Alfonso de la Cerda (1270-1333)
Encyclopedia
Alfonso de la Cerda, called "the disinherited,, was the elder son of Ferdinand de la Cerda and his wife Blanche of France
, and was a grandson of Alfonso X of Castile
. Alfonso and his brother Fernando were candidates for the Castilian-Leonese crown during the reigns of Sancho IV of Castile
, Ferdinand IV of Castile
and Alfonso XI of Castile
. In 1331, Alfonso renounced his rights and swore allegiance to Alfonso XI of Castile.
, took him and his newborn brother
Fernando to Aragon. They were kept there 13 years in the fortress of Játiva.
Alfonso's grandfather, King Alfonso X of Castile, established a division of his realm. Sancho was to inherit Castile
and Alfonso was to inherit León
, according to historian Joaquín Cuevas Aller. After Alfonso X's death in 1284, the Leonese throne was usurped by Sancho, who would reign as Sancho IV
. In September 1288, King Alfonso III of Aragon
released Alfonso de la Cerda and proclaimed him king of Castile and Leon. Despite this support from the King of Aragon, Alfonso was unable to regain the throne. In 1304, as part of the Treaty of Torrellas
, James II of Aragon
and Ferdinand IV of Castile
Alfonso agreed to resign all claims on the throne of León. In return, he was appointed Lord of Alba, Bejar and Gibraleón, and other manors, possessions and revenues, distributed throughout the Castilian-Leonese territory, in order that Alfonso de la Cerda could not form a large independent dominion.
Later, Charles IV of France
gave Alfonso de la Cerda the title of Baron de Lunel, a municipality located in the region of Languedoc-Roussillon
, France.
Blanche of France (1253–1323)
Blanche of France was a daughter of King Louis IX of France and Margaret of Provence, and sister of King Philip III of France and Queen Isabella of Navarre.-Biography:...
, and was a grandson of Alfonso X of Castile
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...
. Alfonso and his brother Fernando were candidates for the Castilian-Leonese crown during the reigns of 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:...
, Ferdinand IV of Castile
Ferdinand IV of Castile
Ferdinand IV, El Emplazado or "the Summoned," was a king of Castile and León and Galicia...
and Alfonso XI of Castile
Alfonso XI of Castile
Alfonso XI was the king of Castile, León and Galicia.He was the son of Ferdinand IV of Castile and his wife Constance of Portugal. Upon his father's death in 1312, several disputes ensued over who would hold regency, which were resolved in 1313...
. In 1331, Alfonso renounced his rights and swore allegiance to Alfonso XI of Castile.
Biography
When Ferdinand de la Cerda died in 1275, Alfonso's grandmother, Violant of AragonViolant 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 :...
, took him and his newborn brother
Fernando to Aragon. They were kept there 13 years in the fortress of Játiva.
Alfonso's grandfather, King Alfonso X of Castile, established a division of his realm. Sancho was to inherit 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 Alfonso was to inherit 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...
, according to historian Joaquín Cuevas Aller. After Alfonso X's death in 1284, the Leonese throne was usurped by Sancho, who would reign as 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:...
. In September 1288, King Alfonso III of Aragon
Alfonso III of Aragon
Alfonso III , called the Liberal or the Free , was the King of Aragon and Count of Barcelona from 1285...
released Alfonso de la Cerda and proclaimed him king of Castile and Leon. Despite this support from the King of Aragon, Alfonso was unable to regain the throne. In 1304, as part of the Treaty of Torrellas
Treaty of Torrellas
The Treaty of Torrellas , signed in Zaragoza in 1304, settled the question of conquest of the Kingdom of Murcia, thitherto a dependency of the Crown of Castile, by James II of Aragon....
, James II of Aragon
James II of Aragon
James II , called the Just was the King of Sicily from 1285 to 1296 and King of Aragon and Valencia and Count of Barcelona from 1291 to 1327. In 1297 he was granted the Kingdom of Sardinia and Corsica...
and Ferdinand IV of Castile
Ferdinand IV of Castile
Ferdinand IV, El Emplazado or "the Summoned," was a king of Castile and León and Galicia...
Alfonso agreed to resign all claims on the throne of León. In return, he was appointed Lord of Alba, Bejar and Gibraleón, and other manors, possessions and revenues, distributed throughout the Castilian-Leonese territory, in order that Alfonso de la Cerda could not form a large independent dominion.
Later, Charles IV of France
Charles IV of France
Charles IV, known as the Fair , was the King of France and of Navarre and Count of Champagne from 1322 to his death: he was the last French king of the senior Capetian lineage....
gave Alfonso de la Cerda the title of Baron de Lunel, a municipality located in the region of Languedoc-Roussillon
Languedoc-Roussillon
Languedoc-Roussillon is one of the 27 regions of France. It comprises five departments, and borders the other French regions of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, Rhône-Alpes, Auvergne, Midi-Pyrénées on the one side, and Spain, Andorra and the Mediterranean sea on the other side.-Geography:The region is...
, France.
Death
On the death of Alfonso de la Cerda, his body was buried in the Monastery of Santa María la Real de Las Huelgas de Burgos.Marriage and offspring
In 1290, Alfonso married Matilde of Narbonne, daughter of Viscount Aimery VI of Narbonne. They had seven children:- Fernando Alfonso de la Cerda b. 1286 - 1340c. married to Elvira de Ayala;
- Alfonso de la Cerda (France,1289 - Gentilly, France, April 15 of 1327), named of Spain, Archdeacon of Paris to 1322, Baron de Lunel, 1324, Lord of Tafalla and Caparroso July 1325. Married Isabelle d'Antoing, Viscountess Ghent, the daughter of Hugh IV, Lord of Antoing, and Mary, Viscountess Ghent. He was the father of Charles de la CerdaCharles de la CerdaCharles de La Cerda , Franco-Castilian nobleman and soldier, was the son of Alfonso de la Cerda and Isabelle d'Antoing....
, Count of AngoulêmeCounts and dukes of AngoulêmeAngoulême in western France was part of the Carolingian Empire as the kingdom of Aquitaine. Under Charlemagne's successors, the local Count of Angoulême was independent and was not united with the French crown until 1307. By the terms of the Treaty of Brétigny the Angoumois, then ruled by the...
and Constable of FranceConstable of FranceThe Constable of France , as the First Officer of the Crown, was one of the original five Great Officers of the Crown of France and Commander in Chief of the army. He, theoretically, as Lieutenant-general of the King, outranked all the nobles and was second-in-command only to the King...
. - Henry de La Cerda (France, 1290 - after 1326), Archdeacon of Paris after his brother Alfonso.
- Luis de la CerdaLuis de la CerdaLuis de La Cerda, also called Louis of Spain was an expatriate royal prince of the Crown of Castile, who lived and served in the Kingdom of France. Among his titles, Luis de la Cerda was the count of Talmont, count of Clermont and an admiral of France...
(France, 1291 - La Motte du Rhône, July 5 of 1348), Count of Clermont and Talmont, Admiral of France, chief prince of the Canary Islands 15 November 1344. In 1306, he married Leonor de Guzmán, daughter of Alonso Perez de Guzman and Maria Alfonso Coronel. Remarried in 1346 to Guiot D'Uzes daughter of Robert I, Vicomte d'Uzes and Guiot de Posquières. - Margarita de la Cerda (1293 - after 1328), Lady of Lemos and Sarri]. Married to the Infante Philip of Castile y Molina, son of King Sancho IV of Castile and Leon and Queen Maria de MolinaMaría de MolinaMaría de Molina was the wife of Sancho IV of Castile. She was queen consort of Castile and León from 1284 to 1295 and then regent until the coming of age of her son Ferdinand IV.- Biography :...
. She was buried alongside her husband Prince Philip at the Monastery of Santa Clara Allariz in Galicia. - Juan Alfonso de la Cerda (France, 1295 - August 7, 1347), Lord of Gibraleón, Huelva, Real de Manzanares and Deza. Married Maria Alfonso de Portugal (illegitimate daughter of King Denis of PortugalDenis of PortugalDinis , called the Farmer King , was the sixth King of Portugal and the Algarve. The eldest son of Afonso III of Portugal by his second wife, Beatrice of Castile and grandson of king Alfonso X of Castile , Dinis succeeded his father in 1279.-Biography:As heir to the throne, Infante Dinis was...
). - Maria de la Cerda (Spain, 1305 - before 1355), Lady of Villafranca de Valcárcel. Married Alfonso Melendez de Guzman. She was buried in the monastery of San Francisco de Villafranca, near Valcárcel.