Rodrigo Velázquez
Encyclopedia
Rodrigo Velázquez the son of a certain Velasco and his wife Trudilde, was an important magnate of Galicia
during the reigns of Ramiro II
, Ordoño III, Sancho I
, and Ramiro III. He used the title dux
(duke), the highest in Galicia at the time, and he even treated diplomatically with the Caliphate of Córdoba
. He has been implicated in factional fighting over the succession to the Leonese throne, but the major battle of his career was part of a private aristocratic feud.
). On 28 March 959, Rodrigo confirmed a donation of Sancho I to the monastery of Celanova
.
Rodrigo is usually credited as one of the leaders of the party that supported Sancho I and his son Ramiro III in the wars over the Leonese succession that began in the late 950s and continued into the 980s. The chief rival clan was led by Gonzalo Menéndez
, who supported first Ordoño III and later his son Vermudo II. This thesis, however, is disputed. Rodrigo appears three times in the diplomas of Ordoño III: on 27 January and 16 September 954 and 10 May 955. There is no record of Rodrigo between 956 and 958. He figures in four of the diplomas of Sancho I: those of 28 March and 1 of December 959 and 26 April and December 960. During the reign of Ramiro III Rodrigo witnessed the royal restoration of the Diocese of Simancas in 974 and the testament of Rosendo in 977, which the king also witnessed. The absence of Rodrigo from court for a total of six years during the reigns of Sancho I and Ramiro III, and his comparatively frequent recurrence in the diplomas of Ordoño III, does not support the hypothesis that he was a creature of the former.
The rivalry between the two families had more to do with a dispute between Gonzalo's mother, Mummadomna, abbess of Guimarães
, and a relative of Rodrigo's, Guntroda, abbess of Pazóo. It may have been in 966 or 967, during the regency
of Elvira Ramírez
, that Rodrigo was defeated by Gonzalo at the Battle of Aguiuncias. By September 968 the two were reconciled. Justo Pérez de Urbel argued that the absence of Rodrigo and Gonzalo from court during the regency of Elvira was evidence that during this period they were de facto independent, but they were in León on 20 September 968 for the confirmation of a noble gift to the abbey of Sobrado
. On the other hand, the battle may have taken place between 970 and 974, after Gonzalo had fallen out with Ramiro III. The resulting bad blood between the families is alluded to as late as 1 October 982.
On 23 September 973 al-Ḥakam II
, Caliph of Córdoba, received ambassadors from the Kingdom of Navarre
, Ferdinand Ansúrez
, the Beni Gómez, and Rodrigo Velázquez. The Caliph bestowed on them gifts in exchange for reports from the ones who sent them. Besides his vast holdings in Galicia, Rodrigo held property in Castile, where, on 20 March 974, he exchanged property with abbot Peter of San Paio de Antealtares in the village of Sandulces.
, was elected Bishop of Iria, probably under the influence of the secular nobility. He was expelled from the see in 985 by Vermudo II. According to the Historia Compostelana
:
Thus, according to the Historia, the expulsion of Pelayo incited Rodrigo to call in his Saracen allies to wreak havoc on Galicia, even sacking Santiago de Compostela
itself. On the other hand, the Chronicon Iriense
makes the cause of Pelayo's expulsion the hatred of the Galician nobles for Rodrigo Velázquez, as a result of his destructive alliance with al-Manṣūr. Neither can be correct, however, since Pelayo's election occurred shortly before his father's death five years before Vermudo's election and some seven or eight years before Pelayo's expulsion. Al-Manṣūr's sack of Santiago in fact took place in 997.
On 17 January 977, Rodrigo confirmed a charter by which Rosendo, then Bishop of Iria, conceded the monastery of Celanova to Pelayo and recognised him as his successor. Rodrigo died between 16 June 977, the last date he is known to have been living, when he witnessed a donation of Ramiro III to the monastery of Sahagún
, and 23 October 978, the first date he is known to be dead, when his widow and his children donated the village of Paredes
to the monastery of Celanova, as Rodrigo had intended.
. Her last known act (9 June 999) was a donation to the monastery of Celanova on behalf of the soul of bone memorie vir meus ... Rudericus Uelasquiz comite ("my man of good memory ... count Rodrigo Velázquez").
Kingdom of Galicia
The Kingdom of Galicia was a political entity located in southwestern Europe, which at its territorial zenith occupied the entire northwest of the Iberian Peninsula. Founded by Suebic king Hermeric in the year 409, the Galician capital was established in Braga, being the first kingdom which...
during the reigns of 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...
, Ordoño III, Sancho I
Sancho I of León
Sancho I , called the Fat, was the son of King Ramiro II of León. He succeeded his half-brother Ordoño III in 956 and reigned until his death, except for a two year interruption from 958 to 960, when Ordoño the Wicked usurped the throne...
, and Ramiro III. He used the title dux
Dux
Dux is Latin for leader and later for Duke and its variant forms ....
(duke), the highest in Galicia at the time, and he even treated diplomatically with 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...
. He has been implicated in factional fighting over the succession to the Leonese throne, but the major battle of his career was part of a private aristocratic feud.
Politics of León and Galicia
On 13 June 950 Rodrigo confirmed an accord between Rosendo, Bishop of Iria, and the inhabitants of Villaza, defining the boundary between the bishopric and the village. In the list of witnesses appears as third of four in a list that includes three infantes (royal princes): Hordonius prolis regis (Ordoño III), Sancius prolis regis (Sancho I), and Hordonius prolis domni Adefonsi regis (Ordoño IVOrdoño IV of León
Ordoño IV, called the Wicked or the Bad , son of Alfonso IV of León and nephew of Ramiro II, was the king of León from 958 until 960, interrupting the reign of Sancho the Fat for a two year period...
). On 28 March 959, Rodrigo confirmed a donation of Sancho I to the monastery of Celanova
Monastery of San Salvador de Celanova
The monastery of San Salvador de Celanova is a religious complex in Celanova, Galicia, Spain. It was founded by St. Rudesind in 936. The jewel of the complex is the small mozarabic chapel of San Miguel, dating from 942....
.
Rodrigo is usually credited as one of the leaders of the party that supported Sancho I and his son Ramiro III in the wars over the Leonese succession that began in the late 950s and continued into the 980s. The chief rival clan was led by Gonzalo Menéndez
Gonzalo Menéndez
Gonzalo Menéndez was a Count of Portugal in the Kingdom of León. He regularly carries the title count , the highest in the kingdom, in surviving documents. He may have used the title magnus dux portucalensium...
, who supported first Ordoño III and later his son Vermudo II. This thesis, however, is disputed. Rodrigo appears three times in the diplomas of Ordoño III: on 27 January and 16 September 954 and 10 May 955. There is no record of Rodrigo between 956 and 958. He figures in four of the diplomas of Sancho I: those of 28 March and 1 of December 959 and 26 April and December 960. During the reign of Ramiro III Rodrigo witnessed the royal restoration of the Diocese of Simancas in 974 and the testament of Rosendo in 977, which the king also witnessed. The absence of Rodrigo from court for a total of six years during the reigns of Sancho I and Ramiro III, and his comparatively frequent recurrence in the diplomas of Ordoño III, does not support the hypothesis that he was a creature of the former.
The rivalry between the two families had more to do with a dispute between Gonzalo's mother, Mummadomna, abbess of Guimarães
Guimarães
Guimarães Municipality is located in northwestern Portugal in the province of Minho and in the Braga District. It contains the city of Guimarães.The present Mayor is António Magalhães Silva, elected by the Socialist Party.-Parishes:-Economy:...
, and a relative of Rodrigo's, Guntroda, abbess of Pazóo. It may have been in 966 or 967, during the regency
Regent
A regent, from the Latin regens "one who reigns", is a person selected to act as head of state because the ruler is a minor, not present, or debilitated. Currently there are only two ruling Regencies in the world, sovereign Liechtenstein and the Malaysian constitutive state of Terengganu...
of Elvira Ramírez
Elvira Ramírez
Elvira Ramírez was the daughter of King Ramiro II of León by his second wife, Urraca Sánchez of Pamplona, and thus half-sister of Sancho I of León, both grandchildren of Sancho I of Pamplona and Toda Aznárez. Born about 935, she was made a nun by her father, who built the "wonderfully large"...
, that Rodrigo was defeated by Gonzalo at the Battle of Aguiuncias. By September 968 the two were reconciled. Justo Pérez de Urbel argued that the absence of Rodrigo and Gonzalo from court during the regency of Elvira was evidence that during this period they were de facto independent, but they were in León on 20 September 968 for the confirmation of a noble gift to the abbey of Sobrado
Sobrado
Sobrado is a municipality in the Spanish province of A Coruña. It has a population of 2,402 and an area of 121 km². Sobrado is well known because of Sobrado Abbey, a Trappist monastery...
. On the other hand, the battle may have taken place between 970 and 974, after Gonzalo had fallen out with Ramiro III. The resulting bad blood between the families is alluded to as late as 1 October 982.
On 23 September 973 al-Ḥakam II
Al-Hakam II
Al-Hakam II was the second Caliph of Cordoba, in Al-Andalus , and son of Abd-ar-rahman III . He ruled from 961 to 976....
, Caliph of Córdoba, received ambassadors from 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....
, Ferdinand Ansúrez
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...
, the Beni Gómez, and Rodrigo Velázquez. The Caliph bestowed on them gifts in exchange for reports from the ones who sent them. Besides his vast holdings in Galicia, Rodrigo held property in Castile, where, on 20 March 974, he exchanged property with abbot Peter of San Paio de Antealtares in the village of Sandulces.
Legend and death
In 977 Rodrigo's only son, Pelayo RodríguezPelayo Rodríguez (bishop)
Pelayo Rodríguez was the Bishop of Iria Flavia . He was a son of the powerful magnate Rodrigo Velázquez and his wife Adosinda and is usually associated with the conflicts surrounding the accession of Vermudo II after a Galician rebellion in 982.-Episcopal election:There is disagreement in the...
, was elected Bishop of Iria, probably under the influence of the secular nobility. He was expelled from the see in 985 by Vermudo II. According to the Historia Compostelana
Historia Compostelana
The anonymous Historia Compostelana is based on the relation of events by a writer in the immediate circle of Diego Gelmírez, second bishop then first archbishop of Compostela, one of the major figures of the Middle Ages in Galicia...
:
Entretanto Rodrigo Velázquez, padre del obipso expulsado, unido a otros condes de esta región introdujo acá a los sarracenos acaudillados por Almanzor; los cuales entrando en Compostela, destruyeron hasta los cimientos la mayor parte de las paredes de la Iglesia del Santo Apóstol, excepto su santísimo altar.
Meanwhile, Rodrigo Velázquez, father of the expelled bishop, united with other counts of this region [Galicia] introduced there the Saracens led by al-Manṣūr; who, entering in Compostela, destroyed to the foundations the greater part of the walls of the Church of the Holy Apostle, save his most holy altar.
Thus, according to the Historia, the expulsion of Pelayo incited Rodrigo to call in his Saracen allies to wreak havoc on Galicia, even sacking 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...
itself. On the other hand, the Chronicon Iriense
Chronicon Iriense
The Chronicon Iriense is a short Latin chronicle of the Diocese of Iria Flavia, modern Santiago de Compostela, during the period beginning in 561 and ending in 982. It is usually found appended to the Historia Compostellana in medieval manuscripts, though it is also found in twelfth-century...
makes the cause of Pelayo's expulsion the hatred of the Galician nobles for Rodrigo Velázquez, as a result of his destructive alliance with al-Manṣūr. Neither can be correct, however, since Pelayo's election occurred shortly before his father's death five years before Vermudo's election and some seven or eight years before Pelayo's expulsion. Al-Manṣūr's sack of Santiago in fact took place in 997.
On 17 January 977, Rodrigo confirmed a charter by which Rosendo, then Bishop of Iria, conceded the monastery of Celanova to Pelayo and recognised him as his successor. Rodrigo died between 16 June 977, the last date he is known to have been living, when he witnessed a donation of Ramiro III to the monastery of Sahagún
Sahagún
Sahagún can refer to:*Sahagún, Spain, a town and monastery in Léon, Spain. Cradle of the Mudéjar architecture*Sahagún, Córdoba, the second town in population in Córdoba Department, Colombia, also called "The Cultural City of Cordoba"People...
, and 23 October 978, the first date he is known to be dead, when his widow and his children donated the village of Paredes
Paredes
Paredes Municipality is located in Porto District, in northern Portugal.Currently, Paredes Municipality contains four cities: Paredes, Rebordosa, São Salvador de Lordelo and Gandra, being the Portuguese municipality with the most cities....
to the monastery of Celanova, as Rodrigo had intended.
Marriages and children
Rodrigo's first wife was Adosinda Gunterícez, daughter of Gunterico Arias and Gontrodo (Gunterota) González. She was the mother of all his (known) children: their daughters Oneca, Trudilde, Velasquita, Muniadomna, and Ildonza, and their only son, Pelayo. His second wife was Onega Lucídez (Honega prolis Lucidi), daughter of Lucidio Aloítez and Jimena. They were married by 974, when she is referred to in a charter as coniux Ruderici ducis (wife of duke Rodrigo). In 985 she made a donation to the monastery of LorvãoLorvão
Lorvão is a parish in Penacova Municipality, Portugal....
. Her last known act (9 June 999) was a donation to the monastery of Celanova on behalf of the soul of bone memorie vir meus ... Rudericus Uelasquiz comite ("my man of good memory ... count Rodrigo Velázquez").