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Alfonso X King Of Castile And LEON

Male 1220 - 1284  (63 years)


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  • Name Alfonso X King Of Castile And LEON  [1, 2] 
    Birth 23 Nov 1220  Toledo Find all individuals with events at this location  [1] 
    Gender Male 
    Birth 23 Nov 1221  [1] 
    Residence Between 1252 and 1284  King of Castile and Leon Find all individuals with events at this location  [1] 
    Residence 1257  King of the Romans Find all individuals with events at this location  [1] 
    Death 04 Apr 1284  [1] 
    Name Alfonso X Of Castile  [1] 
    Death 04 Apr 1284  Seville Find all individuals with events at this location  [1] 
    Notes 
    • Alfonso was King of Castile and Leon 1252-1284, King of the Romans 1257.Alfonso X (November 23, 1221, Toledo, Spain ? April 4, 1284, Seville, Spain) was a Spanish monarch who ruled as the King of Galicia, Castile and LeÛn from 1252 until his death. He was elected Rex Romanorum in 1254. His nicknames were "el Sabio" ("the Wise", more accurately translated "the Learned") and "el AstrÛlogo" ("the Astronomer").

      Alfonso was the eldest son of Ferdinand III of Castile and Beatriz of Swabia. His maternal grandparents were Philip of Swabia and Irene Angelina.
      As a writer and intellectual he gained considerable scientific fame based on his encouragement of astronomy and the Ptolemaic cosmology as known to him through the Arabs. (Because of this, the Alphonsus crater on the Moon is named after him). His fame extends to the preparation of the Alfonsine tables,based on calculations of al-Zarqali Alzarquel. One famous quote attributed to him was supposedly said upon hearing an explanation of Ptolemy's theory of astronomy and being shown the extremely complicated mathematics required to "prove" it - "If the Lord Almighty had consulted me before embarking on creation thus, I should have recommended something simpler." The validity of this quotation is questioned by some historians.[1]
      Alfonso established in Seville, Spain a translation school that did a great work increasing the flow of knowledge into Christian Europe as well as continuing support of the school of translators in Toledo (already founded 1127-1152 by Archbishop Raimondo of Toledo). Much of it was based on Ancient philosophy.
      As a ruler, Alfonso showed legislative capacity, and a wish to provide his kingdoms with a code of laws and a consistent judicial system. The Fuero Real was undoubtedly his work. He began the code called the Siete Partidas, which, however, was only promulgated by his great-grandson. Because of this, he is one of the 23 lawmakers depicted in the chamber of the United States House of Representatives.
      Alfonso was the first king who initiated the use of the Castilian language extensively, although his father, Fernando III had begun to use it for some documents, instead of Latin, as the language used in courts, churches, and in books and official documents.
      Alfonso lacked the singleness of purpose required by a ruler who would devote himself to organization, and also the combination of firmness with temper needed for dealing with his nobles.
      Alfonso's descent from the Hohenstaufen through his mother, a daughter of the emperor Philip of Swabia, gave him a claim to represent the Swabian line. Alfonso's election by the prince-electors of the Holy Roman Empire after the death of Conrad IV of Germany in 1254 misled him into wild schemes that involved excessive expense but never took effect. To obtain money, he debased the coinage and then endeavoured to prevent a rise in prices by an arbitrary tariff. The little trade of his dominions was ruined, and the burghers and peasants were deeply offended. His nobles, whom he tried to cow by sporadic acts of violence, rebelled against him.
      Alfonso's eldest son, Ferdinand de la Cerda, Infante of Castile, died in 1275, leaving two infant sons. Alfonso's second son, Sancho, claimed to be the new heir, in preference to the children of Ferdinand de la Cerda, basing his claim on an old Castilian custom, that of proximity of blood and agnatic seniority. Alfonso preferred to leave the throne to his grandsons, but Sancho had the support of the nobility. A bitter civil war broke out resulting in 1282 Alfonso's being forced to accept Sancho as his heir instead of his young grandsons.Son and nobles alike supported the Moors when he tried to unite the nation in a crusade; and when he allied himself with Abu Yusuf Yakub, the ruling Marinid Sultan of Morocco, they denounced him as an enemy of the faith. A reaction in his favor was beginning in his later days, but he died defeated and deserted at Seville, leaving a will, by which he endeavored to exclude Sancho, and a heritage of civil war.
      Alfonso X commissioned or co-authored numerous works during his reign. One was the Cantigas de Santa Maria ("Songs to the Virgin Mary"), which is comprised of 420 poems, mostly on miracles attributed to the Virgin Mary written in Galician-Portuguese. One of the miracles he relates is his own healing in Puerto de Santa MarÌa. Other works related to Alfonso include Cantigas d'escarnio e maldicer and the Libro de los juegos ("Book of Games").
    Person ID I35707  Main Tree

    Father Ferdinand III "The Saint" of CASTILE,   b. 1200, Near Salamanca Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 30 May 1252, Seville Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 52 years) 
    Relationship Natural 
    Mother Elizabeth Of SWABIA,   b. Abt 1202, Augsburg, Schwaben, Bavaria Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 30 Nov 1235, Toro, Zamora, Spain Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 33 years) 
    Relationship Natural 
    Marriage 27 Nov 1219  Taragona in Spain Find all individuals with events at this location  [1] 
    Family ID F04505  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

    Family 1 Yolanda Princess Of ARAGON,   b. Abt 1236, Saragoza, Aragbon Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 1300, Roncesvalles, Navarra Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 64 years) 
    Marriage 1249  [2] 
    Children 
     1. Ferdinand DE LA CERDA, IX,   b. 23 Oct 1255   d. Aug 1275 (Age 19 years)  [Natural]
     2. Fernando Of CASTILE   d. Infancy Find all individuals with events at this location  [Natural]
     3. Juan Of CASTILE,   b. Mar 1262   d. 25 Jun 1319 (Age 57 years)  [Natural]
     4. Leonor Of CASTILE,   b. 1257   d. 1275 (Age 18 years)  [Natural]
     5. Beatriz Of CASTILE,   b. 1254   d. 1280 (Age 26 years)  [Natural]
     6. Jaime Of CASTILE,   b. Aug 1266   d. 09 Aug 1284 (Age 18 years)  [Natural]
     7. Violante Of CASTILE,   b. 1265   d. 1296 (Age 31 years)  [Natural]
     8. Isabella Of CASTILE   d. young Find all individuals with events at this location  [Natural]
     9. Berengaria Of CASTILE,   b. 1253   d. Aft 1284 (Age > 32 years)  [Natural]
     10. Pedro Of CASTILE,   b. Jun 1260   d. 10 Oct 1283 (Age 23 years)  [Natural]
     11. Constanza Of CASTILE,   b. 1258   d. 22 Aug 1280 (Age 22 years)  [Natural]
     12. Sancho IV The Brave Of CASTILE,   b. Between 1257 and 1258   d. 25 Apr 1295, Toledo Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 38 years)  [Natural]
    Family ID F04506  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

    Family 2 Maria DE GUZMAN 
    Children 
     1. Beatrice Of CASTILE,   b. 1242   d. 27 Oct 1303 (Age 61 years)  [Natural]
    Family ID F06932  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  • Event Map
    Link to Google MapsResidence - Between 1252 and 1284 - King of Castile and Leon Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsResidence - 1257 - King of the Romans Link to Google Earth
     = Link to Google Earth 

  • Sources 
    1. [S01910] Blood Royal, Issue of the Kings and Queens of Medieval England 1066-1399 by. T. Anna Leese.

    2. [S03581] Wikipedia Encyclopedia.


  

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