County of Monzón
Encyclopedia
The County of Monzón was a marcher county
of the Kingdom of León
in the tenth and eleventh centuries, during a period of renewed external threat (the Caliphate of Córdoba
) and disintegration of royal authority. The county was created by Ramiro II
for Ansur Fernández
in 943 and was ruled by his descendants, the Banu Ansúrez, for decades. The seat of the county was initially at the castle of Curiel
and later at Monteson
; to its east the river Pisuerga served as a border with the County of Castile. The County of Monzón straddled both banks of the Duero: south of the river its territories comprised Peñafiel
or Sacramenia
, north of the river it extended to the Cantabrian Mountains
and included the populations of Redondos, Mudá
, Rueda de Pisuerga, and Salinas de Pisuerga
.
Ansur's successor as count was his son Fernando
, who had five brothers. All five appear to have predeceased him and when he died he had no sons. His successor was his sister, Teresa Ansúrez, and, through her, her son, king Ramiro III of León
. The king immediately travelled to Santa María de Fusiellos, the chief religious centre of the county, and endowed it with the villages of San Julián and Abandella in order to secure local support (and for the good of his soul). Fernando's widow, Toda, was allowed to retain the title cometissa (countess) and govern the city of Dueñas
, which was part of Monzón.
The county disappears from contemporary records during its attachment to the crown, and it appears to have been incorporated into Castile after the tumultuous succession of Vermudo II in 985. The Castilian count García Fernández made a donation of the village of Santiago del Val in the county of Monzón to the monastery of San Isidro de Dueñas in the same county, indicating both his ability to dispose of Monzón's lands and his patronage of the church in Monzón. A charter of San Isidro for the year 990 refers to the king and the count of Castile, but not to any count of Monzón. The first sure indication that the Castilians were in control of Monzón comes from a document of Sancho III of Navarre
, which describes how he came to control Castile and Monzón. It notes that Sancho García possedit ... Castella et Monteson (possessed Castile and Monzón) "after Fernando [Ansúrez]", though the document does not mention any intervening rulers. After Sancho García's death (1017), the king of Navarre, with his mother, Jimena Fernández, and the new count of Castile, García Sánchez, with his mother, Urraca, came together to confirm the privileges of Monzón and Dueñas at Husillos for the benefit of the late count's soul. (Sancho of Navarre was married to Mayor
, García Sánchez's sister.) Monzón remained with the county of Castile until 1038, when the count of Castile, Fernando Sánchez, became king. The boundaries of the later Kingdom of Castile
included the old county of Monzón. In 1067 Sancho II of Castile
made the monastery of Santa María de Mamblas south of the Duero a daughter house of Santo Domingo de Silos
. It is probable that Mamblas
represents the southwest extremity of the county of Monzón as inherited by Sancho García.
Historian Justo Pérez de Urbel's argument that in 985 Monzón was annexed by the Banu Gómez clan that ruled the Saldaña
and Carrión
was based on a document of 995 that names them as the only rulers between Zamora
and Castile, without specifying the boundaries of the latter. The fourteenth-century historian Ibn Khaldun
also thought Monzón to have been a territory of the Banu Gómez, but his witness is too late to be of independent value.
Marches
A march or mark refers to a border region similar to a frontier, such as the Welsh Marches, the borderland between England and Wales. During the Frankish Carolingian Dynasty, the word spread throughout Europe....
of the Kingdom of 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...
in the tenth and eleventh centuries, during a period of renewed external threat (the Caliphate of Córdoba
Caliphate of Córdoba
The Caliphate of Córdoba ruled the Iberian peninsula and part of North Africa, from the city of Córdoba, from 929 to 1031. This period was characterized by remarkable success in trade and culture; many of the masterpieces of Islamic Iberia were constructed in this period, including the famous...
) and disintegration of royal authority. The county was created by Ramiro II
Ramiro II of León
Ramiro II , son of Ordoño II, was King of León from 931 until his death. Initially titular king only of a lesser part of Asturias, he gained the crown of León after his brother Alfonso IV abdicated in 931...
for Ansur Fernández
Ansur Fernández
Ansur, Assur, or Asur Fernández was a powerful Castilian nobleman and military leader in the Kingdom of León during the reign of Ramiro II. He was the first Count of Monzón, probably from before 939, certainly by 943, and he was Count of Castile in 943–45 in opposition to the deposed Fernán González...
in 943 and was ruled by his descendants, the Banu Ansúrez, for decades. The seat of the county was initially at the castle of Curiel
Curiel de Duero
Curiel de Duero is a municipality located in the province of Valladolid, Castile and León, Spain. It covers an area of 18,75 km², has a population of 134 inhabitants, yielding a density of 6,93 inhab/km². It belongs to the Valle del Cuco and the county of Campo de Peñafiel...
and later at Monteson
Monzón de Campos
Monzón de Campos is a municipality located in the province of Palencia, Castile and León, Spain. According to the 2004 census , the municipality has a population of 696 inhabitants....
; to its east the river Pisuerga served as a border with the County of Castile. The County of Monzón straddled both banks of the Duero: south of the river its territories comprised Peñafiel
Peñafiel
Peñafiel is a town in Valladolid Province, autonomous community of Castile and León, Spain, best known for the Peñafiel Castle and for its medieval square used for bullfights and named "Plaza del Coso"...
or Sacramenia
Sacramenia
Sacramenia is a municipality located in the province of Segovia, Castile and León, Spain. According to the 2004 census , the municipality has a population of 540 inhabitants....
, north of the river it extended to the Cantabrian Mountains
Cantabrian Mountains
The Cantabrian Mountains or Cantabrian Range are one of the main systems of mountain ranges in Spain.They extend for more than approximately 180 miles across northern Spain, from the western limit of the Pyrenees to the edges of the Galician Massif close to Galicia, along the coast of the...
and included the populations of Redondos, Mudá
Mudá
Mudá is a municipality located in the province of Palencia, Castile and León, Spain. According to the 2004 census , the municipality has a population of 105 inhabitants....
, Rueda de Pisuerga, and Salinas de Pisuerga
Salinas de Pisuerga
Salinas de Pisuerga is a municipality located in the province of Palencia, Castile and León, Spain. According to the 2004 census , the municipality has a population of 337 inhabitants....
.
Ansur's successor as count was his son Fernando
Fernando Ansúrez II
Fernando Ansúrez II was the Count of Monzón, Peñafiel, and Campos from 950 and one of the most powerful noblemen of his generation in the Kingdom of León. He was the eldest son of Ansur Fernández and namesake of his grandfather, Fernando Ansúrez I...
, who had five brothers. All five appear to have predeceased him and when he died he had no sons. His successor was his sister, Teresa Ansúrez, and, through her, her son, king Ramiro III of León
Ramiro III of León
Ramiro III , king of León , was the son of Sancho the Fat and his successor at the age of only five. During his minority, the regency was in the hands of two nuns: his aunt Elvira Ramírez of León, who took the title of queen during the minority, and his mother Teresa Ansúrez, who was put in a...
. The king immediately travelled to Santa María de Fusiellos, the chief religious centre of the county, and endowed it with the villages of San Julián and Abandella in order to secure local support (and for the good of his soul). Fernando's widow, Toda, was allowed to retain the title cometissa (countess) and govern the city of Dueñas
Dueñas
Dueñas may refer to:*Dueñas, Iloilo, Philippines*Dueñas, Palencia, Spain...
, which was part of Monzón.
The county disappears from contemporary records during its attachment to the crown, and it appears to have been incorporated into Castile after the tumultuous succession of Vermudo II in 985. The Castilian count García Fernández made a donation of the village of Santiago del Val in the county of Monzón to the monastery of San Isidro de Dueñas in the same county, indicating both his ability to dispose of Monzón's lands and his patronage of the church in Monzón. A charter of San Isidro for the year 990 refers to the king and the count of Castile, but not to any count of Monzón. The first sure indication that the Castilians were in control of Monzón comes from a document of Sancho III of Navarre
Sancho 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...
, which describes how he came to control Castile and Monzón. It notes that Sancho García possedit ... Castella et Monteson (possessed Castile and Monzón) "after Fernando [Ansúrez]", though the document does not mention any intervening rulers. After Sancho García's death (1017), the king of Navarre, with his mother, Jimena Fernández, and the new count of Castile, García Sánchez, with his mother, Urraca, came together to confirm the privileges of Monzón and Dueñas at Husillos for the benefit of the late count's soul. (Sancho of Navarre was married to Mayor
Mayor of Castile
Mayor of Castile was queen of Navarre. She was originally called Muniadona and is variously called Munia Mayor . In Spanish, she is called Muniadona de Castilla...
, García Sánchez's sister.) Monzón remained with the county of Castile until 1038, when the count of Castile, Fernando Sánchez, became king. The boundaries of the later Kingdom 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...
included the old county of Monzón. In 1067 Sancho II of Castile
Sancho II of Castile
Sancho II , called the Strong, or in Spanish, el Fuerte, was King of Castile and León .He was the eldest son of Ferdinand I of Castile and Sancha of León, the eventual heiress to the Leonese crown...
made the monastery of Santa María de Mamblas south of the Duero a daughter house of Santo Domingo de Silos
Santo Domingo de Silos
Santo Domingo de Silos is a municipality located in the province of Burgos, Castile and León, Spain. According to the 2004 census , the municipality has a population of 292 inhabitants....
. It is probable that Mamblas
Mamblas
Mamblas is a municipality located in the province of Ávila, Castile and León, Spain. According to the 2006 census , the municipality has a population of 252 inhabitants....
represents the southwest extremity of the county of Monzón as inherited by Sancho García.
Historian Justo Pérez de Urbel's argument that in 985 Monzón was annexed by the Banu Gómez clan that ruled the Saldaña
Saldaña
-Places:*Saldana Municipality*Saldaña, Palencia*Saldaña, Colombia*Saldaña de Burgos*Saldaña River...
and Carrión
Carrión de los Condes
Carrión de los Condes is a municipality in the province of Palencia, part of the Autonomous Community of Castile and León, Spain.It is 40 kilometers from Palencia, on the Way of Saint James.-History:...
was based on a document of 995 that names them as the only rulers between Zamora
Zamora, Spain
Zamora is a city in Castile and León, Spain, the capital of the province of Zamora. It lies on a rocky hill in the northwest, near the frontier with Portugal and crossed by the Duero river, which is some 50 km downstream as it reaches the Portuguese frontier...
and Castile, without specifying the boundaries of the latter. The fourteenth-century historian Ibn Khaldun
Ibn Khaldun
Ibn Khaldūn or Ibn Khaldoun was an Arab Tunisian historiographer and historian who is often viewed as one of the forerunners of modern historiography, sociology and economics...
also thought Monzón to have been a territory of the Banu Gómez, but his witness is too late to be of independent value.
List of counts
- Ansur FernándezAnsur FernándezAnsur, Assur, or Asur Fernández was a powerful Castilian nobleman and military leader in the Kingdom of León during the reign of Ramiro II. He was the first Count of Monzón, probably from before 939, certainly by 943, and he was Count of Castile in 943–45 in opposition to the deposed Fernán González...
(943–947) - Fernando AnsúrezFernando Ansúrez IIFernando Ansúrez II was the Count of Monzón, Peñafiel, and Campos from 950 and one of the most powerful noblemen of his generation in the Kingdom of León. He was the eldest son of Ansur Fernández and namesake of his grandfather, Fernando Ansúrez I...
(950–978) - Teresa Ansúrez (978–???)
- Ramiro III of LeónRamiro III of LeónRamiro III , king of León , was the son of Sancho the Fat and his successor at the age of only five. During his minority, the regency was in the hands of two nuns: his aunt Elvira Ramírez of León, who took the title of queen during the minority, and his mother Teresa Ansúrez, who was put in a...
(978–985) - Toda (978–???), in Dueñas only
- Ramiro III of León
- García Fernández (985/90–995)
- Sancho García (995–1017)
- García Sánchez (1017–1029)
- Ferdinand I of LeónFerdinand I of LeónFerdinand I , called the Great , was the Count of Castile from his uncle's death in 1029 and the King of León after defeating his brother-in-law in 1037. According to tradition, he was the first to have himself crowned Emperor of Spain , and his heirs carried on the tradition...
(1029–1038)