, Alfonso Ix Of León

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Alfonso IX of León
b: 15 AUG 1171
d: 23/24 SEP 1230
Biography
Alfonso IX (15 August 1171 – 23 or 24 September 1230) was king of Leónand Galicia from the death of his father Ferdinand II in 1188 until hisown death. According to Ibn Khaldun (1332–1406), he is said to have beencalled the Baboso or Slobberer because he was subject to fits of rageduring which he foamed at the mouth.

In 1188 he established the Cortes of León, considered Western Europe''sfirst parliament.

Alfonso was born in Zamora. He was the only son of King Ferdinand II ofLeón and Urraca of Portugal.[1] He took a part in the work of theReconquest, conquering the area of Extremadura (including the cities ofCáceres and Badajoz).

He took steps towards modernizing and democratizing his dominion andfounded the University of Salamanca in 1212. In 1188 he summoned thefirst parliament reflecting full representation of the citizenry everseen in Western Europe, the Cortes of León.[2]

Alfonso IX had great difficulty in obtaining the throne through his givenbirthright.

The convening of the Cortes de León in the cloisters of the Basilica ofSan Isidoro would be one of the most important events of Alfonso''s reign.The difficult economic situation at the beginning of his reign compelledAlfonso to raise taxes on the underprivileged classes, leading toprotests and a few towns revolts. In response the king summoned theCortes, an assembly of nobles, clergy and representatives of cities, andsubsequently faced demands for compensatory spending and greater externalcontrol and oversight of royal expenditures. Alfonso''s convening of theCortes is considered by many historians, including Australia''s JohnKeane,[3] to be instrumental to the formation of democratic parliamentsacross Europe. Note that Iceland had already held what may have been whatis Europe''s first parliament, the Þingvellir, in 930 CE. However, theCortes'' 1188 session predates the first session of the Parliament ofEngland, which occurred in the thirteenth century.

In spite of the democratic precedent represented by the Cortes and thefounding of the University of Salamanca, Alfonso is often chieflyremembered for the difficulties his successive marriages caused betweenhim with Pope Celestine III. He was first married in 1191 to his cousin,Theresa of Portugal,[2] who bore him two daughters, and a son who diedyoung. The marriage was declared null by the papal legate CardinalGregory.

After Alfonso VIII of Castile was defeated at the Battle of Alarcos,Alfonso IX invaded Castile with the aid of Muslim troops.[2] He wassummarily excommunicated by Pope Celestine III. In 1197, Alfonso IXmarried his second cousin, Berengaria of Castile, to cement peace betweenLeón and Castile. For this act of consanguinity, the king and the kingdomwere placed under interdict by Celestine.[4] In 1198, Pope Innocent IIIdeclared Alfonso and Berengaria''s marriage invalid, but they stayedtogether until 1204.[5]

The Pope was, however, compelled to modify his measures by the threatthat, if the people could not obtain the services of religion, they wouldnot support the clergy, and that heresy would spread. The king was leftunder interdict personally, but to that he showed himself indifferent,and he had the support of his clergy. Berengaria left him after the birthof five children, and the king then returned to Theresa, to whosedaughters he left his kingdom in his will.

Alfonso IX of León died on 24 September 1230. His death was particularlysignificant in that his son, Ferdinand III of Castile, who was alreadythe King of Castile also inherited the throne of León from his father. Inan effort to quickly consolidate his power over León, Ferdinand IIIabandoned a military campaign to capture the city of Jaén immediatelyupon hearing news of his fathers death and traveled to León to be crownedking. This coronation united the Kingdoms of León and Castile which wouldgo on to dominate the Iberian Peninsula.

Alfonso''s children by Theresa of Portugal[6] were:
1) Ferdinand (ca. 1192 – August 1214, aged around 22), unmarried andwithout issue
2) Sancha (ca. 1193–bef. 1243), unmarried and without issue. She and hersister Dulce became nuns or retired at the Monastery of San GuillermoVillabuena (León) where she died before 1243.
3) Dulce, (1194/ca. 1195 - ca./aft. 1243), unmarried and without issue

Alfonso''s children by Berengaria of Castile were:[7]
4) Eleanor (1198/1199 - 11 November 1202)
5) Constance (1 May 1200 - 7 September 1242) became a nun at Las Huelgas,Burgos, where she died.
6) King Ferdinand III the Saint (1201–1252)
7) Alfonso, 4th Lord of Molina (1203–1272)
8) Berengaria of León (1204–1237), married John of Brienne

Alfonso also fathered many illegitimate children, some fifteen furtherchildren born out of wedlock are documented.

Alfonso''s children by Aldonza Martínez de Silva[8][9] (daughter of MartinGomez de Silva & Urraca Rodriguez), later married to Diego Froilaz, Countof Cifuentes:
9) Pedro Alfonso de León, 1st Lord of Tenorio (ca. 1196/ca. 1200–1226),Grand Master of Santiago, married N de Villarmayor, and had issue
10) Alfonso Alfonso de León, died yong
11) Fernando Alfonso de León, died young
12) Rodrigo Alfonso de León (ca. 1210 - ca. 1267), 1st Lord of Aliger andGovernor of Zamora, married ca. 1240 to Inés Rodriguez de Cabrera (ca.1200-), and had issue
13) Teresa Alfonso de León (ca. 1210-), wife of Nuño González de Lara elBueno, lord of Lara
14) Aldonza Alfonso de León (ca.1215–1266), wife, first, of Diego RamírezFroilaz, nephew of her stepfather, without issue, and then before June1230 married Pedro Ponce de Cabrera (bef. 1202-between 1248 and 1254),and had issue, ancestors of the Ponce de León family.

Alfonso''s child by Inés Iñíguez de Mendoza (born c. 1180) (daughter ofLope Iñiguez de Mendoza, 1st Lord of Mendoza (ca. 1140–1189) and wifeTeresa Ximénez de los Cameros (ca. 1150-)):
15) Urraca Alfonso de León (ca. 1190/ca. 1197-), first wife ca. 1230 ofLope Díaz II de Haro (1192-15 December 1236), 6th Sovereign Lord ofViscaya and had issue, including Mécia Lopes de Haro.

Alfonso''s child by Estefánia Pérez de Limia, daughter of Pedro Arias deLimia and wife, subsequently wife of Rodrigo Suárez, Merino mayor ofGalicia, had issue):
16) Fernando Alfonso de León (born c. 1211), died young

Alfonso''s children by Maua, of unknown origin:
17) Fernando Alfonso de León (ca. 1215/1218/1220 - Salamanca, 1278/1279),Archdean of Santiago, married to Aldara de Ulloa and had issue

Alfonso''s children by Teresa Gil de Soverosa (born aft. 1175) (daughterof Gil Vasques de Soverosa and first wife Maria Aires de Fornelos):
18) María Alfonso de León (ca. 1190/1200/1222 - aft. 1252), first marriedÁlvaro Fernández de Lara, without issue, married as his second wifeSoeiro Aires de Valadares (ca. 1140-) and had issue and later mistress ofher nephew Alfonso X of Castile
19) Sancha Alfonso de León (1210/ca. 1210–1270), a nun at the convent ofSanta Eufemia in Cozuelos de Ojeda after divorcing without issue SimónRuíz, Lord of Los Cameros
20) Martín Alfonso de León (ca. 1210/ca. 1225-1274/ca. 1275)
21) Urraca Alfonso of León (ca. 1210/1228 - aft.1252, married twice,first to García Romeu of Tormos, without issue, then Pedro Núñez deGuzmán, son of Guillén Pérez de Guzmán and María González Girón, withissue.
Facts
  • 15 AUG 1171 - Birth - ; Zamora
  • 23/24 SEP 1230 - Death - ; Villanueva de Sarria
  • 22 JAN 1188 - Reign - King ; León and Galicia
  • Excommunicated - Roman Catholic church by Pope Celestine III
Ancestors
   
Alfonso VII of León and Castile
1 MAR 1105 - 21 AUG 1157
 
   
  
  
 
Alfonso IX of León
15 AUG 1171 - 23/24 SEP 1230
  
 
  
Afonso I of Portugal
25 JUN 1109 - 6 DEC 1185
 
   
  
  
 
Family Group Sheet - Child
PARENT (M) Ferdinand II of León
Birth
Death
Marriageto Urraca of Portugal
FatherAlfonso VII of León and Castile
MotherBerengaria of Barcelona
PARENT (F) Urraca of Portugal
Birth
Death
Marriageto Ferdinand II of León
FatherAfonso I of Portugal
MotherMafalda of Savoy
CHILDREN
MAlfonso IX of León
Birth15 AUG 1171Zamora
Death23/24 SEP 1230Villanueva de Sarria
Marriage1191to Theresa of Portugal, Queen of León
Marriageto Inés Íñiguez de Mendoza
Marriage1197to Berengaria of Castile
Family Group Sheet - Spouse
PARENT (M) Alfonso IX of León
Birth15 AUG 1171Zamora
Death23/24 SEP 1230 Villanueva de Sarria
Marriage1191to Theresa of Portugal, Queen of León
Marriageto Inés Íñiguez de Mendoza
Marriage1197to Berengaria of Castile
FatherFerdinand II of León
MotherUrraca of Portugal
PARENT (F) Theresa of Portugal, Queen of León
Birth4 OCT 1178Coimbra, Kingdom of Portugal
Death18 JUN 1250 Lorvão Abbey, Portugal
Marriage1191to Alfonso IX of León
Father?
Mother?
CHILDREN
Family Group Sheet - Spouse
PARENT (M) Alfonso IX of León
Birth15 AUG 1171Zamora
Death23/24 SEP 1230 Villanueva de Sarria
Marriage1191to Theresa of Portugal, Queen of León
Marriageto Inés Íñiguez de Mendoza
Marriage1197to Berengaria of Castile
FatherFerdinand II of León
MotherUrraca of Portugal
PARENT (F) Inés Íñiguez de Mendoza
Birth
Death
Marriageto Alfonso IX of León
Father?
Mother?
CHILDREN
Family Group Sheet - Spouse
PARENT (M) Alfonso IX of León
Birth15 AUG 1171Zamora
Death23/24 SEP 1230 Villanueva de Sarria
Marriage1191to Theresa of Portugal, Queen of León
Marriageto Inés Íñiguez de Mendoza
Marriage1197to Berengaria of Castile
FatherFerdinand II of León
MotherUrraca of Portugal
PARENT (F) Berengaria of Castile
Birth
Death
Marriage1197to Alfonso IX of León
FatherAlfonso VIII of Castile
MotherEleanor of England
CHILDREN
MFerdinand III of Castile
Birth
Death
Marriageto Joan, Countess of Ponthieu
Marriageto Elisabeth of Hohenstaufen
Descendancy Chart
Alfonso IX of León b: 15 AUG 1171 d: 23/24 SEP 1230
Theresa of Portugal, Queen of León b: 4 OCT 1178 d: 18 JUN 1250
Eleanor of Castile b: ABT 1245 d: 1290
Edward I b: 17 JUN 1239 d: 7 JUL 1307
Edward II b: 25 APR 1284 d: 21 SEP 1327
Edward III b: 13 NOV 1312 d: 21 JUN 1377
John of Gaunt, 1st Duke of Lancaster b: 6 MAR 1340 d: 3 FEB 1399
Henry Beaufort b: ABT 1375 d: 11 APR 1447
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