either king should die, his kingdom was to pass to the other. Ferdinand named Ramiro Fróilaz
, Pedro Alfonso, Ponce de Minerva and Abril as guarantors of his faith. There forty other lay and clerical confirmants, including Sancha Raimúndez, styled regina (queen), the brothers' aunt, and four bishops (of, in order of precedence, Palencia, Zamora, Astorga, and León). Thirty-three lay noblemen also subscribed, in one of two lists depending on their kingdom. Notably, while Ponce de Minerva is named among those who ex parte regis Fernandi iuraument (of the part of King Ferdinand swore the oath), Ponce de Cabrera is listed among the Castilians, probably an exile from León.
Sancho III died on 31 August and Ferdinand promptly made a claim on Castile and occupied some territories, while the Castilian aristocracy descended into a civil war for control of Sancho's heir, Alfonso VIII
.
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...
and León
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...
, establishing pacem et ueram amiciciam (peace and true friendship) between their respective monarchs, Sancho III
Sancho III of Castile
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...
and 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...
, who called themselves boni fratres et boni amici (good brothers and good friends). It was signed at the monastery of 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...
on 23 May 1158.
On the death of Alfonso VII (21 August 1157) his realms were partitioned between his two sons: Castile, with 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:...
to the eldest, and León, with Galicia
Kingdom of Galicia
The Kingdom of Galicia was a political entity located in southwestern Europe, which at its territorial zenith occupied the entire northwest of the Iberian Peninsula. Founded by Suebic king Hermeric in the year 409, the Galician capital was established in Braga, being the first kingdom which...
, to the younger one. According to Rodrigo Jiménez de Rada
Rodrigo Jiménez de Rada
Rodrigo Jiménez de Rada was a Navarrese-born Castilian Roman Catholic bishop and historian....
, this division was instigated by the factitious Manrique Pérez de Lara
Manrique Pérez de Lara
Manrique Pérez de Lara was a magnate of the Kingdom of Castile and its regent from 1158 until his death. He was one of the most important counsellors and generals of three successive Castilian monarchs: Alfonso VII , Sancho III and Alfonso VIII...
of Castile and Fernando Pérez de Traba of León, who, the historian says, "aimed to sow the seed of discord thereby." According to Rodrigo, Ferdinand II, in response to calumnious accusations at court, confiscated the fiefs of some of his leading magnates, who then went into exile at the court of Sancho III, seeking redress. The Castilian king marched on army on León, but Ferdinand arranged to meet him at Sahagún and a peace was negotiated. The documentary sources do not provide a clear chronology of the exile of any magnates, although it is known to have occurred. Later sources connected these events with the (probably legendary) Mutiny of the Trout
Mutiny of the Trout
The Mutiny of the Trout was a semi-legendary popular revolt in Zamora, Spain, in late 1157. The uprising is not mention before its appearance in a late 15th-century manuscript and several later manuscripts...
.
The Treaty of Sahagún put an end to the quarrel. It stipulated that Sancho should return the seized lands to his brother, but also that they should be held in fidelitate (in fealty
Fealty
An oath of fealty, from the Latin fidelitas , is a pledge of allegiance of one person to another. Typically the oath is made upon a religious object such as a Bible or saint's relic, often contained within an altar, thus binding the oath-taker before God.In medieval Europe, fealty was sworn between...
) from Ferdinand by three counts: Ponce Giraldo de Cabrera
Ponce Giraldo de Cabrera
Ponce Giraldo de Cabrera , called Ponç Guerau in Catalan, was a Catalan nobleman who came to León in the entourage of Berenguela, daughter of Ramon Berenguer III, Count of Barcelona, when she married Alfonso VII of León and Castile at Saldaña in November 1127. Immediately after his arrival, Ponce...
, Osorio Martínez
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 Ponce de Minerva
Ponce de Minerva
Ponce de Minerva was a nobleman, courtier, governor, and general serving, at the same and different times, the kingdoms of León and Castile. Originally from Occitania, he came as a young man to León , where he was raised probably in close connexion to the royal family...
. If either party ignored his treaty obligations the lands reverted to the other after a year, save those bestowed on Osorio, who secured hereditary rights. The other counts could only be succeeded, in the event of death, by their sons or by certain other noblemen stipulated by the treaty.
Sancho and Ferdinand also agreed to aid one another militarily against any enemy save their uncle, Raymond Berengar IV, Prince of Aragon. They also agreed not to enter into any alliances with Afonso Henriques
Afonso I of Portugal
Afonso I or Dom Afonso Henriques , more commonly known as Afonso Henriques , nicknamed "the Conqueror" , "the Founder" or "the Great" by the Portuguese, and El-Bortukali and Ibn-Arrik by the Moors whom he fought, was the first King of Portugal...
, King of Portugal. The treaty further divided Portugal between them—in the event of its conquest—and divided al-Andalus
Al-Andalus
Al-Andalus was the Arabic name given to a nation and territorial region also commonly referred to as Moorish Iberia. The name describes parts of the Iberian Peninsula and Septimania governed by Muslims , at various times in the period between 711 and 1492, although the territorial boundaries...
into respective zones of 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...
. León received the right to conquer the regions of the cities of Niebla
Niebla
-Places:* Niebla, Chile, a coastal town in the municipality of Valdivia* Niebla, Huelva, a municipality in Huelva province, Spain* Taifa of Niebla, a medieval taifa kingdom of the Iberian peninsula-People:* Mr...
, Montánchez
Montánchez
Montánchez is a town in Spain, in the province of Caceres, Extremadura.It is situated at , some 702 metres above sea level. The municipality has an approximate population of just over 2,000.....
, Mérida
Merida
Places of the world named Mérida or Merida include:*Mérida, Spain, capital city of the Spanish Community of Extremadura*Mérida, Yucatán, capital city of the Mexican state of Yucatán*Merida, Leyte, a municipality in Leyte province in the Philippines...
, 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....
, Évora
Évora
Évora is a municipality in Portugal. It has total area of with a population of 55,619 inhabitants. It is the seat of the Évora District and capital of the Alentejo region. The municipality is composed of 19 civil parishes, and is located in Évora District....
, Mértola
Mértola
Mértola is a municipality in southeastern Portugal next to the Spanish border. It has a total area of 1,292.87 km² and a total population of 8,712 inhabitants . In terms of land area, it is the sixth-largest municipality in Portugal. The resultant population density of 6.74 persons/km² is the...
, and Silves, an extension of the Vía de la Plata
Via de la Plata
The Vía de La Plata or Ruta de la Plata is an ancient commercial and pilgrimage path that crosses the west of Spain from north to south, connecting Mérida to Astorga, and in extension Seville with the Bay of Biscay, at Gijón...
to the sea by Lisbon
Lisbon
Lisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...
. This allotment appears in hindsight severely limiting to León, but which would not have seemed that way at the time. The most important part of the treaty declared that if either king should die, his kingdom was to pass to the other. Ferdinand named Ramiro Fróilaz
Ramiro 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...
, Pedro Alfonso, Ponce de Minerva and Abril as guarantors of his faith. There forty other lay and clerical confirmants, including Sancha Raimúndez, styled regina (queen), the brothers' aunt, and four bishops (of, in order of precedence, Palencia, Zamora, Astorga, and León). Thirty-three lay noblemen also subscribed, in one of two lists depending on their kingdom. Notably, while Ponce de Minerva is named among those who ex parte regis Fernandi iuraument (of the part of King Ferdinand swore the oath), Ponce de Cabrera is listed among the Castilians, probably an exile from León.
Sancho III died on 31 August and Ferdinand promptly made a claim on Castile and occupied some territories, while the Castilian aristocracy descended into a civil war for control of Sancho's heir, Alfonso VIII
Alfonso VIII of Castile
Alfonso 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...
.