Infante Enrique of Castile
Encyclopedia
Henry of Castile (March 1230 – August 1304), called El Senador (the Senator), was a Castilian
infante, the younger son of Ferdinand III, King of Castile
, by his first wife, Elisabeth of Hohenstaufen
.
After his father's death in 1252, Henry and his brother Frederick chafed under the rule of their elder brother, King Alfonso
. He also schemed with his stepmother, Joan of Ponthieu, who was accused of being his mistress. Henry started a rebellion in the southwest in October 1255; despite an initial victory over troops of the royal party, he was defeated near Morón, Spain and forced to flee the country. Henry sought refuge with his stepmother Joan in Ponthieu; she may have suggested he visit his sister Eleanor, who was married to Edward
, the son and heir of King Henry III of England
.
Henry arrived at the English court in August 1256. He lived comfortably there for three years entirely on King Henry's good graces until diplomatic relations with Castile eroded and Henry had to ask him to leave. Leaving in July 1259 for Valencia and Calatayud, where he asked the Infanta Constance of Aragon for marriage, as is stated in "El Libro de las Armas" by Juan Manuel, his nephew. The king of Aragon allowed the marriage only after Henry had conquered the moorish Kingdom of Niebla. Alfonso X of Castile and his wife Violente of Aragon opposed the marriage, and changed Henry for Infante Manuel, who finally married Constance. Henry, in revenge for the failed marriage and the loss of his kingdom of Niebla to his brother Alfonso, charged with a small army of knights through Castile and Extremadura sacking the country, and then left for Africa from Cadiz in 1260. Enrique became a mercenary in Tunis
under the rule of Al Mustansir, where he would soon be joined by his brother Frederick. He later made his way to Italy, where he joined his cousin Charles of Anjou's campaign in 1266 to become King of Sicily (Battle of Benevento) and lent him large sums of money. It was here that Henry earned his title of El Senador when Charles had him made Senator of Rome. However, he was never repaid by Charles; and Henry had aspired to the kingship of Sardinia
or some other high title, and found the senatorship poor compensation. As a result, when his cousin Conradin
invaded Italy in 1268, Henry changed sides and joined him. He was one of Conradin's generals at the Battle of Tagliacozzo
; he was in command of a host of three hundred Spanish knights sent by his brother Afonso X of Castille. He won the first encounter against the French, but was defeated by a surprise attack of a hidden reinforcement of one thousand French knights under Charles of Anjou. After the loss of the battle, he fled to the Convent of San Salvatore, Monte Cassino,where he was captured by the Angevins. According to Ferdinand Gregorovius he spent the next twenty-three years in captivity in Castello di Canosa from 1268 to 1277, and in Castel del Monte from 1277 to 1291. In 1272, his half-sister Eleanor and her husband King Edward I of England
came to Sicily on return from the Crusades. Eleanor's attempts to get him released from prison were unsuccessful, but she kept in touch with him until her own death.
Both Eleanor and Charles were dead before Henry was finally released in 1291. He returned to Castile in 1298, where he was appointed Regent for his grandnephew, King Ferdinand IV
. He married Juana Núñez de Lara
, but had no known legitimate children before his death in 1304. According to tradition (Anales Eclesiásticos y Seculares, page 149) he had a son, out of wedlock, with a lady called Mayor Rodríguez Pecha, daughter of the lord (Alcaide) of the castle of Zamora. This son was called Enrique Enriquez de Sevilla, who became Justicia Mayor or Chief Judge of Castile under King Alfonso XI.
Recent literary studies attribute the famous tale of chivalry "Amadis de Gaula" to Henry of Castile. He was a poet, a troubadour and a daring warrior. He could have written "Amadis" while imprisoned in Castel del Monte, Terra di Bari, Italy for many years.
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...
infante, the younger son of Ferdinand III, King of Castile
Ferdinand III of Castile
Saint Ferdinand III, T.O.S.F., was the King of Castile from 1217 and León from 1230. He was the son of Alfonso IX of León and Berenguela of Castile. Through his second marriage he was also Count of Aumale. He finished the work done by his maternal grandfather Alfonso VIII and consolidated the...
, by his first wife, Elisabeth of Hohenstaufen
Elisabeth of Hohenstaufen
Beatrice of Swabia was Queen of Castile and Leon as the wife of King Ferdinand III...
.
After his father's death in 1252, Henry and his brother Frederick chafed under the rule of their elder brother, King Alfonso
Alfonso X of Castile
Alfonso X was a Castilian monarch who ruled as the King of Castile, León and Galicia from 1252 until his death...
. He also schemed with his stepmother, Joan of Ponthieu, who was accused of being his mistress. Henry started a rebellion in the southwest in October 1255; despite an initial victory over troops of the royal party, he was defeated near Morón, Spain and forced to flee the country. Henry sought refuge with his stepmother Joan in Ponthieu; she may have suggested he visit his sister Eleanor, who was married to Edward
Edward I of England
Edward I , also known as Edward Longshanks and the Hammer of the Scots, was King of England from 1272 to 1307. The first son of Henry III, Edward was involved early in the political intrigues of his father's reign, which included an outright rebellion by the English barons...
, the son and heir of King Henry III of England
Henry III of England
Henry III was the son and successor of John as King of England, reigning for 56 years from 1216 until his death. His contemporaries knew him as Henry of Winchester. He was the first child king in England since the reign of Æthelred the Unready...
.
Henry arrived at the English court in August 1256. He lived comfortably there for three years entirely on King Henry's good graces until diplomatic relations with Castile eroded and Henry had to ask him to leave. Leaving in July 1259 for Valencia and Calatayud, where he asked the Infanta Constance of Aragon for marriage, as is stated in "El Libro de las Armas" by Juan Manuel, his nephew. The king of Aragon allowed the marriage only after Henry had conquered the moorish Kingdom of Niebla. Alfonso X of Castile and his wife Violente of Aragon opposed the marriage, and changed Henry for Infante Manuel, who finally married Constance. Henry, in revenge for the failed marriage and the loss of his kingdom of Niebla to his brother Alfonso, charged with a small army of knights through Castile and Extremadura sacking the country, and then left for Africa from Cadiz in 1260. Enrique became a mercenary in Tunis
Tunis
Tunis is the capital of both the Tunisian Republic and the Tunis Governorate. It is Tunisia's largest city, with a population of 728,453 as of 2004; the greater metropolitan area holds some 2,412,500 inhabitants....
under the rule of Al Mustansir, where he would soon be joined by his brother Frederick. He later made his way to Italy, where he joined his cousin Charles of Anjou's campaign in 1266 to become King of Sicily (Battle of Benevento) and lent him large sums of money. It was here that Henry earned his title of El Senador when Charles had him made Senator of Rome. However, he was never repaid by Charles; and Henry had aspired to the kingship of Sardinia
Sardinia
Sardinia is the second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea . It is an autonomous region of Italy, and the nearest land masses are the French island of Corsica, the Italian Peninsula, Sicily, Tunisia and the Spanish Balearic Islands.The name Sardinia is from the pre-Roman noun *sard[],...
or some other high title, and found the senatorship poor compensation. As a result, when his cousin Conradin
Conradin
Conrad , called the Younger or the Boy, but usually known by the diminutive Conradin , was the Duke of Swabia , King of Jerusalem , and King of Sicily .-Early childhood:Conradin was born in Wolfstein, Bavaria, to Conrad...
invaded Italy in 1268, Henry changed sides and joined him. He was one of Conradin's generals at the Battle of Tagliacozzo
Battle of Tagliacozzo
The Battle of Tagliacozzo was fought on 23 August 1268 between the French, Provençal, and Italian forces of Charles of Anjou and the Italian, Spanish, Roman, Arab and German troops of the Hohenstaufen army, led by Conradin , the sixteen year old Duke of Swabia and claimant to the throne of Sicily...
; he was in command of a host of three hundred Spanish knights sent by his brother Afonso X of Castille. He won the first encounter against the French, but was defeated by a surprise attack of a hidden reinforcement of one thousand French knights under Charles of Anjou. After the loss of the battle, he fled to the Convent of San Salvatore, Monte Cassino,where he was captured by the Angevins. According to Ferdinand Gregorovius he spent the next twenty-three years in captivity in Castello di Canosa from 1268 to 1277, and in Castel del Monte from 1277 to 1291. In 1272, his half-sister Eleanor and her husband King Edward I of England
Edward I of England
Edward I , also known as Edward Longshanks and the Hammer of the Scots, was King of England from 1272 to 1307. The first son of Henry III, Edward was involved early in the political intrigues of his father's reign, which included an outright rebellion by the English barons...
came to Sicily on return from the Crusades. Eleanor's attempts to get him released from prison were unsuccessful, but she kept in touch with him until her own death.
Both Eleanor and Charles were dead before Henry was finally released in 1291. He returned to Castile in 1298, where he was appointed Regent for his grandnephew, King Ferdinand IV
Ferdinand IV of Castile
Ferdinand IV, El Emplazado or "the Summoned," was a king of Castile and León and Galicia...
. He married Juana Núñez de Lara
Juana Núñez de Lara
Juana Núñez de Lara was a daughter of Juan Núñez de Lara “el Mayor” and his wife Teresa Diaz de Haro of the lordship of Biscaye. Juana is also known as la Palomilla or Lady of Lara.-Marriages:...
, but had no known legitimate children before his death in 1304. According to tradition (Anales Eclesiásticos y Seculares, page 149) he had a son, out of wedlock, with a lady called Mayor Rodríguez Pecha, daughter of the lord (Alcaide) of the castle of Zamora. This son was called Enrique Enriquez de Sevilla, who became Justicia Mayor or Chief Judge of Castile under King Alfonso XI.
Recent literary studies attribute the famous tale of chivalry "Amadis de Gaula" to Henry of Castile. He was a poet, a troubadour and a daring warrior. He could have written "Amadis" while imprisoned in Castel del Monte, Terra di Bari, Italy for many years.
Sources
- Ballesteros Beretta, Antonio. Sevilla en el siglo XIII
- Parsons, John Carmi. Eleanor of Castile: Queen and Society in Thirteenth Century England
- Santiago Sevilla Setecientos años buscando al Author del "Amadís" in Liceus El Portal de las Humanidades.
- Santiago Sevilla Personajes Reales en el Amadis in Liceus El Portal de las Humanidades
- Santiago Sevilla El Verdadero Author del Amadís de Gaula Diario de León Jueves 13 de Marzo de 2008
- Santiago Sevilla Parentescos Principescos y Amadís in Liceus El Portal de las Humanidades.
- Santiago Sevilla La Geografía fantástica del Amadís de Gaula in Liceus El Portal de las Humanidades.
- Paolo Borsa Letteratura Antiangioina tra Provenza, Italia e Catalogna- La Figura di Carlo I
- Peter Herde Die Schlacht bei Tagliacozzo, Zeitschrift für Bayerische Landesgeschichte
- Giuseppe Del Giudice Don Arrigo Infante di Castiglia Biblioteca nazionale Sagarriga Visconti-Volpi-Bari - BA.
- Arrigo da Castiglia Don Alegramente e con grande baldanza / canzone/ in Virgilio da Benedetto, Contributi allo studio della poesia storico politica delle origini. Due poesie per la discesa in Italia di Corradino di Svevia 1956.
- Ferdinand Gregorovius Wanderjahre in Italien in Projekt Gutenberg-DEProjekt Gutenberg-DEProjekt Gutenberg-DE is a collection of German language literary texts, distributed via the web and on CD-ROM. It is run by a small publishing company called Hille Partner, run by Gunter Hille, and its web presence is hosted by the weekly magazine Der Spiegel....
- Valeria Bertolucci Pizzorusso, Universitá di Pisa Don Enrique / Don Arrigo: un infante di Castiglia tra storia e letteratura. ALCANATE IV 2004-2005 Revista de Estudios Alfonsíes El Puerto de Santa María