Sancho II of Castile
Encyclopedia
Sancho II called the Strong, or in Spanish, el Fuerte, was King of Castile (1065–1072) and León
(1072).
He was the eldest son of Ferdinand I of Castile and Sancha of León
, the eventual heiress to the Leonese crown. He was married to Alberta, a woman, probably foreign, of unknown origin.
He succeeded in Castile
while his younger brother Alfonso
succeeded in their mother's inheritance of León and Galicia was given to the youngest son García
.
In 1068, Sancho defeated his cousins Sancho IV of Navarre
and Sancho of Aragón in the War of the Three Sanchos
. He reconquered Bureba, Alta Rioja, and Álava
, which his father had given to Sancho of Navarre's father, García, in return for aid against Bermudo III of León
. In that year, he defeated Alfonso
, his brother, at Llantada
, but he soon teamed up with him to conquer Galicia. They succeeded (1071) and partitioned it, but Sancho then turned on Alfonso. With the aid of his alférez
El Cid
, he defeated Alfonso at Golpejera
(1072). He then forced him into exile in Toledo
and took over León as king.
Some Leonese resistance still persisted, and his sister, Urraca
, Lady of Zamora, held that city against his rule. He had surrounded the city and begun a siege, when a Zamoran noble, named Vellido Dolfos, assassinated Sancho on 6 October 1072. Vellido had gained entry to Sancho's camp pretending to be a deserter, and sought a private conference with Sancho to tell him the weakness of the Zamoran defence. Once before Sancho, however, he used the king's own sword to impale him in the back. Fleeing, he was chased back to Zamora by El Cid but escaped into the town through a gateway since called Portillo del Traidor ("gateway of the traitor"). Sancho was succeeded in his kingdoms by the brother he had previously deposed, Alfonso
.
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...
(1072).
He was the eldest son of Ferdinand I of Castile and Sancha of León
Sancha of León
Sancha of León was a daughter of Alfonso V of León by Elvira Mendes and Queen consort of León and Castile. In 1029, a political marriage was arranged between her and count García Sánchez of Castile. However, having traveled to León for the marriage, García was assassinated by a group of...
, the eventual heiress to the Leonese crown. He was married to Alberta, a woman, probably foreign, of unknown origin.
He succeeded in 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...
while his younger brother Alfonso
Alfonso VI of Castile
Alfonso VI , nicknamed the Brave or the Valiant, was King of León from 1065, King of Castile and de facto King of Galicia from 1072, and self-proclaimed "Emperor of all Spain". After the conquest of Toledo he was also self-proclaimed victoriosissimo rege in Toleto, et in Hispania et Gallecia...
succeeded in their mother's inheritance of León and Galicia was given to the youngest son García
García II of Galicia and Portugal
García II , King of Galicia and Portugal, was the youngest of the three sons and heirs of Ferdinand I, King of Castile and León, and Sancha of León, whose Leonese inheritance included the lands García would be given....
.
In 1068, Sancho defeated his cousins 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....
and Sancho of Aragón in the War of the Three Sanchos
War of the Three Sanchos
The War of the Three Sanchos was a brief military conflict between three Spanish kingdoms in 1065–1067. The kingdoms were all ruled by kings who were first cousins: Sancho II the Strong, King of Castile; Sancho IV Garcés, King of Navarre; and Sancho Ramírez, King of Aragon, all grandsons of...
. He reconquered Bureba, Alta Rioja, and Álava
Álava
Álava is a province of Spain and a historical territory of the Basque Country, heir of the ancient Lord of Álava. Its capital city is Vitoria-Gasteiz which is also the capital of the autonomous community...
, which his father had given to Sancho of Navarre's father, García, in return for aid against 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...
. In that year, he defeated Alfonso
Alfonso VI of Castile
Alfonso VI , nicknamed the Brave or the Valiant, was King of León from 1065, King of Castile and de facto King of Galicia from 1072, and self-proclaimed "Emperor of all Spain". After the conquest of Toledo he was also self-proclaimed victoriosissimo rege in Toleto, et in Hispania et Gallecia...
, his brother, at Llantada
Battle of Llantada
The Battle of Llantada or Llantadilla was a border skirmish fought on 19 July 1068 on the banks of the Pisuerga near the frontier between León and Castile. There Sancho II of Castile defeated his brother Alfonso VI of León...
, but he soon teamed up with him to conquer Galicia. They succeeded (1071) and partitioned it, but Sancho then turned on Alfonso. With the aid of his alférez
Alférez
Alférez is a junior officer rank also used in Spain, Argentina, Chile and Uruguay. The variant Alferes is used in Portugal and was formerly also used in Brazil. A naval variant, Frigate Alférez, is used in Spain, Dominican Republic and Peru. "Alférez" is often translated as ensign...
El Cid
El Cid
Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar , known as El Cid Campeador , was a Castilian nobleman, military leader, and diplomat...
, he defeated Alfonso at Golpejera
Battle of Golpejera
The Battle of Golpejera also known as Golpejar, was an internecine battle among Christian kingdoms fought in early January, 1072. King Sancho II of Castile defeated the forces of his brother Alfonso VI of León near Carrión...
(1072). He then forced him into exile in Toledo
Toledo, Spain
Toledo's Alcázar became renowned in the 19th and 20th centuries as a military academy. At the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War in 1936 its garrison was famously besieged by Republican forces.-Economy:...
and took over León as king.
Some Leonese resistance still persisted, and his sister, Urraca
Urraca of Zamora
Urraca was a Leonese infanta, one of the five children of Ferdinand I the Great, who received the city of Zamora as her inheritance and exercised palatine authority in it...
, Lady of Zamora, held that city against his rule. He had surrounded the city and begun a siege, when a Zamoran noble, named Vellido Dolfos, assassinated Sancho on 6 October 1072. Vellido had gained entry to Sancho's camp pretending to be a deserter, and sought a private conference with Sancho to tell him the weakness of the Zamoran defence. Once before Sancho, however, he used the king's own sword to impale him in the back. Fleeing, he was chased back to Zamora by El Cid but escaped into the town through a gateway since called Portillo del Traidor ("gateway of the traitor"). Sancho was succeeded in his kingdoms by the brother he had previously deposed, Alfonso
Alfonso VI of Castile
Alfonso VI , nicknamed the Brave or the Valiant, was King of León from 1065, King of Castile and de facto King of Galicia from 1072, and self-proclaimed "Emperor of all Spain". After the conquest of Toledo he was also self-proclaimed victoriosissimo rege in Toleto, et in Hispania et Gallecia...
.
Ancestry
Sources
- Reilly, Bernard F. 1988. The Kingdom of León-Castilla under King Alfonso VI, 1065–1109. Princeton: Princeton University Press.