Ramón de Bonifaz
Encyclopedia
Ramón de Bonifaz was a medieval Spanish naval leader best known for breaking a river barricade leading to the capture of Seville
from the Moors
.
Bonifaz made his fortune as a merchant in Burgos
, a city on the pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela
, and may have descended from one of the many French or Italian families that settled along the sacred way
. He had achieved clear financial success by 1227 when he purchased an extremely expensive house. Having made his fortune, Bonifaz served as alcalde
or mayor of the city for much of the early thirteenth century.
In 1247 King Ferdinand of Castile and León
ordered Bonifaz to organize a fleet to join in the reconquista
of Seville
. Bonifaz drew his motley navy mostly from ships in the Bay of Biscay
and took them up the Guadalquivir River to attack the Almohad held city. Moorish ships from Seville, Ceuta
, and Tangier
met Bonifaz at the mouth of the Guadalquivir. Bonifaz's force of thirteen large ships combined with smaller vessels sunk several ships and drove the others away. In 1248, Bonifaz famously broke the city's river defenses leading to the fall of Seville. The Moors barricaded the river with a pontoon bridge
braced with a heavy, metal chain that stretched from the Torre del Oro
(Tower of the Gold) to the opposite bank. The bridge connected Seville to the outlying neighborhood of Triana
and became the only supply line for the besieged city. Bonifaz rammed the barrier with fortified boats and broke the barricade. Without a source of provisions, Seville soon surrendered.
Bonifaz received many honors for his role in the reconquest of Seville. He was made a royal official in 1252, and may have been the first Admiral of Castile
even though some scholars consider the evidence for Bonifaz having this title weak. Bonifaz's descendants played a major role in the political and social life of Burgos for more than a century after the admiral's death. The coat of arms of Cantabria
shows Bonifaz breaking the chains across the Guadalquivir.
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...
from the Moors
Moors
The description Moors has referred to several historic and modern populations of the Maghreb region who are predominately of Berber and Arab descent. They came to conquer and rule the Iberian Peninsula for nearly 800 years. At that time they were Muslim, although earlier the people had followed...
.
Bonifaz made his fortune as a merchant 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...
, a city on the pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela
Santiago de Compostela
Santiago de Compostela is the capital of the autonomous community of Galicia, Spain.The city's Cathedral is the destination today, as it has been throughout history, of the important 9th century medieval pilgrimage route, the Way of St. James...
, and may have descended from one of the many French or Italian families that settled along the sacred way
Way of St. James
The Way of St. James or St. James' Way is the pilgrimage route to the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia in northwestern Spain, where tradition has it that the remains of the apostle Saint James are buried....
. He had achieved clear financial success by 1227 when he purchased an extremely expensive house. Having made his fortune, Bonifaz served as alcalde
Alcalde
Alcalde , or Alcalde ordinario, is the traditional Spanish municipal magistrate, who had both judicial and administrative functions. An alcalde was, in the absence of a corregidor, the presiding officer of the Castilian cabildo and judge of first instance of a town...
or mayor of the city for much of the early thirteenth century.
In 1247 King Ferdinand of Castile and León
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...
ordered Bonifaz to organize a fleet to join in 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...
of 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...
. Bonifaz drew his motley navy mostly from ships in the Bay of Biscay
Bay of Biscay
The Bay of Biscay is a gulf of the northeast Atlantic Ocean located south of the Celtic Sea. It lies along the western coast of France from Brest south to the Spanish border, and the northern coast of Spain west to Cape Ortegal, and is named in English after the province of Biscay, in the Spanish...
and took them up the Guadalquivir River to attack the Almohad held city. Moorish ships from Seville, Ceuta
Ceuta
Ceuta is an autonomous city of Spain and an exclave located on the north coast of North Africa surrounded by Morocco. Separated from the Iberian peninsula by the Strait of Gibraltar, Ceuta lies on the border of the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. Ceuta along with the other Spanish...
, and Tangier
Tangier
Tangier, also Tangiers is a city in northern Morocco with a population of about 700,000 . It lies on the North African coast at the western entrance to the Strait of Gibraltar where the Mediterranean meets the Atlantic Ocean off Cape Spartel...
met Bonifaz at the mouth of the Guadalquivir. Bonifaz's force of thirteen large ships combined with smaller vessels sunk several ships and drove the others away. In 1248, Bonifaz famously broke the city's river defenses leading to the fall of Seville. The Moors barricaded the river with a pontoon bridge
Pontoon bridge
A pontoon bridge or floating bridge is a bridge that floats on water and in which barge- or boat-like pontoons support the bridge deck and its dynamic loads. While pontoon bridges are usually temporary structures, some are used for long periods of time...
braced with a heavy, metal chain that stretched from the Torre del Oro
Torre del Oro
The Torre del Oro is a dodecagonal military watchtower in Seville, southern Spain, built by the Almohad dynasty in order to control access to Seville via the Guadalquivir river....
(Tower of the Gold) to the opposite bank. The bridge connected Seville to the outlying neighborhood of Triana
Triana, Seville
Triana is a neighborhood and administrative district in the city of Seville that lies on the west bank of the Guadalquivir river. Like other neighborhoods that were historically split from the main city, it was known as an arrabal. Triana is placed in an almost-island between two branches of the...
and became the only supply line for the besieged city. Bonifaz rammed the barrier with fortified boats and broke the barricade. Without a source of provisions, Seville soon surrendered.
Bonifaz received many honors for his role in the reconquest of Seville. He was made a royal official in 1252, and may have been the first Admiral of Castile
Admiral of Castile
Admiral of Castile was a post with a long and important history in Spain. One famous holder was Fadrique Enríquez.Another was Admiral Don Bernardo de Sarrià, Baron of Polop and nobleman in the service of King James II of Aragon....
even though some scholars consider the evidence for Bonifaz having this title weak. Bonifaz's descendants played a major role in the political and social life of Burgos for more than a century after the admiral's death. The coat of arms of Cantabria
Coat of arms of Cantabria
The coat of arms of Cantabria has a rectangular shield, round in base and the field is party en fess. In field azure, a tower or crenellated and masoned, port and windows azure, to its right a ship in natural colours that with its bow has broken a chain going from the tower to the dexter flank of...
shows Bonifaz breaking the chains across the Guadalquivir.