, Alfonso V Of León

Alfonso V (994 – 7 August 1028), called the Noble, was King of León from999 to 1028. Enough is known of him to justify the belief that he hadsome of the qualities of a soldier and a statesman. Like other kings ofLeón, he used the title emperor to assert his standing among theChristian rulers of Spain.[1]

Alfonso was three years old when he succeeded his father, Bermudo II, in999.[2] His mother, Elvira García, and count Menendo González, who raisedhim in Galicia,[3] acted as his co-regents until 1007, when the queenmother retired and became a nun.

Alfonso began the work of reorganizing the Christian kingdom of thenorthwest of the Iberian Peninsula after a most disastrous period ofcivil war and Arab inroads.[citation needed]

His name and that of his wife are associated with the grant of the firstfranchises of León (1017).[4] On a Wednesday, 7 August 1028, Alfonso Vwas killed by an arrow while besieging the Muslim town of Viseu,[5][6]King Alfonso was buried next to his first wife Elvira, according to hiswishes, at the Church of Saint John the Baptist and San Pelayo whichlater changed its name to the Basilica of San Isidoro when the lattersaint''s remains were transferred from Seville.[7] The following epitaphwas carved on his tomb:

H. IACET ADEFONSUS QUI POPVLATIT LEGIONEM...ET DEDIT BONOS FOROS ET FECIT/ ECCLESIAM HANC LVTO ET LATERE. HABVIT PRAELIA CUM / SARRACENIS, ETINTERFECTUS, EST SAGITTA APUD VISEUM / PORTUGAL FUIT FILIUS VEREMUNDIORDONII / OBIIT ERA M SEXAGESIMA QUINTA III NAS M.[8]

Alfonso first married Elvira Mendes in 1013, daughter of his tutorMenendo González at whose house he was raised as a child, with whom hehad two children.[9]
Sancha of León, married Ferdinand I of León and Castile
Bermudo III of León (c. 1015–1037)

After Elvira''s death on 2 December 1022,[10] Alfonso married UrracaGarcés, sister of King Sancho III of Navarre.[11] Before this marriagetook place, the king of Navarre had sent Ponce, abbot at the Monastery ofSan Pedro de Tavèrnoles, later bishop of Oviedo, and a nobleman namedGarcia, to intercede before Abbot Oliba, bishop of Vic, in favor of themarriage of his sister Urraca to the king of León, despite theimpediments of consanguinity. Although Bishop Oliba did not authorize themarriage, describing it as incesti connubii in a letter dated 11 May1023,[12] the royal wedding was celebrated between the date of thebishop''s letter and 13 November 1023 when Alfonso V and his new wife, whoconfirms as Urraka regina, appear together for the first time in acharter in the Cathedral of León.[10][13]

Urraca and her mother Jimena Fernández made a donation on 26 September1028 to the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela confirming as Scemenaregina simulque et filia mea Urraca Regina (...) genitoris nostriFredenandus Ueremudiz et domna Geloria, and a few years later, KingBermudo III on 6 August 1031 referred to his step-mother as Urraca reginaGarseani regis filia.

Alfonso and Urraca had one daughter, who was named Jimena as attested ina charter dated 22 December 1036 in a donation made by Muniadona and herson Fernando Gundemáriz, son of Gundemaro Pinióliz, when she confirms asJimena, daughter of King Alfonso.[14]