Urraca of Zamora
Encyclopedia
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. Her story was romanticized in the cantar de gesta
called the Cantar de Mio Cid
, and Robert Southey
's Chronicle of the Cid.
(the Strong); received Castile and the tribute from Zaragoza
; Alfonso VI (the Brave) received León
and the tribute from Toledo
; and García received Galicia. His daughters, Elvira and Urraca, received Toro and Zamora respectively.
Sancho however resolved to rule over his father's entire kingdom and made war on his siblings. By 1072, Sancho had overthrown his youngest brother Garcia, and forced his other brother Alfonso to flee to his Moorish vassal city of Toledo. Toro, the city of Sancho's sister Elvira, fell easily. But in a siege of Urraca's better-defended city of Zamora, King Sancho was stalled, and was then mysteriously assassinated on 7 October 1072. It was widely suspected that the assassination was a result of a pact between Alfonso and Urraca. The Chronicle of the Cid, purportedly written by one of the Cid's followers, states that the assassin was a nobleman of Zamora, who then received sanctuary in the city. The chronicle is careful not to place any direct blame on Alfonso or Urraca, just as it takes pains to stress that the participation of the Cid at the siege of Zamora was involuntary and supposedly forced on him by King Sancho.
The Castilian nobility, however, were highly suspicious of both Urraca and Alfonso, and maintained the siege of Zamora for a period after Sancho's death. In the absence of Sancho, however, their siege was pointless. According to the chronicle, the guilt of Zamora was decided by a trial by combat
, which proved inconclusive. Urraca sent summonses to the nobles of Sancho's dominions, calling on them to gather, and Alfonso was grudgingly acknowledged as heir to all of the Castilian realm as well as León. Suspicion, however, remained and, led by the Cid and a dozen "oath-helpers," the nobles forced Alfonso to swear to his innocence publicly in front of St. Gadea
's Church in Burgos
. From this incident dated Alfonso's later antagonism to the Cid.
The Chronicle of the Cid states that in his early years as King, Alfonso followed Urraca's advice in all respects. There were even rumors of an incestuous relationship between the pair. Urraca maintained her rule over Zamora following Alfonso's succession to the Castilian throne. In her later years she gradually gave up her governing duties, finally retiring to a monastery in Leon
, where she died in 1101. She is interred in the Chapel of the Kings at the Basílica of San Isidoro of León
.
Following the death of his son, Sancho, fighting Muslim forces, Alfonso VI was eventually succeeded by his daughter, Queen Urraca of León.
The Hollywood film El Cid
largely follows the narrative of the Chronicle and the poetic epics, adding to the character of the Infanta a spurned woman role scheming against the Cid, once she seems rejected by him; however it omits the story that Urraca and Rodrigo grew up as close companions in Zamora and maybe more is behind omitted. And it stretches the psychological card that as older and provoking sister she plays between her brothers Alfonso and Sancho's quarrels for her city and herself. Later in the film, after the death of the haughty older brother Sancho, she focuses her favours to extract from Alfonso compensation to her own grudges with Roy Diaz. For some reason the film wrongly makes Urraca the ruler of Calahorra, rather than Zamora. Urraca is portrayed by the French actress Geneviève Page
.
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...
infanta, one of the five children of Ferdinand I the Great, who received the city of 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...
as her inheritance and exercised palatine authority in it. Her story was romanticized in the cantar de gesta
Cantar de gesta
A cantar de gesta is the Spanish equivalent of the Old French medieval chanson de geste or "songs of heroic deeds".The most important cantares de gesta of Castile were:...
called the Cantar de Mio Cid
Cantar de Mio Cid
El Cantar de Myo Çid , also known in English as The Lay of the Cid and The Poem of the Cid is the oldest preserved Spanish epic poem...
, and Robert Southey
Robert Southey
Robert Southey was an English poet of the Romantic school, one of the so-called "Lake Poets", and Poet Laureate for 30 years from 1813 to his death in 1843...
's Chronicle of the Cid.
Life
Before his death in 1065, Ferdinand divided his widespread conquests in central Spain between his five children, charging them to live at peace with one another. Ferdinand's oldest son Sancho II of CastileSancho 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...
(the Strong); received Castile and the tribute from Zaragoza
Zaragoza
Zaragoza , also called Saragossa in English, is the capital city of the Zaragoza Province and of the autonomous community of Aragon, Spain...
; Alfonso VI (the Brave) received 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...
and the tribute from 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 García received Galicia. His daughters, Elvira and Urraca, received Toro and Zamora respectively.
Sancho however resolved to rule over his father's entire kingdom and made war on his siblings. By 1072, Sancho had overthrown his youngest brother Garcia, and forced his other brother Alfonso to flee to his Moorish vassal city of Toledo. Toro, the city of Sancho's sister Elvira, fell easily. But in a siege of Urraca's better-defended city of Zamora, King Sancho was stalled, and was then mysteriously assassinated on 7 October 1072. It was widely suspected that the assassination was a result of a pact between Alfonso and Urraca. The Chronicle of the Cid, purportedly written by one of the Cid's followers, states that the assassin was a nobleman of Zamora, who then received sanctuary in the city. The chronicle is careful not to place any direct blame on Alfonso or Urraca, just as it takes pains to stress that the participation of the Cid at the siege of Zamora was involuntary and supposedly forced on him by King Sancho.
The Castilian nobility, however, were highly suspicious of both Urraca and Alfonso, and maintained the siege of Zamora for a period after Sancho's death. In the absence of Sancho, however, their siege was pointless. According to the chronicle, the guilt of Zamora was decided by a trial by combat
Trial by combat
Trial by combat was a method of Germanic law to settle accusations in the absence of witnesses or a confession, in which two parties in dispute fought in single combat; the winner of the fight was proclaimed to be right. In essence, it is a judicially sanctioned duel...
, which proved inconclusive. Urraca sent summonses to the nobles of Sancho's dominions, calling on them to gather, and Alfonso was grudgingly acknowledged as heir to all of the Castilian realm as well as León. Suspicion, however, remained and, led by the Cid and a dozen "oath-helpers," the nobles forced Alfonso to swear to his innocence publicly in front of St. Gadea
Santa Gadea
Santa Gadea is the name of a church dedicated to Saint Agatha in Burgos, Spain. The church is famous in history and literature for being the site where Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar at the behest of the Castilian Cortes, forced Alfonso VI to swear an oath that he was not an accomplice in the death of his...
's Church in 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 this incident dated Alfonso's later antagonism to the Cid.
The Chronicle of the Cid states that in his early years as King, Alfonso followed Urraca's advice in all respects. There were even rumors of an incestuous relationship between the pair. Urraca maintained her rule over Zamora following Alfonso's succession to the Castilian throne. In her later years she gradually gave up her governing duties, finally retiring to a monastery in Leon
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...
, where she died in 1101. She is interred in the Chapel of the Kings at the Basílica of San Isidoro of León
Basilica of San Isidoro
The Basilica of San Isidoro is a church in León, Spain, located on the site of an ancient Roman temple. Its Christian roots can be traced back to the early 10th century when a monastery for Saint John the Baptist was erected on the grounds....
.
Following the death of his son, Sancho, fighting Muslim forces, Alfonso VI was eventually succeeded by his daughter, Queen Urraca of León.
Literature and film
In the poetic legend, Dona Urraca is the wronged infanta, watching Sancho and the Cid despoil her lands from the battlements of her castle shortly before Sancho is murdered. Her brother Alfonso is her loyal and chivalrous defender.The Hollywood film El Cid
El Cid (film)
El Cid is a historical epic film, a romanticized story of the life of the Christian Castilian knight Don Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar, called "El Cid" who in the 11th century fought the North African Almoravides and ultimately contributed to the unification of Spain.Made by Samuel Bronston Productions in...
largely follows the narrative of the Chronicle and the poetic epics, adding to the character of the Infanta a spurned woman role scheming against the Cid, once she seems rejected by him; however it omits the story that Urraca and Rodrigo grew up as close companions in Zamora and maybe more is behind omitted. And it stretches the psychological card that as older and provoking sister she plays between her brothers Alfonso and Sancho's quarrels for her city and herself. Later in the film, after the death of the haughty older brother Sancho, she focuses her favours to extract from Alfonso compensation to her own grudges with Roy Diaz. For some reason the film wrongly makes Urraca the ruler of Calahorra, rather than Zamora. Urraca is portrayed by the French actress Geneviève Page
Geneviève Page
Geneviève Page is a leading French actress with a film career spanning fifty years. She is the daughter of Jacques Paul Bonjean , a well known French art-collector.-Career:...
.