Alfonso of Molina
Encyclopedia
Alfonso of León, Lord of Molina (1202 - 6 January 1272) was a Prince of 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...

 and Castile
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...

, the son of King Alfonso IX of León
Alfonso IX of Leon
Alfonso IX was king of León and Galicia from the death of his father Ferdinand II in 1188 until his own death...

 and his second wife Queen Berengaria of Castile. He was the brother of King Ferdinand III of Castile and León, and father of Queen Maria of Molina, wife of King Sancho IV
Sancho IV of Castile
Sancho IV the Brave was the King of Castile, León and Galicia from 1284 to his death. He was the second son of Alfonso X and Yolanda, daughter of James I of Aragon.-Biography:...

. He became Lord of Molina and Mesa after his first marriage to Mafalda González de Lara, the heiress of those lands.

Family origins

Alfonso was the son of King Alfonso IX of León and his second wife, Queen Berengaria of Castile. On his father's side he was the grandson of King Ferdinand II of León
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...

 and his first wife, Urraca of Portugal
Urraca of Portugal
Infanta Urraca of Portugal was a Portuguese infanta , daughter of Afonso I, 1st King of Portugal and his wife Maud of Savoy.Urraca was born at Coimbra. She married Ferdinand II of León with whom she had Alfonso IX of León. This marriage failed to prevent her father Afonso I from declaring war on...

. On his mother's side his grandparents were King Alfonso VIII of Castile and his wife, Eleanor of England. His siblings included King Ferdinand III of Castile and León, Berengaria, Constance, and Eleanor.

Life

Alfonso was born near the city of León in 1202. As the son of Alfonso IX of León and Queen Berengaria of Castile, he witnessed the bad relations between the two kingdoms during his childhood, after the annulment of his parents' marriage. At the Battle of Navas de Tolosa, which took place in 1212, his father and the King of Portugal were the only kings from the Iberian Peninsula who did not take part, in contrast to those of Castile, Aragon, and Navarre. In fact, Alfonso IX took advantage of the absence of his cousin Alfonso VIII to invade Castile.

In 1222 Ferdinand III found himself at odds with Gonzalo Pérez de Lara, Lord of Molina, due to the latter's misconduct and support of Alfonso IX. But the two kings managed to come to terms, ratifying the Treaty of Zafra in 1223. Berengaria played an active role in the negotiations. The aim of Gonzalo's misconduct, including the devastation of some villages near Medinaceli, was to foment an uprising of Castilian nobles against Ferdinand in support of his father.

Ferdinand was now bitterly opposed to the excessive autonomy enjoyed by the Gonzalo and his family, 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...

, one of the most powerful in the realm alongside that of Haro. He laid siege to the fortress of Zafra
Zafra
Zafra is a town situated in the Province of Badajoz , and the capital of the comarca of Zafra - Río Bodión. It has a population of 16,242, according to the figures of 2009....

, where Gonzalo lay hidden along with his retainers and family. Gonzalo was forced to surrender and accept the conditions imposed on him. The first of these was that the Lordship of Molina would not, upon his death, pass to his son Gonzalo Pérez "the Disinherited" de Lara, but rather to his daughter Mafalda González de Lara, who would meanwhile marry Prince Alfonso. Thus the Crown would establish control over the Lordship of Molina. The marriage occurred in 1240, and on Gonzalo's death, Prince Alfonso inherited the title Lord of Molina and governed the Lordship for the rest of his life, at first in collaboration with his wife, and then, after her death, alone, just as stipulated in the marriage contract. In 1240 he expanded the privileges of Molina, and in 1272, on his death, his daughter Blanca did so again.

Alfonso of Molina was a man possessed of considerable virtues as well as a calm temperament, according to the chroniclers of the era. In 1230, on the death of his father Alfonso IX, he could have sought the throne of León, since Alfonso IX did not wish to bequeath it to his other son Ferdinand III, who was already King of Castile. In fact Alfonso IX named as his heirs his two daughters, Princesses Sancha and Dulce. However, thanks to a substantial financial compensation, they renounced the throne of León in the Treaty of Benavente, ratified with Ferdinand in the presence of the many magnates and prelates of the realm. Alfonso of Molina, who had previously refused the throne, was rewarded by the king with his favor, with distinctions, and with many gifts, lands, and privileges. He accompanied his brother on most of his military campaigns and was closely identified with the cause of 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...

 as well as whatever enterprises the king might undertake.

Campaign in Andalusia and the Battle of Jerez (1231)

In 1231, while he visited the main cities of León after having taken possession of it, Ferdinand reportedly sent his son Prince Alfonso, then nine years of age and living in 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 lay waste to the Almohad Caliphate territories around Cordoba and 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...

, accompanied by Álvaro Pérez "the Castilian" de Castro and the magnate Gil Manrique. Nevertheless, various historians have indicated that the Prince Alfonso to which contemporary chronicles refer was not the king's son, but rather his brother, Alfonso of Molina. But according to the version which holds that the Prince Alfonso present at the Battle of Jerez
Battle of Jerez
The Battle of Jerez was fought in 1231 between the forces of Ferdinand III, king of Castile and León, and the Moors. It took place near the modern city of Jerez de la Frontera, in southern Spain. The Moors were led by Ibn Hud, the de facto successor of the Almohads...

 was actually King Fernando III's son, "he sent Don Alvar de Castro, the Castilian, to go with him, to watch over the prince and as commander of the army, for the prince was very young and not yet so energetic, and Don Alvar Pérez was a respected and very energetic man."
From Salamanca, and passing through 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:...

 where they were joined by 40 knights, they made their way toward Andújar
Andújar
Andújar is a Spanish municipality of 38,539 people in the province of Jaén, in Andalusia. The municipality is divided by the Guadalquivir River. The northern part of the municipality is where the Natural Park of the Sierra de Andújar is situated. To the south are agricultural fields and...

. From there, they began to devastate the countryside around Cordoba, and later the provincial town of Palma del Río
Palma del Río
Palma del Río is a city located in the province of Córdoba, Spain. According to the 2006 census , the city has a population of 20640 inhabitants. Spanish singer Antonio José and matador El Cordobes is from there.-External links:...

. They exterminated all the inhabitants and seized the town, then proceeded toward Seville and 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...

, and camped there near the Guadalete River
Guadalete River
The Guadalete River is a small stream located in the Spanish province of Cádiz, arising in the Sierra de Grazalema Natural Park at an elevation of about 1000 m, and running for 172 km into the Bay of Cádiz at El Puerto de Santa Maria, south of the city of Cádiz...

. Emir Ibn Hud
Ibn Hud
Abu Abd ‘Allah Muhammad ibn Yusuf ibn Hud al-Yazamí , commonly known as Ibn Hud, was a taifa emir of Andalusia from 1228 to 1237. He claimed to be a descendent of the Banu Hud family from Zaragoza....

, who had gathered a large army of seven divisions, positioned himself between the Castilians and Jerez, forcing them to give battle. During the subsequent engagement, known as the Battle of Jerez
Battle of Jerez
The Battle of Jerez was fought in 1231 between the forces of Ferdinand III, king of Castile and León, and the Moors. It took place near the modern city of Jerez de la Frontera, in southern Spain. The Moors were led by Ibn Hud, the de facto successor of the Almohads...

, the Castilians defeated Ibn Hud in spite of his numerical superiority. Later, King Alfonso X referred to the 1231 battle as follows: "It is fitting that you who are hearing this story know that the thing in the world that most broke the Moors, why they had to lose Andalusia and the Christians gain it from them, was this battle of Jerez. That is how the Moors were shattered. They could never again muster the daring nor the effort which they had previously against the Christians, such was the level of the shock and fear they experienced on that occasion."

After his victory in the Battle of Jerez, Álvaro Pérez de Castro the Castilian returned to Castile and handed Prince Alfonso over to his father the king, who was in 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...

.

Conquests of Cordoba and Seville and actions during the reign of Alfonso X (1236-1272)

In 1236 Alfonso of Molina distinguished himself in the conquest of Cordoba, the old capital of the Caliphate of Cordoba
Caliphate of Córdoba
The Caliphate of Córdoba ruled the Iberian peninsula and part of North Africa, from the city of Córdoba, from 929 to 1031. This period was characterized by remarkable success in trade and culture; many of the masterpieces of Islamic Iberia were constructed in this period, including the famous...

. Twelve years later, in 1248, he took part in the siege of Seville and captured the Torre de Oro. He also occupied a part of the Álcazar of Seville, which was known as the "Walls of the Prince of Molina".

In the division of the territory of Seville proclaimed on 1 May 1253, almost a year after the death of his brother Ferdinand III and during the reign of his nephew Alfonso X, Prince Alfonso of Molina received large grants and was one of the greatest beneficiaries of the land distribution due to his status as younger brother of Ferdinand. The late king had asked his son Alfonso X in his will to hold him in high regard.

Later life

In 1254 he entered 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:...

, obliged to wear their habit and assured that on his death his body would be buried in the order's main monastery. He attended the Valladolid
Valladolid
Valladolid is a historic city and municipality in north-central Spain, situated at the confluence of the Pisuerga and Esgueva rivers, and located within three wine-making regions: Ribera del Duero, Rueda and Cigales...

 Cortes of 1258, whose main purpose was to obtain money to fund Alfonso X's designs on the throne of the Holy Roman Empire. He also attended the Toledo Cortes of 1259, whose purpose was the same, and the Jerez Council of 1268. He attended the wedding of Prince Fernando de la Cerda, first-born son and heir of Alfonso X, to Blanche of France, held in Burgos
Burgos
Burgos is a city of northern Spain, historic capital of Castile. It is situated at the edge of the central plateau, with about 178,966 inhabitants in the city proper and another 20,000 in its suburbs. It is the capital of the province of Burgos, in the autonomous community of Castile and León...

 on 30 November 1269.

Death and burial

In his 1254 will, made at the time he entered the Order of Calatrava, Alfonso of Molina stipulated that he be buried in the church of the castle of Calatrava la Nueva
Calatrava la Nueva
Calatrava la Nueva is a medieval castle and convent found on the peak of Alacranejo, within the municipality of Aldea del Rey, near Almagro, in the province of Ciudad Real, Spain....

, headquarters of the order, located in what is today Ciudad Real province.

Alfonso of Molina died in Salamanca on 6 January 1272 at the age of 70. Alfonso's body was provisionally buried in the monastery of San Francisco in Salamanca, which is no longer extant. Later, his remains were transferred to Calatrava la Nueva as specified in his will, and placed in a sumptuous sepulchre which lay under an arch in the main chapel of the monastery's church. This sepulchre and his remains have not survived to the present day.

Marriage and children

Alfonso of Molina married, in 1240, Mafalda González de Lara, Lady of Molina, daughter of Gonzalo Pérez de Lara, 3rd Lord of Molina and Mesa, and his wife, Sancha Gómez de Trastámara. They had two children:
  • Fernando Alfonso of Molina (1242-1250).
  • Blanca Alfonso of Molina (1243-1292), married, in 1269, Alfonso Fernández "the Child", natural son of Alfonso X.


In 1244, widowed of his first wife, he married his second, Teresa González de Lara, daughter of Count Gonzalo Núñez de Lara, Lord of Belorado
Belorado
Belorado is a village and municipality in Spain, belonging to the Province of Burgos, in the autonomous community of Castile-Leon. It has a population of approximately 2,100 inhabitants. As well is known for being a city in the Way of Saint James....

, and his wife María Díaz de Haro. They had a daughter:
  • Juana Alfonso of Molina (1245/1246- after 1307), married Lope Díaz III de Haro, Lord of Biscay
    Lord of Biscay
    Lord of Biscay is a historical title of the head of state of the autonomous territory of Biscay, Basque Country.- History :The first known Lord of Biscay , Íñigo López "Ezkerra" was a lieutenant of the Kingdom of Pamplona , and this was until the Castilian conquest of Gipuzkoa in 1200...

    , who was killed by Sancho IV of Castile
    Sancho IV of Castile
    Sancho IV the Brave was the King of Castile, León and Galicia from 1284 to his death. He was the second son of Alfonso X and Yolanda, daughter of James I of Aragon.-Biography:...

     in Alfaro
    Alfaro, La Rioja
    Alfaro is a town and municipality in La Rioja, northern Spain. Its population at January 2009 was of 9,883 inhabitants and has 194.23 km² extension...

     in 1288. She was the mother of Diego López IV de Haro (died 1289) and María II Díaz de Haro, Lady of Biscay, who married Prince Juan "El de Tarifa" of Castile
    John of Castile, Lord of Valencia de Campos
    Infante John of Castile, called the "Rate" was a Infante of Castile and León, son of Alfonso X the Wise, King of Castile and León and Queen Violant of Aragon. In 1296 during the minority of his nephew, Ferdinand IV was declared King of León, from Seville and Galicia, although in 1300 he...

    .


He married, in 1260 as this third wife, Mayor Alfonso of Meneses, Lady of Meneses
Meneses de Campos
Meneses de Campos is a municipality located in the province of Palencia, Castile and León, Spain. According to the 2004 census , the municipality has a population of 142 inhabitants....

 and Villanueva, widow of Gonzalo Gil of Villalobos and daughter of Alonso Téllez of Meneses, 4th Lord of Meneses, San Román and Villanueva, and his first wife María Yáñez de Lima. They had two children:
  • Alfonso Téllez of Molina (1262-1314), 7th Lord of Meneses and Lord of Tiedra
    Tiedra
    Tiedra is a municipality located in the province of Valladolid, Castile and León, Spain. According to the 2004 census , the municipality has a population of 394 inhabitants....

    , Montealegre
    Montealegre de Campos
    Montealegre de Campos is a municipality located in the province of Valladolid, Castile and León, Spain. According to the 2004 census , the municipality has a population of 135 inhabitants....

    , Grajal, Alba de Liste, San Román and San Felices. He was also the proprietor of half of the lordship of Alburquerque. He was commander-in-chief for Sancho IV of Castile from 10 December 1288 to 25 April 1295. He married Teresa Pérez of Asturias, daughter of Pedro Álvarez of Asturias, Lord of Noreña
    Noreña
    Noreña is a municipality in the Autonomous Community of the Principality of Asturias, Spain. It is completely surrounded by the municipality of Siero...

    , and his wife Sancha Rodríguez of Lara.
  • Maria of Molina (1260?-1321), Queen Consort of Castile by her marriage to her cousin Sancho IV of Castile, son of Alfonso X and Queen Violant of Aragon
    Violant of Aragon
    Violant or Violante of Aragon, also known as Yolanda of Aragon , was Queen consort of Castile and León from 1252 to 1284 as the wife of King Alfonso X.- Life :...

    . They were the parents of King Ferdinand IV of Castile
    Ferdinand IV of Castile
    Ferdinand IV, El Emplazado or "the Summoned," was a king of Castile and León and Galicia...

    . She was buried in the Monastery of Santa María la Real de las Huelgas in Valladolid.


Alfonso of Molina also had several illegitimate children from various extramarital relationships:
  • Juan Alfonso of Molina (1225-1293) was declared legitimate by Pope Innocent IV in a bull published 14 October 1243. He was dean of Burgos Cathedral
    Burgos Cathedral
    The Burgos Cathedral is a Gothic-style Roman Catholic cathedral in Burgos, Spain. It is dedicated to the Virgin Mary and is famous for its vast size and unique architecture. Its construction began in 1221, and was in use nine years later, although work continued on and off for two hundred years...

    , and later Bishop of Palencia from 1278 to 1293. In order to be named Bishop of Palencia he had to receive a dispensation, which was published by Pope Alexander IV
    Pope Alexander IV
    Pope Alexander IV was Pope from 1254 until his death.Born as Rinaldo di Jenne, in Jenne , he was, on his mother's side, a member of the de' Conti di Segni family, the counts of Segni, like Pope Innocent III and Pope Gregory IX...

     on 24 January 1259.
  • Teresa Alfonso of Molina (1225-?), married, according to some authors, Nuño González "the Good" de Lara, Lord 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...

    . Nonetheless, there is controversy among genealogists on the identity of Nuño the Good's wife, as while Luis de Salazar y Castro
    Luis de Salazar y Castro
    Luis de Salazar y Castro was a Spanish genealogist....

     indicated that he married Teresa Alfonso, daughter of Pedro Alfonso of León, Grand Master of the Order of Santiago and supposed illegitimate son of King Alfonso IX of León, Count Pedro de Barcelos claims that he married Teresa Alfonso of León, illegitimate daughter of Alfonso IX of León and Aldonza Martínez de Silva. Julio González González indicates that Teresa Alfonso could have been the daughter of Urraca Alfonso of León, illegitimate daughter of Alfonso IX of León, and Lope Díaz II de Haro, Lord of Biscay. Her husband died in 1275 in combat against the Muslims, and both were buried in the Monastery of Saint Paul in Palencia.
  • Urraca Alfonso (1225/1230? - ?) married García Gómez "El de los Garfios" Carrillo, mayor of Jerez de la Frontera.
  • Berengaria Alfonso of Molina (1230/1235? - 1272), Lady of Melgoso and Caldelas. She married, in 1251, Gonzalo Ramírez, son of Ramiro Froilaz and his wife Aldonza González. They had no children, and Berengaria became the mistress of James I the Conqueror, King of Aragon. They were the parents of Pedro Fernández de Híjar, Baron of Híjar
    Híjar
    Híjar is a municipality located in the province of Teruel, Aragon, Spain. , the municipality has a population of 1,900 inhabitants.The town is noted for the well-preserved, 15th century Synagogue, and for the Gothic-Mudejar church of Santa María la Mayor....

    . She was buried in the Monastery of Saint Francis in Narbonne
    Narbonne
    Narbonne is a commune in southern France in the Languedoc-Roussillon region. It lies from Paris in the Aude department, of which it is a sub-prefecture. Once a prosperous port, it is now located about from the shores of the Mediterranean Sea...

    .
  • Leonor Alfonso (1230/1235 - ?) married Alfonso García of Villamayor, Lord of Villamayor
    Villamayor
    Villamayor is a municipality located in the province of Salamanca, Castile and León, Spain. According to the 2008 census , the municipality has a population of 5,808 inhabitants....

    , Celada, and Sisamón
    Sisamón
    Sisamón is a municipality located in the province of Zaragoza, Aragon, Spain. According to the 2004 census , the municipality has a population of 60 inhabitants....

    , and son of García Fernández of Villamayor and his wife Mayor Arias. Her husband was adelantado mayor
    Adelantado
    Adelantado was a military title held by some Spanish conquistadores of the 15th, 16th and 17th centuries.Adelantados were granted directly by the Monarch the right to become governors and justices of a specific region, which they charged with conquering, in exchange for funding and organizing the...

     of Andalusia and Lord Chamberlain for Alfonso X.
  • Juana Alfonso (1266 - ?). In 1283 she received a gift from Alfonso X.

Ancestry

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