Luis de la Cerda
Encyclopedia
Luis de La Cerda, also called Louis of Spain (France, 1291 - Lamotte-du-Rhône
, July 5, 1348) 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
. He was also made the first 'Prince of Fortuna' (sovereign ruler of the Canary Islands
) by Pope Clement VI
in 1344, although he never actually set foot on the islands.
). Alfonso had been chosen to inherit the Kingdom of León
from his grandfather King Alfonso X of Castile-Leon
, but was deposed and driven into exile in 1284 by his uncle, Sancho IV
. As a result, most of Alfonso's children, including Luis de la Cerda, were born and raised abroad.
Luis de la Cerda spent almost all of his life in the Kingdom of France
, in the service of the French crown, and fought in the Hundred Years' War
on behalf of his adopted country. King Philip VI of France
invested Luis de la Cerda as Count of Clermont and the first Count of Talmont
in 1338/39. He was appointed Admiral of France
in 1340.
, there had been practically no European contact with the Canary islands (known then as the Fortunate Islands) until the early 14th C, when Genoese
captain Lanceloto Malocello stumbled on the island of Lanzarote
. European interest in the islands accelerated quickly following a 1341 mapping expedition
sponsored by Afonso IV of Portugal
, which supplied detailed descriptions of the 'Guanches
', the primeval aboriginal inhabitants of the islands. The prospect of new and easy slave-raiding grounds whet the appetites of European merchants. Majorcan
expeditions, organized by private commercial consortiums, set out immediately for the Canary islands, with the objective of capturing natives to sell them as slaves in European markets.
Luis de la Cerda, then serving as a French ambassador to the papal court in Avignon
, submitted a proposal to Pope Clement VI
that offered the Catholic Church, discomforted by the slave-raiders, the more palatable vision of conquering the islands and converting the native Guanches
to Christianity.
On 15 November 1344, Pope Clement VI issued the bull Tu devonitis sinceritas granting the Canary islands in perpetuity Luis de la Cerda and his heirs, granting him the sovereign title of "Prince of Fortuna", with attendant rights to mint coinage and other royal privileges. In return, Cerda promised to convert the natives and render the papacy an annual tribute of 400 gold florins, due yearly on the feast of Saints Peter and Paul
(June 29). Eleven islands were cited in the bull by the ancient (and fantastical) names given by Pliny
: Canaria, Ningaria, Plumaria, Capraria, Junonia, Embronea, Atlantica, Hesperida, Cernae, Gorgona and Galeta. Upon receiving the crown and sceptre from the hands of the pope, a cavalcade was sent around the streets of Avignon
, announcing Luis de la Cerda as the newly-created king of the islands. Luis de la Cerda quickly acquired the popular appellation of Infante de la Fortuna.
Pope Clement VI followed this up with another bull, Prouenit ex tue in January 1345, giving the Cerda conquest the character of a crusade, granting indulgences to any who participated. Papal letters were dispatched to the rulers of Portugal, Castile, Aragon, France, Sicily, Vienne and Genoa, demanding recognition of Cerda's title and urging them to provide material assistance to Cerda's upcoming expedition (projected within three years). The Portuguese king Afonso IV
immediately lodged a protest, claiming priority of discovery, but conceded to the authority of the pope. Alfonso XI of Castile
also protested, using the ancient Visigothic
dioceses and prior reconquista
treaties to claim the islands fell within Castilian jurisdiction and 'sphere of conquest', but nonetheless recognized Cerda's title.
Despite their formal recognitions, preparations were stalled by the opposition of the Iberian monarchs. With the assistance of the Archbishop of Neopatria, Luis de la Cerda managed to secure a commitment from Peter IV of Aragon
to put some galleys at his disposal, but the others were far less forthcoming, if not outright hostile. The renewed outbreak of the Hundred Years War in 1346 put the project on hold, as Luis de la Cerda resumed military service for the French crown. As a result, no expedition was mounted before Cerda's untimely death on July 5, 1348.
Tradition holds that the Aragonese galleys prepared for Luis de La Cerda, either tired of the delays (or immediately after his death), decided to set out on their own for the Canaries and attempted a landing on La Gomera
, but were quickly repulsed by the natives. As there is no documentary evidence for this expedition, some historians have been eager to identify it with a known ill-fated Aragonese expedition of 1360, but it is improbable that Cerda's galleys would have remained available that late.
Luis de la Cerda was buried in the Abbey of Saint-Gilles
in Languedoc, France. His titles of Talmont and Prince of Fortuna were inherited by his eldest living son Luis de la Cerda y Guzmán. But after the male lines died without issue, the titles passed through Luis de la Cerda's daughter Isabel de la Cerda Pérez de Guzmán into the house of the Counts (and later Dukes) of Medinacelli
. Although it is reported that the papal-conferred title of Prince of Fortuna automatically expired after five years with no expedition, the De la Cerda-Medinacelli family continued to press their claim for the lordship of the islands.
After his first wife's death, Luis de la Cerda married Guiote D'Uzès, daughter of Robert I, Viscount of Uzès
. There was no issue from this marriage.
Outside of marriage, Luis de la Cerda also had a bastard son Juan de España, born in France in 1347, and recognized in his father's will.
Lamotte-du-Rhône
Lamotte-du-Rhône is a commune in the Vaucluse department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France.-References:*...
, July 5, 1348) was an expatriate royal prince of the Crown of Castile
Crown of Castile
The Crown of Castile was a medieval and modern state in the Iberian Peninsula that formed in 1230 as a result of the third and definitive union of the crowns and parliaments of the kingdoms of Castile and León upon the accession of the then King Ferdinand III of Castile to the vacant Leonese throne...
, who lived and served in the Kingdom of France
Kingdom of France
The Kingdom of France was one of the most powerful states to exist in Europe during the second millennium.It originated from the Western portion of the Frankish empire, and consolidated significant power and influence over the next thousand years. Louis XIV, also known as the Sun King, developed a...
. Among his titles, Luis de la Cerda was the count of Talmont, count of Clermont and an admiral of France
Admiral of France
The title Admiral of France is one of the Great Officers of the Crown of France, the naval equivalent of Marshal of France.The title was created in 1270 by Louis IX of France, during the Eighth Crusade. At the time it was equivalent to the office of Constable of France. The Admiral was responsible...
. He was also made the first 'Prince of Fortuna' (sovereign ruler of the Canary Islands
Canary Islands
The Canary Islands , also known as the Canaries , is a Spanish archipelago located just off the northwest coast of mainland Africa, 100 km west of the border between Morocco and the Western Sahara. The Canaries are a Spanish autonomous community and an outermost region of the European Union...
) by Pope Clement VI
Pope Clement VI
Pope Clement VI , bornPierre Roger, the fourth of the Avignon Popes, was pope from May 1342 until his death in December of 1352...
in 1344, although he never actually set foot on the islands.
Biography
Luis de la Cerda was the second son of Alfonso de la Cerda, the disinherited and Matilde of Brienne-Eu (daughter of John II of BrienneJohn II of Brienne, Count of Eu
John II of Brienne was the son of John I of Brienne, Count of Eu and Beatrice of Saint-Pol. He succeeded his father as Count of Eu in 1294....
). Alfonso had been chosen to inherit 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...
from his grandfather King Alfonso X of Castile-Leon
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...
, but was deposed and driven into exile in 1284 by his uncle, 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:...
. As a result, most of Alfonso's children, including Luis de la Cerda, were born and raised abroad.
Luis de la Cerda spent almost all of his life in the Kingdom of France
Kingdom of France
The Kingdom of France was one of the most powerful states to exist in Europe during the second millennium.It originated from the Western portion of the Frankish empire, and consolidated significant power and influence over the next thousand years. Louis XIV, also known as the Sun King, developed a...
, in the service of the French crown, and fought in the Hundred Years' War
Hundred Years' War
The Hundred Years' War was a series of separate wars waged from 1337 to 1453 by the House of Valois and the House of Plantagenet, also known as the House of Anjou, for the French throne, which had become vacant upon the extinction of the senior Capetian line of French kings...
on behalf of his adopted country. King Philip VI of France
Philip VI of France
Philip VI , known as the Fortunate and of Valois, was the King of France from 1328 to his death. He was also Count of Anjou, Maine, and Valois from 1325 to 1328...
invested Luis de la Cerda as Count of Clermont and the first Count of Talmont
Talmont-sur-Gironde
Talmont-sur-Gironde is a commune in the Charente-Maritime department in the Poitou-Charentes region in southwestern France.-Geography:The village lies about south of Royan, on a small promontory which dominates the Gironde Estuary. It appears to be ‘perched’ on this rocky outcrop, in the way that...
in 1338/39. He was appointed Admiral of France
Admiral of France
The title Admiral of France is one of the Great Officers of the Crown of France, the naval equivalent of Marshal of France.The title was created in 1270 by Louis IX of France, during the Eighth Crusade. At the time it was equivalent to the office of Constable of France. The Admiral was responsible...
in 1340.
Prince of the Fortunate Islands
Although known since classical antiquityClassical antiquity
Classical antiquity is a broad term for a long period of cultural history centered on the Mediterranean Sea, comprising the interlocking civilizations of ancient Greece and ancient Rome, collectively known as the Greco-Roman world...
, there had been practically no European contact with the Canary islands (known then as the Fortunate Islands) until the early 14th C, when Genoese
Republic of Genoa
The Most Serene Republic of Genoa |Ligurian]]: Repúbrica de Zêna) was an independent state from 1005 to 1797 in Liguria on the northwestern Italian coast, as well as Corsica from 1347 to 1768, and numerous other territories throughout the Mediterranean....
captain Lanceloto Malocello stumbled on the island of Lanzarote
Lanzarote
Lanzarote , a Spanish island, is the easternmost of the autonomous Canary Islands, in the Atlantic Ocean, approximately 125 km off the coast of Africa and 1,000 km from the Iberian Peninsula. Covering 845.9 km2, it stands as the fourth largest of the islands...
. European interest in the islands accelerated quickly following a 1341 mapping expedition
Conquest of the Canary Islands
The conquest of the Canary Islands by the Kingdom of Castille took place between 1402 and 1496. It can be divided into two periods, the Conquista señorial, carried out by Castilian nobility in exchange for a covenant of allegiance with the crown, and the Conquista realenga, carried out by the...
sponsored by Afonso IV of Portugal
Afonso IV of Portugal
Afonso IV , called the Brave , was the seventh king of Portugal and the Algarve from 1325 until his death. He was the only legitimate son of King Denis of Portugal by his wife Elizabeth of Aragon.-Biography:...
, which supplied detailed descriptions of the 'Guanches
Guanches
Guanches is the name given to the aboriginal Berber inhabitants of the Canary Islands. It is believed that they migrated to the archipelago sometime between 1000 BCE and 100 BCE or perhaps earlier...
', the primeval aboriginal inhabitants of the islands. The prospect of new and easy slave-raiding grounds whet the appetites of European merchants. Majorcan
Kingdom of Majorca
The Kingdom of Majorca was founded by James I of Aragon, also known as James The Conqueror. After the death of his first-born son Alfonso, a will was written in 1262 which created the kingdom in order to cede it to his son James...
expeditions, organized by private commercial consortiums, set out immediately for the Canary islands, with the objective of capturing natives to sell them as slaves in European markets.
Luis de la Cerda, then serving as a French ambassador to the papal court in Avignon
Avignon Papacy
The Avignon Papacy was the period from 1309 to 1376 during which seven Popes resided in Avignon, in modern-day France. This arose from the conflict between the Papacy and the French crown....
, submitted a proposal to Pope Clement VI
Pope Clement VI
Pope Clement VI , bornPierre Roger, the fourth of the Avignon Popes, was pope from May 1342 until his death in December of 1352...
that offered the Catholic Church, discomforted by the slave-raiders, the more palatable vision of conquering the islands and converting the native Guanches
Guanches
Guanches is the name given to the aboriginal Berber inhabitants of the Canary Islands. It is believed that they migrated to the archipelago sometime between 1000 BCE and 100 BCE or perhaps earlier...
to Christianity.
On 15 November 1344, Pope Clement VI issued the bull Tu devonitis sinceritas granting the Canary islands in perpetuity Luis de la Cerda and his heirs, granting him the sovereign title of "Prince of Fortuna", with attendant rights to mint coinage and other royal privileges. In return, Cerda promised to convert the natives and render the papacy an annual tribute of 400 gold florins, due yearly on the feast of Saints Peter and Paul
Feast of Saints Peter and Paul
The Feast of Saints Peter and Paul, or the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, is a liturgical feast in honour of the martyrdom in Rome of the apostles Saint Peter and Saint Paul, which is observed on 29 June...
(June 29). Eleven islands were cited in the bull by the ancient (and fantastical) names given by Pliny
Pliny the Elder
Gaius Plinius Secundus , better known as Pliny the Elder, was a Roman author, naturalist, and natural philosopher, as well as naval and army commander of the early Roman Empire, and personal friend of the emperor Vespasian...
: Canaria, Ningaria, Plumaria, Capraria, Junonia, Embronea, Atlantica, Hesperida, Cernae, Gorgona and Galeta. Upon receiving the crown and sceptre from the hands of the pope, a cavalcade was sent around the streets of Avignon
Avignon
Avignon is a French commune in southeastern France in the départment of the Vaucluse bordered by the left bank of the Rhône river. Of the 94,787 inhabitants of the city on 1 January 2010, 12 000 live in the ancient town centre surrounded by its medieval ramparts.Often referred to as the...
, announcing Luis de la Cerda as the newly-created king of the islands. Luis de la Cerda quickly acquired the popular appellation of Infante de la Fortuna.
Pope Clement VI followed this up with another bull, Prouenit ex tue in January 1345, giving the Cerda conquest the character of a crusade, granting indulgences to any who participated. Papal letters were dispatched to the rulers of Portugal, Castile, Aragon, France, Sicily, Vienne and Genoa, demanding recognition of Cerda's title and urging them to provide material assistance to Cerda's upcoming expedition (projected within three years). The Portuguese king Afonso IV
Afonso IV of Portugal
Afonso IV , called the Brave , was the seventh king of Portugal and the Algarve from 1325 until his death. He was the only legitimate son of King Denis of Portugal by his wife Elizabeth of Aragon.-Biography:...
immediately lodged a protest, claiming priority of discovery, but conceded to the authority of the pope. 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...
also protested, using the ancient Visigothic
Visigothic Kingdom
The Visigothic Kingdom was a kingdom which occupied southwestern France and the Iberian Peninsula from the 5th to 8th century AD. One of the Germanic successor states to the Western Roman Empire, it was originally created by the settlement of the Visigoths under King Wallia in the province of...
dioceses and prior 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...
treaties to claim the islands fell within Castilian jurisdiction and 'sphere of conquest', but nonetheless recognized Cerda's title.
Despite their formal recognitions, preparations were stalled by the opposition of the Iberian monarchs. With the assistance of the Archbishop of Neopatria, Luis de la Cerda managed to secure a commitment from Peter IV of Aragon
Peter IV of Aragon
Peter IV, , called el Cerimoniós or el del punyalet , was the King of Aragon, King of Sardinia and Corsica , King of Valencia , and Count of Barcelona Peter IV, (Balaguer, September 5, 1319 – Barcelona, January 6, 1387), called el Cerimoniós ("the Ceremonious") or el del punyalet ("the one...
to put some galleys at his disposal, but the others were far less forthcoming, if not outright hostile. The renewed outbreak of the Hundred Years War in 1346 put the project on hold, as Luis de la Cerda resumed military service for the French crown. As a result, no expedition was mounted before Cerda's untimely death on July 5, 1348.
Tradition holds that the Aragonese galleys prepared for Luis de La Cerda, either tired of the delays (or immediately after his death), decided to set out on their own for the Canaries and attempted a landing on La Gomera
La Gomera
La Gomera is one of Spain's Canary Islands, located in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Africa. In area, it is the second-smallest of the seven main islands of this group.- Political organization :...
, but were quickly repulsed by the natives. As there is no documentary evidence for this expedition, some historians have been eager to identify it with a known ill-fated Aragonese expedition of 1360, but it is improbable that Cerda's galleys would have remained available that late.
Luis de la Cerda was buried in the Abbey of Saint-Gilles
Saint-Gilles, Gard
Saint-Gilles or Saint-Gilles-du-Gard is a commune in the Gard department in southern France.It is the second most populous commune in the Nîmes metropolitan area.-Geography:...
in Languedoc, France. His titles of Talmont and Prince of Fortuna were inherited by his eldest living son Luis de la Cerda y Guzmán. But after the male lines died without issue, the titles passed through Luis de la Cerda's daughter Isabel de la Cerda Pérez de Guzmán into the house of the Counts (and later Dukes) of Medinacelli
Duke of Medinaceli
Duke of Medinaceli is a Spanish noble title given to Luis de la Cerda y de la Vega on 31 October 1479, by the Catholic Monarchs, Isabella I of Castile and Ferdinand II of Aragon when the old title of Count of Medinaceli, awarded to his grandfather, Bernal de Foix, in 1368, whereby was transformed...
. Although it is reported that the papal-conferred title of Prince of Fortuna automatically expired after five years with no expedition, the De la Cerda-Medinacelli family continued to press their claim for the lordship of the islands.
Descendants
In 1306, Luis de la Cerda married Leonor de Guzmán, daughter of Alonso Pérez de Guzmán and Maria Alfonso Coronel. Offspring from this marriage:- Alfonso, Maria, Blanca, Fernando and a second Maria de la Cerda, all of which died in childhood.
- Luis de la Cerda y Guzmán (c.1325 - 1383), second titular Prince of Fortuna and second Count of Talmont.
- Juan de la Cerda y Guzmán (1327–1357), Lord of Puerto de Santa María and GibraleónGibraleónGibraleón is a town and municipality located in the province of Huelva, Spain. According to the 2005 census, the municipality has a population of 11,202 inhabitants.-External links:* - Sistema de Información Multiterritorial de Andalucía...
, briefly alguacil mayor of Seville (f.1355). - Isabel de la Cerda y GuzmánIsabel de la CerdaIsabel de la Cerda also known as Isabel de la Cerda Pérez de Guzmán Isabel de la Cerda also known as Isabel de la Cerda Pérez de Guzmán Isabel de la Cerda also known as Isabel de la Cerda Pérez de Guzmán (Seville c.1329 - after 1383 was the only surviving daughter of Luis de la Cerda and his first...
(c.1329 - 1382), Lady of Puerto de Santa María, married 1. Rodrigo Pérez Ponce de León and 2. Bernal de Foix, 1st Count of Medinaceli.
After his first wife's death, Luis de la Cerda married Guiote D'Uzès, daughter of Robert I, Viscount of Uzès
Robert I, Viscount of Uzès
Robert I was a medieval French nobleman. For his services in the War of the Succession of Flanders and Hainault, Philip VI of France promoted the barony of Uzès into a viscountcy in 1328....
. There was no issue from this marriage.
Outside of marriage, Luis de la Cerda also had a bastard son Juan de España, born in France in 1347, and recognized in his father's will.
Sources
- Monumenta Henricina, (1960–1967), Manuel Lopes de Almeida, Idalino Ferreira da Costa Brochado and Antonio Joaquim Dias Dinis, editors, Coimbra. vol. 1 (1143–1411)
- Fernández-Armesto, F. (2007) Before Columbus: exploration and colonisation from the Mediterranean to the Atlantic 1229-1492. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press.
- Meliá, Juan Tous (2000) Guía histórica del Museo Militar Regional de Canarias Tenerife. online
- Jiménez de la Romera, W. (1868) Crónica de las Islas Canarias Madrid: Rubio, Grily y Vitturi.
- Viera y Clavijo, José de (1772) Noticias de la Historia General de las Islas Canarias. Madrid. 4 volúmes. vol. 1