Battle of Aguioncha
Encyclopedia
The Battle of Aguioncha or Aguiuncias, the culmination of a Galician–Portuguese civil war in the Kingdom of León
, was fought at the hill called Aguioncha on the river Salas in the province of Ourense between two aristocratic factions. The leader of the victorious faction was the Portuguese count Gonzalo Menéndez
, that of the defeated the Galician count Rodrigo Velázquez
.
Rodrigo is usually credited as one of the leaders of the party that supported Sancho I
and his son Ramiro III
in the wars over the Leonese succession that began in the late 950s and continued into the 980s. The chief rival clan was led by Gonzalo, and supported first Ordoño III and later his son Vermudo II. The absence of Rodrigo from court for a total of six years during the reigns of Sancho I and Ramiro III, and his comparatively frequent recurrence in the diplomas of Ordoño III, does not support the hypothesis that he was a creature of the former, as M. R. García Álvarez believed. The rivalry between the two families had more to do with a dispute between Gonzalo's mother, Mummadomna
, abbess of Guimarães
, and a relative of Rodrigo's, Guntroda, abbess of Pazóo. Guntroda had appropriated the monastery of Santa Comba
, which belonged to a monk name Odoino, who appealed to Mummadomna for support. She sent her sons Gonzalo and Ramiro to force Guntroda to return it volens nolens (willing or not).
The date of the battle is disputed. It may have taken place in 966 or 967, during the regency
of Elvira Ramírez
. If so, the two count were reconciled by 968. Justo Pérez de Urbel argued that the absence of Rodrigo and Gonzalo from court during the regency of Elvira was evidence that during this period they were de facto independent, but they were in León on 20 September 968 for the confirmation of a noble gift to the abbey of Sobrado
. On the other hand, it may have occurred between 970 and 974. Gonzalo fell out with Ramiro III in 968 after the latter refused action against the Vikings then ravaging Galicia and Portugal. The resulting bad blood between the families is alluded to as late as 1 October 982 in a document that reads in part:
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...
, was fought at the hill called Aguioncha on the river Salas in the province of Ourense between two aristocratic factions. The leader of the victorious faction was the Portuguese count Gonzalo Menéndez
Gonzalo Menéndez
Gonzalo Menéndez was a Count of Portugal in the Kingdom of León. He regularly carries the title count , the highest in the kingdom, in surviving documents. He may have used the title magnus dux portucalensium...
, that of the defeated the Galician count Rodrigo Velázquez
Rodrigo Velázquez
Rodrigo Velázquez , the son of a certain Velasco and his wife Trudilde, was an important magnate of Galicia during the reigns of Ramiro II, Ordoño III, Sancho I, and Ramiro III. He used the title dux , the highest in Galicia at the time, and he even treated diplomatically with the Caliphate of...
.
Rodrigo is usually credited as one of the leaders of the party that supported Sancho I
Sancho I of León
Sancho I , called the Fat, was the son of King Ramiro II of León. He succeeded his half-brother Ordoño III in 956 and reigned until his death, except for a two year interruption from 958 to 960, when Ordoño the Wicked usurped the throne...
and his son Ramiro III
Ramiro III of León
Ramiro III , king of León , was the son of Sancho the Fat and his successor at the age of only five. During his minority, the regency was in the hands of two nuns: his aunt Elvira Ramírez of León, who took the title of queen during the minority, and his mother Teresa Ansúrez, who was put in a...
in the wars over the Leonese succession that began in the late 950s and continued into the 980s. The chief rival clan was led by Gonzalo, and supported first Ordoño III and later his son Vermudo II. The absence of Rodrigo from court for a total of six years during the reigns of Sancho I and Ramiro III, and his comparatively frequent recurrence in the diplomas of Ordoño III, does not support the hypothesis that he was a creature of the former, as M. R. García Álvarez believed. The rivalry between the two families had more to do with a dispute between Gonzalo's mother, Mummadomna
Mumadona Dias
Mumadona Dias, or Muniadomna Díaz, Countess of Portugal in the 10th century, ruling between c. 924 - c. 950. She was daughter of Count Diogo Fernandes and of countess Onega....
, abbess of Guimarães
Guimarães
Guimarães Municipality is located in northwestern Portugal in the province of Minho and in the Braga District. It contains the city of Guimarães.The present Mayor is António Magalhães Silva, elected by the Socialist Party.-Parishes:-Economy:...
, and a relative of Rodrigo's, Guntroda, abbess of Pazóo. Guntroda had appropriated the monastery of Santa Comba
Santa Comba
Santa Comba refers to a saint named Comba, a fusion of two female saints: Columba of Sens and Columba of Spain, and may refer to:Portual*Santa Comba Dão, a city and municipality*Santa Comba , a parish in the district of Ponte de Lima...
, which belonged to a monk name Odoino, who appealed to Mummadomna for support. She sent her sons Gonzalo and Ramiro to force Guntroda to return it volens nolens (willing or not).
The date of the battle is disputed. It may have taken place in 966 or 967, during the regency
Regent
A regent, from the Latin regens "one who reigns", is a person selected to act as head of state because the ruler is a minor, not present, or debilitated. Currently there are only two ruling Regencies in the world, sovereign Liechtenstein and the Malaysian constitutive state of Terengganu...
of Elvira Ramírez
Elvira Ramírez
Elvira Ramírez was the daughter of King Ramiro II of León by his second wife, Urraca Sánchez of Pamplona, and thus half-sister of Sancho I of León, both grandchildren of Sancho I of Pamplona and Toda Aznárez. Born about 935, she was made a nun by her father, who built the "wonderfully large"...
. If so, the two count were reconciled by 968. Justo Pérez de Urbel argued that the absence of Rodrigo and Gonzalo from court during the regency of Elvira was evidence that during this period they were de facto independent, but they were in León on 20 September 968 for the confirmation of a noble gift to the abbey of Sobrado
Sobrado
Sobrado is a municipality in the Spanish province of A Coruña. It has a population of 2,402 and an area of 121 km². Sobrado is well known because of Sobrado Abbey, a Trappist monastery...
. On the other hand, it may have occurred between 970 and 974. Gonzalo fell out with Ramiro III in 968 after the latter refused action against the Vikings then ravaging Galicia and Portugal. The resulting bad blood between the families is alluded to as late as 1 October 982 in a document that reads in part:
- Defuncto autem Santio principe accepit regnum eius germana sua domna Gilvira et perunctus es in regno filius ipsius Sanctionis nomine Ranemirus. . . Tunc in illis diebus excitaverunt gallecos inter se sedicionem comites duo, unum Rudericum Velasconiz et alterum Gundisalvum Menendiz. . .
- Prince Sancho dead, his sister the lady Elvira received the realm and anointed in the kingdom was the son of this Sancho, Ramiro by name. . . Then in those days two counts in dissension among the Galicians raised armies between themselves, one Rodrigo Velázquez and the other Gonzalo Menéndez. . .
Further reading
- Manuel Rubén García Álvarez (1967), "La Batalla de Aguioncha: una guerra civil galaico-portuguesa del siglo X," Bracara Augusta, 20, 307–42.