Alfonso x el sabio wikipedia biography tinas

King of Castile topmost León from 1252 to 1284

Alfonso X (also known as the Wise, Spanish: el Sabio; 23 Nov 1221 – 4 April 1284) was King of Castile, León and Galicia from 1 June 1252 until her majesty death in 1284. During the purpose of 1257, a dissident faction chose him to be king of Deutschland on 1 April. He renounced sovereign claim to Germany in 1275, vital in creating an alliance with probity Kingdom of England in 1254, consummate claim on the Duchy of Gascony as well.

Alfonso's scientific interests—he deference sometimes nicknamed the Astrologer (el Astrólogo)—led him to sponsor the creation watch the Alfonsine tables, and the Alphonsus crater on the Moon is entitled after him. He also sponsored prestige work of historians who, for prestige first time since Isidore of Seville in c600CE, placed Spain in say publicly context of world history. As exceptional lawmaker he introduced the first autochthonous law code in Castile, the Siete Partidas. He created the Mesta, come association of sheep farmers in position central plain, but debased the mintage to finance his claim to rendering German crown. He fought a sign up war with Portugal, but a courteous successful one with Granada. The dispatch of his reign was marred unreceptive a civil war with his first surviving son, the future Sancho IV, which continued after his death.

Life

Early life

Born 23 November 1221 in Toledo, Empire of Castile, Alfonso was the progeny son of Ferdinand III and Elizabeth (Beatrice) of Swabia. His mother was grandeur paternal cousin of Holy Roman Queen Frederick II, to whom Alfonso is much compared. His maternal grandparents were Prince of Swabia and Irene Angelina. Tiny is known about his upbringing, on the other hand he was most likely raised mosquito Toledo. For the first nine mature of his life Alfonso was lone heir to Castile until his protective grandfather king Alfonso IX of León mind-numbing and his father united the kingdoms of Castile and León. He began his career as a soldier, beneath the command of his father, while in the manner tha he was sixteen years old.

After the accession of King Theobald Raving of Navarre, Ferdinand tried to group a marriage for Alfonso with Theobald's daughter, Blanche, but the move was unsuccessful. At the same time, recognized had a romantic relationship with Politician Guillén de Guzmán, who bore him a daughter, Beatrice. In 1240, forbidden married Mayor Guillén de Guzmán, on the contrary the marriage was later annulled suffer their issue declared illegitimate. In representation same period (1240–1250) he conquered assorted Muslim strongholds in Al-Andalus alongside rulership father, such as Murcia, Alicante settle down Cádiz.

In 1249, Alfonso married Violant, the daughter of King James Uncontrolled of Aragon and Yolande of Magyarorszag, although betrothed already in 1246.

Reign

Alfonso succeeded his father as King unscrew Castile and León in 1252. Probity following year he invaded Portugal, capturing the region of the Algarve. Kind Afonso III of Portugal had capable surrender,^{[citation needed]} but he gained put down agreement by which, after he consented to marry Alfonso X's daughter Character of Castile, the land would reasonably returned to their heirs. In 1261 he captured Jerez. In 1263 blooper returned Algarve to the King summarize Portugal and signed the Treaty break into Badajoz (1267).

In 1254 Alfonso Discover signed a treaty of alliance find out King Henry III of England, presence him in the war against Dependency Louis IX of France. In nobleness same year Alfonso's half-sister, Eleanor, wed Henry's son Edward: with this interest Alfonso renounced forever all claim change the Duchy of Gascony, to which Castile had been a pretender because the marriage of Alfonso VIII ceremony Castile with Eleanor of England.

Imperial election

In 1256, at the death pay for William II of Holland, Alfonso's hangout from the Hohenstaufen through his a daughter of Philip of Swabia, gave him a claim through integrity Hohenstaufen line. Alfonso's election as Teutonic king by the prince-electors misled him into complicated schemes that involved immoderate expense but never succeeded. Alfonso on no account even traveled to Germany, and fulfil alliance with the Italian Ghibelline Monarch Ezzelino IV da Romano deprived him of the initial support of Pontiff Alexander IV. His rival, Richard sell Cornwall, went to Germany and was crowned in 1257 at Aachen.

To obtain money, Alfonso debased the neology and then endeavored to prevent dexterous rise in prices by an bigoted tariff. The little trade of realm dominions was ruined, and the burghers and peasants were deeply offended. Sovereignty nobles, whom he tried to browbeat by sporadic acts of violence, rebelled against him in 1272. Reconciliation was bought by Alfonso's son Ferdinand imprisoned 1273.

In the end, after Richard's death, the German princes elected Rudolph of Habsburg (1273), Alfonso being asserted deposed by Pope Gregory X. Put into operation 1275 Alfonso tried to meet trusty his imperial vicar in Italy, William VII of Montferrat (who had succeeded Ezzelino) and his Ghibelline allies subordinate Piedmont and Lombardy to celebrate decency victory against the Guelph Charles Hilarious of Anjou and be crowned critical Lombardy; he was however halted follow his imperial ambitions in Provence through the Pope who, after a forwardthinking negotiation, obtained Alfonso's oral renunciation attack any claims to the Holy Romanist Empire.

Civil war

Throughout his reign, Alfonso contended with the nobles, particularly dignity families of Nuño González de Lara, Diego López de Haro and Esteban Fernández de Castro, all of whom were formidable soldiers and instrumental gravel maintaining Castile's military strength in borderline territories. According to some scholars Alfonso lacked the singleness of purpose requisite by a ruler who would perform himself to organization and also probity combination of firmness with temper requisite for dealing with his nobles tho' this is not a view vacuous by all.^{[5][additional citation(s) needed]} Others maintain argued that his efforts were also singularly focused on the diplomatic innermost financial arrangements surrounding his bid ruin become Holy Roman Emperor.^{[citation needed]}

Alfonso's offspring son, Ferdinand, died in 1275 indulgence the Battle of Écija against leadership Moroccan and Granadan invasion armies, parting two infant sons. Alfonso's second fix, Sancho, claimed to be the pristine heir, in preference to the family unit of Ferdinand de la Cerda, basing his claim on an old Castilian custom, that of proximity of caste and agnatic seniority. Alfonso preferred allure leave the throne to his grandsons, but Sancho had the support aristocratic the nobility. A bitter civil battle broke out resulting in Alfonso's work out forced in 1282 to accept Sancho as his heir instead of surmount young grandsons; only the cities forfeited Seville, Murcia and Badajoz remained credible to him. Son and nobles similar supported the Moors when he proven to unite the nation in adroit crusade; and when he allied yourselves with Abu Yusuf Yakub, the decision Marinidsultan of Morocco, they denounced him as an enemy of the godliness. A reaction in his favor was beginning in his later days, on the other hand he died defeated and deserted weightiness Seville in 1284, leaving a volition declaration, by which he endeavored to blackball Sancho, and a heritage of domestic war.^{[citation needed]}

Economic policy

In 1273, he built the Mesta, an association of pitiless 3,000 petty and great sheep holders in Castile, in reaction to cumbersome wool being exported from the vocal sites in England.^[6] This organization afterwards became exceedingly powerful in the nation (as wool became Castile's first higher ranking exportable commodity^[6] and reported a employment surplus, called "white gold", as justness wool amount was critical to influence health of the population during probity winter), and eventually its privileges were to prove a deadly wound patent the Castilian economy. One side outcome of the quickly expanding sheep assortment was the decimation to the Castilian farmland through which the sheep grazed.^[6]

The original function of the Mesta was to separate the fields from birth sheep-ways linking grazing areas.

Legislative activity

As a ruler, Alfonso showed legislative parcel, and a wish to provide character kingdoms expanded under his father interchange a code of laws and fine consistent judicial system. The Fuero Real^{[further explanation needed]} was undoubtedly his go. He began medieval Europe's most plentiful code of law, the Siete Partidas, which, however, thwarted by the lords and ladies of Castile, was only promulgated preschooler his great-grandson. Because of this, playing field because the Partidas remain fundamental adjustment in the American Southwest,^[7] he equitable one of the 23 lawmakers portrayed in the House of Representatives last resting place of the United States Capitol.

Military training

From a young age Alfonso Croak review showed an interest in military perk up and chivalry. In 1231 Alfonso take a trip with Pérez de Castron on skilful military campaign in lower Andalusia. Scribble in Estoria de España, Alfonso describes having seen St. James on expert white horse with a white ensign and a legion of knights contest a war above the soldiers appropriate Spain.^[8] This vision of a gorgeous army fighting in Jerez and give away in military campaigns likely left Alfonso X with a high degree training knowledge and respect for military competition and chivalric knights. Alfonso's respect use chivalry can also be seen involved his writing of Spanish law. Nation Chivalric conduct was codified in honourableness Siete Partidas (2,21) where he wrote that knights should be, "of moderately good linage and distinguished by gentility, insight, understanding, loyalty, courage, moderation, justice, adeptness, and the practical knowledge necessary endure assess the quality of horse elitist arms (Siete Partidas, 21,1–10)."^[9] These efforts to make a codified standard help chivalric conduct were likely meant turn into both encourage strength of arms (prowess) and to restrain the use show violence for only just (state-sponsored) habit.

Court culture

Main article: Literature of Alfonso X

King Alfonso X developed a regard culture that encouraged cosmopolitan learning. Alfonso had many works previously written make a way into Arabic and Latin translated into local Castilian in his court. Alfonso "turned to the vernacular for the fast of intellectual commitments that formerly were inconceivable outside Latin."^[10] He is credited with encouraging the extensive written rivet of the Castilian language instead staff Latin as the language used gauzy courts, churches, and in books jaunt official documents (although his father, Ferdinand III, had begun to use resign for some documents). This translation in shape Arabic and Classic documents into local encouraged the development of Spanish sciences, literature, and philosophy.

Translations

From the glance of his reign, Alfonso employed Human, Christian and Muslim scholars at surmount court, primarily for the purpose fanatic translating books from Arabic and Canaanitic into Latin and Castilian, although crystal-clear always insisted on personally supervising primacy translations. This group of scholars au fait his royal scriptorium, continuing the ritual of the twelfth-century Escuela de Traductores de Toledo (Toledo School of Translators). Their final output promoted Castilian variety a learning language both in discipline and literature, and established the framework of the new Spanish language. That evolved version of the Castilian slang also acquired significant relevance in probity royal chancery, where it came look after replace Latin, which until then esoteric been the language commonly used pray royal diplomacy in Castile and León.^[11]

The very first translation, commissioned by crown brother, Fernando de la Cerda—who challenging extensive experience, both diplomatic and martial, among the Muslims of southern Peninsula and north Africa—was a Castilian form of the animal fableKalila wa-Dimna,^[12] grand book that belongs to the kind of wisdom literature labeled Mirrors appearance Princes: stories and sayings meant hold on to instruct the monarch in proper queue effective governance.

The primary intellectual stick of these scholars centered on physics and astrology. The early period have a high regard for Alfonso's reign saw the translation selected selected works of magic (Lapidario, Picatrix, Libro de las formas et las ymagenes) all translated by a Somebody scholar named Yehuda ben Moshe (Yhuda Mosca, in the Old Spanish foundation texts). These were all highly overdone manuscripts (only the Lapidario survives acquit yourself its entirety) containing what was held to be secret knowledge on honesty magical properties of stones and talismans. In addition to these books thoroughgoing astral magic, Alfonso ordered the interpretation of well-known Arabic astrological compendia, plus the Libro de las cruzes gleam Libro conplido en los iudizios point las estrellas. The first of these was, ironically, translated from Latin (it was used among the Visigoths), fascinated Arabic, and then back into Castilian and Latin.^[13] Most of the texts first translated at this time continue in only one manuscript each.

Astronomy

As an intellectual he gained considerable exact fame based on his encouragement be beneficial to astronomy, which included astrology at glory time and the Ptolemaiccosmology as careful to him through the Arabs. Noteworthy surrounded himself with mostly Jewish translators who rendered Arabic scientific texts do Castilian at Toledo. His fame extends to the preparation of the Alfonsine tables, based on calculations of al-Zarqali, "Arzachel". Alexander Bogdanov maintained that these tables formed the basis for Copernicus's development of a heliocentric understanding thwart astronomy.^[14] Because of this work, illustriousness lunar crater Alphonsus is named back him. One famous, but apocryphal, reiterate attributed to him upon his attend to an explanation of the extremely problematic mathematics required to demonstrate Ptolemy's timidly of astronomy was "If the Monarch Almighty had consulted me before embarking on creation thus, I should imitate recommended something simpler."^[15] Gingerich (1990) says that a form of this assumed quotation was mentioned (but rejected) orang-utan early as the 16th century moisten the historian Jerónimo de Zurita, good turn that Soriano Viguera (1926) states avoid "nothing of the sort can put in writing found in Alfonso's writings."^[16] Nevertheless, Prebend Acheson (U.S. Secretary of State, 1949–1953) used it as the basis patron the title and epigraph of jurisdiction memoir Present at the Creation.^[17]

Chronicles

Alfonso extremely commissioned a compilation of chronicles, interpretation Crónica general, completed in 1264. That chronicle sought to establish a popular history and drew from older registers, folklore and Arabic sources.^[18] This take pains enjoyed renewed popularity starting in glory sixteenth century, when there was natty revival of interest in history; Florián de Ocampo published a new number and Lorenzo de Sepúlveda used argue with as the chief source of popular romances. Sepúlveda wrote a circulation of romances having Alfonso X although their hero.

Historical works

Alfonso's court compiled in Castilian a work titled General Estoria. This work was an origin at a world history that actor from many sources and included translations from the Vulgate Old Testament impure with myths and histories from say publicly classical world, mostly Egypt, Greece, survive Rome.^[18] This world history was weigh up incomplete, however, and so it discontinue at the birth of Christ.^[19] Ethics main significance of this work whoop-de-doo in the translations from Latin jar Castilian.^[19] Much like his chronicles, depiction ability of Alfonso's court to accumulate writings from a variety of cultures and translate them into Castilian passed over a historic impact on Spain.

Alfonso X is credited with the cheeriness depiction of an hórreo, a example granary from the northwest of leadership Iberian Peninsula. The oldest document including an image of an hórreo decline Alfonso's Cantigas de Santa Maria (song CLXXXVII) from XII A.C. In that depiction, three rectangular hórreos of Woo style are illustrated.

Games

Alfonso also challenging the Libro de ajedrez, dados, wry tablas ("Libro de los Juegos" (The Book of Games)) translated into Castilian from Arabic and added illustrations relieve the goal of perfecting the work.^[20] It was completed in 1283.^[21] Justness Libro de juegos contains an accomplish collection of writings on chess, plea bargain over 100 chess problems and brome variants.^[22]

Music

Alfonso X commissioned or co-authored copious works of music during his command. These works included Cantigas d'escarnio liken maldicer and the vast compilation Cantigas de Santa Maria ("Songs to honesty Virgin Mary"), which was written acquire Galician-Portuguese and figures among the ultimate important of his works. The Cantigas de Santa Maria form one attain the largest collections of vernacular monaural songs to survive from the Order Ages. They consist of 420 verse with musical notation. The poems pour out for the most part on miracles attributed to the Virgin Mary. Tending of the miracles Alfonso relates not bad his own healing in Puerto even out Santa María.^[23]

Family

Violante was twelve or 13 years old at the time have a high opinion of her marriage to Alfonso; she drop no children for several years pointer it was feared that she was barren. Alfonso almost had their matrimony annulled, but they went on give somebody no option but to have eleven children:

1. Berengaria (1253 – after 1284). She was betrothed add up to Louis, the son and heir capacity King Louis IX of France, nevertheless her fiancé died prematurely in 1260. She entered the convent in Las Huelgas, where she was living break through 1284.
2. Beatrice (1254–1280). She married William Digit, Marquess of Montferrat.
3. Ferdinand de la Cerda, Infante of Castile (23 October 1255 – 25 July 1275). He marital Blanche, the daughter of King Gladiator IX of France, by whom powder had two children. Because he predeceased his father, his younger brother Sancho succeeded to the throne.
4. Eleanor (1257–1275)
5. Sancho IV of Castile (13 May 1258 – 1295)
6. Constance (1258 – 22 August 1280), a nun at Las Huelgas.
7. Peter, Sovereign of Ledesma (June 1260 – 10 October 1283)
8. John, Lord of Valencia friend Campos (March or April 1262 – 25 June 1319).
9. Isabella, died young.
10. Violant (1265–1296). She married Diego López V move quietly Haro, Lord of Biscay
11. James, Lord enjoy yourself Cameros (August 1266 – 9 Reverenced 1284)

Alfonso X also had several evil children. With Mayor Guillén de Guzmán, daughter of Guillén Pérez de Guzmán and of María González Girón, proceed fathered:

With Elvira Rodríguez de Villada, daughter of Rodrigo Fernández de Villada, he fathered:

With María Alfonso unfair León, his aunt, the illegitimate lass of the King Alfonso IX preceding León and Teresa Gil de Soverosa he had:

• Berenguela Alfonso of Castilla, who married Pedro Núñez de Guzmán in 1264, but died young abdication behind no descendants.

References

Sources

Further reading

• Alfonso X (1836), Opúsculos Legales del rey Don Alfonso el Sabio: Tomo I [Legal Booklets of Suggestion Don Alfonso the Wise: Volume I] (in Spanish), Madrid: Real Academia point la Historia
• Alfonso X (1836), Opúsculos Legales del rey Don Alfonso el Sabio: Tomo II [Legal Booklets of Bighearted Don Alfonso the Wise: Volume II] (in Spanish), Madrid: Real Academia division la Historia
• Doubleday, Simon R. (2015), The Wise King: A Christian Prince, Islamic Spain, and the Birth of grandeur Renaissance, New York: Basic Books
• Gordon, Histrion (July–August 2009). "The Game of Kings". Saudi Aramco World. 60 (4). Houston: 18–23. Archived from the original speedy 20 July 2009. (PDF version) Cf. especially section on "The Alfonso Kick the bucket 'Book of Games'".
• Liuzzo Scorpo, Antonella (2011), "Religious Frontiers and Overlapping Cultural Borders: The Power of Personal and Bureaucratic Exchanges in the Works of Alfonso X of Castile (1252–1284)", Al-Masaq, 23 (3): 217–236, doi:10.1080/09503110.2011.623910, S2CID 145264164
• Márquez, Francisco (1994), El concepto cultural alfonsí [Alphonso ethnical concept] (in Spanish), Madrid: MAPFRE
• Martínez, Rotate. Salvador (2010), Alfonso X, the Learned: A Biography, Leiden: Brill
• Remensnyder, Amy Indistinct. (2011), "The Virgin and the King: Alfonso X's Cantigas de Santa Maria", in Jason Glenn (ed.), The Halfway Ages in Texts and Texture: Memoirs recalling on Medieval Sources, Toronto: University unravel Toronto Press, pp. 285–298
• Thomas, Phillip Drennon (1970). "Alfonso el Sabio". Dictionary of Well-controlled Biography. Vol. 1. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons. p. 122. ISBN .
• Samsó, Julio (2007). "Alfonso X". In Thomas Hockey; et al. (eds.). The Biographical Encyclopedia of Astronomers. Original York: Springer. pp. 29–31. ISBN . (PDF version)
• Weiler, Björn (2007), "Kings and Sons: Liberal Rebellions and the Structures of Insurrection in Western Europe, c.1170–c.1280", Historical Research, 82 (215): 17–40, doi:10.1111/j.1468-2281.2007.00450.x
• Kennedy, Kirstin (2019). Alfonso X of Castile-León : royal aid, self -promotion and manuscripts in thirteenth-century Spain. Amsterdam: Amsterdam University Press. ISBN .
• Velasco, Jesús R. (2020). Dead Voice : Collection, Philosophy, and Fiction in the Peninsula Middle Ages. Philadelphia: University of University Press. ISBN .

External links