Álvaro de Luna

History

Álvaro de Luna is the illegitimate son of Álvaro Martínez de Luna, copero mayor (large wine waiter) of the king Henri III of Castille, resulting from an big family of the Royaume of Aragon, and of María fernández of Jarana, a commoner considered for her beauty. His/her uncle Pedro de Luna, archbishop of Tolède, which became later the antipape Benoît XIII, introduces it at the court. Very quickly, it acquires ascending notable on the young king Jean II, which is only one child. King Jean is then under the supervision of his uncle infant it Ferdinand d' Antequera, which is wary of Álvaro. However, in 1412, Ferdinand is selected as king d' Aragon by the Compromis of Caspe, in which Benoît XIII takes part. The departure of Ferdinand, which leaves the regency of Castille to the hands of the Catherine queen of Lancaster, reinforces the position of Luna near king Jean.

The ascending one of Luna on the king was allotted later to practices of sorcery, but it is more probable than the king Jean II, politically isolated by the opposition from great noble chalk-linings, in particular by the infants of Aragon , his cousins, wire of Ferdinand d' Antequera, seeks in Álvaro a all the more faithful adviser as it owes him all. Luna is also recognized like a perfect knight, good riding, skilful with the handling of the lance and type-setter of courteous poetries. Luna focuses criticisms of the various factions peerage-books, which seek to expel the favorite to take its place in the favor of the king and to thus support their interests. Besides itself seeks to concentrate the royal pardons on its person and her close family. In 1425, it is made count de San Esteban de Gormaz and constable of Castille - it is under this title of constable of Luna ( condestable of Luna ) that it is the best known one. With the sandstones of alliances, Álvaro de Luna must leave the court, but a reversal of alliances can bring back it to its place of favorite. Thus in 1427, it is exiled, but turns over near the king as of 1428. In 1431, it tries to gather the nobility Castilian in a crusade against the kingdom of Grenade, but in spite of some successes, forwarding does not manage to take Grenade. According to certain sources, because of the earthquake of Atarfe, and according to others, the Moor S would have bribed Álvaro de Luna with a cart full with Figue S and in each one of it a gold coin.

In 1445, Luna demolishes a coalition of noble hostile carried out by the infants of Aragon to the battle of Olmedo. It profits from the royal support to be elected as Master of the Ordre of Santiago. The woman of Jean II, Marie d' Aragon, sister of the infants of Aragon, dies the same year. Luna is then at the top of its power, but it is always depend on the support of the king. The second woman of Jean II, Isabelle of Portugal, jealous of the influence of the constable, does not have of cease to marginalize it at the court. In 1453, the death of the accountant of the king gives the opportunity to the faction of the queen to act. Isabelle tears off from the old man Jean II the forfeiture of her favorite, which is interned with the castle of Portillo. A little later Álvaro de Luna judged and is condemned to died by a joined together expeditious court with Valladolid. It is carried out on June 2nd, 1453.

Of its marriage with Juana Pimentel, Luna leaves two children:

Juan de Luna, second count de San Esteban de Gormaz,
María de Luna, third countess of San Esteban de Gormaz, after his/her brother died prematurely. She rests in the Saint-Jacob vault of the Cathédrale of Tolède.

Álvaro de Luna will acquièrera a great notoriety, and will be encensé by a current of the Spanish literature like the famous verses of Jorge Manrique. Others, like the father Juan de Mariana, denounced the ambitious and avid favorite.

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