Eleanor of Castile (1202-1244)
Encyclopedia
Eleanor of Castile was a daughter of Alfonso VIII of Castile
and Eleanor of England. She was queen consort of Aragon
by her arranged marriage to James I of Aragon
.
and his wife, Duchess Eleanor of Aquitaine
. Her father was son of Sancho III of Castile
and Blanche of Navarre (d. 1156); Blanche was a daughter of García Ramírez of Navarre. Eleanor's sister, Berengaria became Queen of Castile
since their brother, Henry I of Castile
died with no issue and because Berengaria was the eldest of the daughters. Another sister, Blanche
became Queen of France by her marriage to Louis VIII of France
, Eleanor married James I; she was nineteen and he was fourteen. The next six years of James's reign were full of rebellions on the part of the nobles. By the Peace of Alcalá of 31 March 1227, the nobles and the king came to terms. The pair were married for political reasons rather than love.
The marriage produced one son:
When the marriage was annulled in 1230, Alfonso was declared legitimate but his half siblings by James's second wife Violant of Hungary
inherited James's kingdom when he died.
after her marriage, she went to the Abbey of Santa María la Real de Las Huelgas with her elder sister Berengaria of Castile who had retired from ruling Castile
and Leon
. Both sisters died there, Eleanor died in 1244 and Berengaria died two years later. Both sisters are buried in the Abbey.
Her remains were deposited in a tomb which is now placed in the Nave of Santa Catarina or the Gospel, and lies between containing the remains of the infant Philip of Castile, son Sancho IV el Bravo and queen Maria de Molina, Which is placed to the right, and containing the remains of the infant Peter of Castile, Brother of the former , who died on June 25 of 1319 in Disaster Vega de Granada.
During the examination of the Monastery of the strikes carried out in the middle of Twentieth century found that the remains of Queen Eleanor , mummified and in good condition , lay in her tomb of limestone, the roof had two slopes and was smooth, although in the past was polychrome .
The coffin in which were the remains of the queen, whose mummy estaura measured 1'60 meters and was with his hands crossed on her chest, was wooden and devoid of cover, although there were still remnants of its shell and lysed cross made of gold braid studded , as well as clothing that was buried with the Queen , among which highlighted three of brocade garments in Arabic, which in the opinion of Manuel Gómez Moreno are similar to those found in the grave of the infant Philip of Castile, son Ferdinand III, Who was buried in the Church of Santa María la Blanca de Sirga Villalcázar.
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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...
and Eleanor of England. She was queen consort of Aragon
Aragon
Aragon is a modern autonomous community in Spain, coextensive with the medieval Kingdom of Aragon. Located in northeastern Spain, the Aragonese autonomous community comprises three provinces : Huesca, Zaragoza, and Teruel. Its capital is Zaragoza...
by her arranged marriage to James I of Aragon
James I of Aragon
James I the Conqueror was the King of Aragon, Count of Barcelona, and Lord of Montpellier from 1213 to 1276...
.
Family
Her mother Eleanor was a daughter of Henry II of EnglandHenry II of England
Henry II ruled as King of England , Count of Anjou, Count of Maine, Duke of Normandy, Duke of Aquitaine, Duke of Gascony, Count of Nantes, Lord of Ireland and, at various times, controlled parts of Wales, Scotland and western France. Henry, the great-grandson of William the Conqueror, was the...
and his wife, Duchess Eleanor of Aquitaine
Eleanor of Aquitaine
Eleanor of Aquitaine was one of the wealthiest and most powerful women in Western Europe during the High Middle Ages. As well as being Duchess of Aquitaine in her own right, she was queen consort of France and of England...
. Her father was son of Sancho III of Castile
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 Blanche of Navarre (d. 1156); Blanche was a daughter of García Ramírez of Navarre. Eleanor's sister, Berengaria became Queen of 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...
since their brother, Henry I of Castile
Henry I of Castile
Henry I of Castile was king of Castile. He was the son of Alfonso VIII of Castile and his wife Eleanor Plantagenet, ....
died with no issue and because Berengaria was the eldest of the daughters. Another sister, Blanche
Blanche of Castile
Blanche of Castile , was a Queen consort of France as the wife of Louis VIII. She acted as regent twice during the reign of her son, Louis IX....
became Queen of France by her marriage to Louis VIII of France
Louis VIII of France
Louis VIII the Lion reigned as King of France from 1223 to 1226. He was a member of the House of Capet. Louis VIII was born in Paris, France, the son of Philip II Augustus and Isabelle of Hainaut. He was also Count of Artois, inheriting the county from his mother, from 1190–1226...
Marriage
In 1221 at ÁgredaÁgreda
Ágreda is a town located in the province of Soria, Castile and León, Spain.Ágreda is the regional services center in the Northeast of the province of Soria. Its abundant heritage as well as the local fiestas of the Virgin, and the Archangel Michael attract a large number of tourists.-History:In the...
, Eleanor married James I; she was nineteen and he was fourteen. The next six years of James's reign were full of rebellions on the part of the nobles. By the Peace of Alcalá of 31 March 1227, the nobles and the king came to terms. The pair were married for political reasons rather than love.
The marriage produced one son:
- Alfonso of Aragon, married Constance of Montcada, Countess of Bigorre.
When the marriage was annulled in 1230, Alfonso was declared legitimate but his half siblings by James's second wife Violant of Hungary
Violant of Hungary
Violant of Hungary was Queen consort of James I of Aragon. She is also called Jolánta in Hungarian, Iolanda or Violant d'Hongria in Catalan and Yolanda or Violante de Hungría in Spanish.-Family:...
inherited James's kingdom when he died.
Later life
Eleanor became a nunNun
A nun is a woman who has taken vows committing her to live a spiritual life. She may be an ascetic who voluntarily chooses to leave mainstream society and live her life in prayer and contemplation in a monastery or convent...
after her marriage, she went to the Abbey of Santa María la Real de Las Huelgas with her elder sister Berengaria of Castile who had retired from ruling 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...
and Leon
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...
. Both sisters died there, Eleanor died in 1244 and Berengaria died two years later. Both sisters are buried in the Abbey.
Burial
After her death , the corpse of Queen Eleanor of Castile was buried in Monastery of Las Huelgas in Burgos.Her remains were deposited in a tomb which is now placed in the Nave of Santa Catarina or the Gospel, and lies between containing the remains of the infant Philip of Castile, son Sancho IV el Bravo and queen Maria de Molina, Which is placed to the right, and containing the remains of the infant Peter of Castile, Brother of the former , who died on June 25 of 1319 in Disaster Vega de Granada.
During the examination of the Monastery of the strikes carried out in the middle of Twentieth century found that the remains of Queen Eleanor , mummified and in good condition , lay in her tomb of limestone, the roof had two slopes and was smooth, although in the past was polychrome .
The coffin in which were the remains of the queen, whose mummy estaura measured 1'60 meters and was with his hands crossed on her chest, was wooden and devoid of cover, although there were still remnants of its shell and lysed cross made of gold braid studded , as well as clothing that was buried with the Queen , among which highlighted three of brocade garments in Arabic, which in the opinion of Manuel Gómez Moreno are similar to those found in the grave of the infant Philip of Castile, son Ferdinand III, Who was buried in the Church of Santa María la Blanca de Sirga Villalcázar.
Ancestry
See also
- List of Aragonese consorts
- James I of AragonJames I of AragonJames I the Conqueror was the King of Aragon, Count of Barcelona, and Lord of Montpellier from 1213 to 1276...
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