Battle of Atapuerca
Encyclopedia
The Battle of Atapuerca was fought in 1 September 1054 at the site of Piedrahita ("standing stone") in the valley of Atapuerca
between brothers King García Sánchez III, El de Nájera, of Navarre and King Ferdinand I, the Great, of Castile and León.
The Castilians won and King García and his favourite Fortún Sánchez
were killed in battle. Ferdinand reannexed Navarrese territory he conceded to García 17 years early after his brother's assistance at Pisuerga.
, his empire was divided with Ferdinand receiving the then County of Castile and García, the Kingdom of Navarre
. In 1037, Bermudo III of León
died without descendants in the battle of Tamarón
against his brother-in-law Ferdinand of Castile. Ferdinand inherited the title of King of León, entering the city of León
on 1038. He rewarded the help of his brother García with Castilian territories from Oca
to the gates of Burgos
, from Briviesca
to the valley of Urbel, from Castrobarto to Bricia and from the Nervión
river to Santander
.
during his illness.
Recovered, García visited back Ferdinand to make peace.
Ferdinand set him in chains and locked him in a tower in Cea
.
The Navarrese escaped and declared war, rejecting the Castilian embassies.
García was buried in the nearby village of Agés and his tomb was recently discovered in the church there.
The hosts of Castile and Leon were in Atapuerca, three league
s eastwards from Burgos, already in Navarre.
García had with him Moorish auxiliary troops and maybe his brother king Ramiro I of Aragon
.
attribute the death of García to one knight of his, Sancho Fortún, "whom he [the king], had offended with his wife". Several in the Navarrese retinue preferred death in combat, and also the murderer, lord of Funes, Navarre, died in battle.
The Navarrese kept however their places until night and took the corpse to bury him in Nájera.
The proclaimed on the spot the new king, an adolescent Sancho de Peñalén.
, Briviesca and Rioja
.
Ferdinand visited his ill brother, but suspecting him fled.
García visited an ill Ferdinand then, wishing to dispel his suspicions, but was locked in Cea.
Upon escaping, he took his troops and some Moors into Castile.
In Atapuerca the peace talks failed.
Two traitor soldiers (one of them, Sancho Fortún), wounded him lethally.
Ferdinand conceded the transport of the corpse to Nájera, took Briviesca, Montes de Oca
and part of Rioja.
The border of Navarre was set by the Ebro
, and the new king Sancho IV of Navarre
became Ferdinand's vassal.
as one of the battlers, but being born on 1043 or 1048 he would be too young.
at the site.
Since 1996, the people of Atapuerca and neighbour towns reenact the battle on the last or previous Sunday of August.
Atapuerca
The Atapuerca Mountains is an ancient karstic region of Spain, in the province of Burgos and near Atapuerca and Ibeas de Juarros. It contains several caves, where fossils and stone tools of the earliest known Hominins in West Europe have been found. The earliest hominids may have dated to 1.2...
between brothers King García Sánchez III, El de Nájera, of Navarre and King Ferdinand I, the Great, of Castile and León.
The Castilians won and King García and his favourite Fortún Sánchez
Fortún Sánchez
Fortún Sánchez , called Bono Patre , was a Navarrese nobleman and courtier . He had the same wet nurse as King Sancho Garcés III, and was a regular presence at his court from the start of his majority in 1011 until his death in 1035...
were killed in battle. Ferdinand reannexed Navarrese territory he conceded to García 17 years early after his brother's assistance at Pisuerga.
Precedents
After the death of Sancho III of NavarreSancho III of Navarre
Sancho III Garcés , called the Great , succeeded as a minor to the Kingdom of Navarre in 1004, and through conquest and political maneuvering increased his power, until at the time of his death in 1035 he controlled the majority of Christian Iberia, bearing the title of rex Hispaniarum...
, his empire was divided with Ferdinand receiving the then County of Castile and García, the Kingdom of Navarre
Kingdom of Navarre
The Kingdom of Navarre , originally the Kingdom of Pamplona, was a European kingdom which occupied lands on either side of the Pyrenees alongside the Atlantic Ocean....
. In 1037, Bermudo III of León
Bermudo III of León
Bermudo III , king of León , son of Alfonso V of León by his wife Elvira Mendes, was the last scion of Peter of Cantabria to rule in the Leonese kingdom...
died without descendants in the battle of Tamarón
Battle of Tamarón
The Battle of Tamarón took place on 4 September 1037 between Ferdinand, Count of Castile, and Vermudo III, King of León. Ferdinand, who had married Vermudo's sister Sancha, defeated and killed his brother-in-law near Tamarón after a brief war...
against his brother-in-law Ferdinand of Castile. Ferdinand inherited the title of King of León, entering the city of León
León, Spain
León is the capital of the province of León in the autonomous community of Castile and León, situated in the northwest of Spain. Its city population of 136,985 makes it the largest municipality in the province, accounting for more than one quarter of the province's population...
on 1038. He rewarded the help of his brother García with Castilian territories from Oca
Oca
Oxalis tuberosa is an herbaceous perennial plant that overwinters as underground stem tubers. These tubers are known as oca, oka, or New Zealand Yam. The plant was brought into cultivation in the central and southern Andes for its tubers, which are used as a root vegetable...
to the gates of 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...
, from Briviesca
Briviesca
Briviesca is a municipality located in the province of Burgos, Castile and León, Spain. According to the 2007 census , the municipality has a population of 7,227 inhabitants....
to the valley of Urbel, from Castrobarto to Bricia and from the Nervión
Nervión
The river Nervión runs through the city of Bilbao, Spain into the Cantabrian Sea .It is also known as Estuary of Bilbao on its final tract, from the joining with Ibaizabal river to the sea.-Geography:...
river to Santander
Santander, Cantabria
The port city of Santander is the capital of the autonomous community and historical region of Cantabria situated on the north coast of Spain. Located east of Gijón and west of Bilbao, the city has a population of 183,446 .-History:...
.
Chronicon Silense
The monk of Silos wrote several decades later that an envious García attacked Ferdinand who was visiting him at NájeraNájera
Nájera is a small town located in the "Rioja Alta" region of La Rioja, Spain on the river Najerilla. Nájera is a stopping point on the Way of St James.-History:...
during his illness.
Recovered, García visited back Ferdinand to make peace.
Ferdinand set him in chains and locked him in a tower in Cea
Cea
-People:* Eusebio Rodolfo Cordón Cea , Salvadoran politician* José Pedro Cea , Uruguayan footballer* José Roberto Cea , Salvadoran novelist and poet-Places:* Cea River, Spain...
.
The Navarrese escaped and declared war, rejecting the Castilian embassies.
García was buried in the nearby village of Agés and his tomb was recently discovered in the church there.
The hosts of Castile and Leon were in Atapuerca, three league
League (unit)
A league is a unit of length . It was long common in Europe and Latin America, but it is no longer an official unit in any nation. The league originally referred to the distance a person or a horse could walk in an hour...
s eastwards from Burgos, already in Navarre.
García had with him Moorish auxiliary troops and maybe his brother king Ramiro I of Aragon
Ramiro I of Aragon
Ramiro I was de facto the first King of Aragon from 1035 until his death. Apparently born before 1007, he was the illegitimate son of Sancho III of Navarre by his mistress Sancha de Aybar...
.
Annals of Compostela
The Annales compostellaniAnnales Compostellani
The Annales Compostellani or Anales castellanos terceros are a set of Latin annals found in, and named after, Santiago de Compostela...
attribute the death of García to one knight of his, Sancho Fortún, "whom he [the king], had offended with his wife". Several in the Navarrese retinue preferred death in combat, and also the murderer, lord of Funes, Navarre, died in battle.
Crónica Najerense
The Crónica Najerense mentions relatives of Vermudo, who furiously engaged García, disobeying Ferdinand's instructions to take him alive.The Navarrese kept however their places until night and took the corpse to bury him in Nájera.
The proclaimed on the spot the new king, an adolescent Sancho de Peñalén.
Other version
Ferdinand is in this version the reckless brother and covets the "Asturias of Santander", Old CastileOld Castile
Old Castile is a historic region of Spain, which included territory that later corresponded to the provinces of Santander , Burgos, Logroño , Soria, Segovia, Ávila, Valladolid, Palencia....
, Briviesca and Rioja
Rioja
Rioja or La Rioja may refer to:Spain*Rioja, Almería*La Rioja , a province and autonomous community in northern Spain**Rioja , red and white wines from the province**La Rioja **University of La Rioja...
.
Ferdinand visited his ill brother, but suspecting him fled.
García visited an ill Ferdinand then, wishing to dispel his suspicions, but was locked in Cea.
Upon escaping, he took his troops and some Moors into Castile.
In Atapuerca the peace talks failed.
Two traitor soldiers (one of them, Sancho Fortún), wounded him lethally.
Ferdinand conceded the transport of the corpse to Nájera, took Briviesca, Montes de Oca
Montes de Oca
-Places:* Montes de Oca Canton, Costa Rica* Montes de Oca , in Burgos province, Spain, in Belgrano department, Santa Fe province, Argentina* La Unión de Isidoro Montes de Oca, in Guerrero state, Mexico* Villafranca Montes de Oca, in Burgos province, Spain...
and part of Rioja.
The border of Navarre was set by the Ebro
Ebro
The Ebro or Ebre is one of the most important rivers in the Iberian Peninsula. It is the biggest river by discharge volume in Spain.The Ebro flows through the following cities:*Reinosa in Cantabria.*Miranda de Ebro in Castile and León....
, and the new king Sancho IV of Navarre
Sancho IV of Navarre
Sancho IV Garcés , called Sancho of Peñalén or Sancho the Noble, was King of Navarre from 1054 to 1076. He was the eldest son and heir of García Sánchez III and Estefanía....
became Ferdinand's vassal.
El Cid?
Some sources mention El CidEl Cid
Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar , known as El Cid Campeador , was a Castilian nobleman, military leader, and diplomat...
as one of the battlers, but being born on 1043 or 1048 he would be too young.
Later history
In 1940 a commemorative inscription was carved on a 6,000-year-old menhirMenhir
A menhir is a large upright standing stone. Menhirs may be found singly as monoliths, or as part of a group of similar stones. Their size can vary considerably; but their shape is generally uneven and squared, often tapering towards the top...
at the site.
Since 1996, the people of Atapuerca and neighbour towns reenact the battle on the last or previous Sunday of August.