Ferdinand III of Castille

Ferdinand III , or holy Ferdinand de Castille , was king of Castille of 1217 with 1230, and king de Castille and of León of 1230 with 1252. Probably born in 1199 with the monastery from Valparaíso, in Peleas de Arribadans, in current the Province of Zamora, Ferdinand III was the son of Alphonse IX of León, and Bérangère de Castille.

Ferdinand III deeply marked the history of medieval Spain. Politically first of all, while having managed to link in a final way the kingdoms of Castille and León, in 1230. Militarily then, because Ferdinand III proceeded to the reconquest of the south of the Iberian peninsula, current the Andalusia. Its action against the Infidèle was worth to him to be canonized at the 17th century, in 1671 more precisely.

Access to the throne

The king Alphonse VIII of Castille, shining victorious of the Almohades to the Battle of Mow Navas de Tolosa in 1212, died in 1214. The only son who had survived to him, Henri Ier, succeeded to him on the throne, under the regency of Bérangère, his sister. Mow, it died very early, in 1217, after a court reigns three years. It was then his/her sister, Bérangère de Castille, oldest daughter of Alphonse VIII, who was proclaimed queen by the the Cortes of Castille. The sovereign news decided nevertheless to abdicate in the tread in favor of its young person wire, who became in 1217 new king de Castille.

The first times were hard for Ferdinand. Part of the nobility Castilian rebelled, supported in that by king de León, anxious to put the hand on the close kingdom. Léonais had suddenly penetrated from there in Castille, but was pushed back by Ferdinand. The monarch had to deploy boundless ingenuity to bring back the calm one on his grounds. Extremely support of the cities and clergy, he managed to impose on Lara, most powerful chalk-lining peerage-book of Castille, the signature of a treaty with Zafra, in 1222. This pact put an end to the agitements which shook the kingdom. It should be noted that the diplomatic talents of Bérangère were not foreign with this reversal of situation.

Union of the two kingdoms

Context and facts

Once the calm income, Ferdinand could plan to take again the initiative in military operations against the Moslems of Al Andalus. A capital event was going nevertheless to divert the king of its objective: disappearance in 1230 of his/her father, Alphonse IX of León. This last had married in second weddings the mother of Ferdinand, Bérangère. The marriage however was declared illegitimate by the pope Innocent III, which cancelled it. Berengere turned over in Castille, and Alphonse IX ignored consequently the children of his second union. Little before its death, it bequeathed its kingdom to the girls born of its first marriage with Therese of Portugal. In 1230, Bérangère de Castille could show a frightening political effectiveness by negotiating with his/her daughters-in-law the transfer of their rights on the crown of León. Ferdinand III was thus proclaimed king, and definitively joins together the two crowns, separated since death from Alphonse VII in 1157.

Consequences

This episode constitutes one of the most eloquent testimonys of the influence and the place of Bérangère during the reign of his/her son. Invaluable adviser, it was also characterized by her political qualities in the negotiation and management from the kingdom, of which it had to assume management during the long programs of her Al Andalus son. She joined in that her sister, Blanche of Castille, mother of Louis IX of France, from which she remained the most faithful adviser. The destinies of the two families shared many joint points, in particular in the religious field. Such an amount of Ferdinand which his/her Louis cousin were active in the fight against the Infidel: the first through the " Reconquista ", the second by its engagement in the Crusades. Both were canonized besides.

At all events, the union of the two kingdoms marked a big step in the formation of Spain. The new crown of Castille represented from now on the principal power peninsular, able to compete with great Western monarchies. Its fields were immense. The kingdom of Castille was very vast. It included/understood the territories known later like the Old woman-Castille (whole or part of the current provinces of Burgos, Valladolid, Soria and of Palencia, Rioja and the Cantabrie. It had extended since the 11th century towards Extrémadure Castilian, namely the current provinces of Segovia and Ávila, and the Kingdom of Tolède (current community of Castille it Manche, called the News-Castille later). The kingdom of León was for its part composed of León itself (current provinces of León and Zamora), of the Asturies, the Galicia and Extrémadure léonaise (Salamanque). In addition, progress of Alphonse IX vis-a-vis the Moslems towards the end of his reign, had enabled him to add to it quasi totality of current the Extrémadure to its kingdom (Cáceres and Badajoz). Ferdinand III was going from now on to reign on a territory of a new extension, more populated than its neighbors of the north peninsular (Aragon and Navarre), and animated by a very active economy.

The Al Andalus military action was consolidated by this news gives, which ensured him of the increased tax re-entries. The territories which it was on the point of putting under its capacity were still going to modify the geographical extension of the possessions of the crown.

The conquest of the peninsular south

In 1217, the Reconquête was already an old business in the Iberian peninsula. Times of the Emirate and the Califat of Cordoue represented one difficult period for the Christians of north. The idea even of Reconquest, if it showed through in the chronicles asturiennes and léonaises, remained in an embryonic state. The fall of the Cordovan capacity, and the parcelling out of Al Andalus in Taïfa S which resulted from it at the 11th century, changed gives it. The Christians took again the initiative, and their successes were done more regular and productive. With the arrival of the Almoravides, the idea of a fight against the Infidel was done day. The combat against the Moslems ceased being reduced to land considerations and was let influence by one time the religious dash marked by the Crusades. The battle of Mow Navas de Tolosa was a strong event: it weakens considerably the power almohades and opened the doors of Andalusia.

Ferdinand III knew about which to count in this conquering effort: the cities were faithful and provided for him many quotas, the military Ordres (Santiago, Alcántara, Calatrava) were devoted entirely to this cause against the Moslems, and the bishops, mûs as well by their religious enthusiasm as by the financial perspectives which opened with them, united with the king. It should be stressed the extraordinary implication of the archbishop of Tolède, Rodrigo Jiménez de Rada, which had already immense grounds around in all English Channel, and did not cease overlapping near the king until his death in 1236. The nobility, finally, could not be concealed with its obligation of auxilium , and perceived in these wars a single opportunity to still join together more land goods.

Preliminary campaigns

The first military operations were carried out by the king starting from 1224 in the area the top Guadalquivir. The towns of Cazorla, Úbeda, Baeza, Andújar, Otíñar and others were attacked by the armies Castilians. This period was characterized by operations of low scale, firstly intended to prepare the ground for future conquests. This first phase stopped following the death of Alphonse XI and with the negociations which were necessary to the union of Castille and León.

Reinforced by this new configuration of the crown, the troops took again their rides in 1233, with the conquest of Baeza. Al Andalus was then in full decomposition: local caudillos proclaim kings in all the Moslem territories, and join the cause of most powerful in the forefront of which Ibn Hud, Master of the south-east of the peninsula, and Ibn Nasr, autoproclamé king d' Andújar, and whom extended his authority to the kingdoms of Grenade and Jaén. King de Castille organized at this period of long estival campaigns. He charged his subjects, laic or religious, of the conquest of such or such fortified town, which returned then to noble victorious.

Great conquests: Cordoue, Murcie and Jaén

The events accelerated in 1236. In the absence of Ferdinand III, some noble made the decision to attack the town of Cordoue, helped in that by hostile Moslems with the local authority. The Castilians managed to be made main from the suburb of Axarquía. Informed, the monarch came to their rescue, and the city ends up capitulating without hardly of resistance, and especially without outside assistance. The symbol was powerful: the old capital of the Omeyyades escaped the Moslems definitively after more than five centuries of presence. The method applied after this resounding success was consequently repeated with each great victory. The Moors were requested to leave the city, healthy and safe. After their departure, the troops Castilians invested the city and adapted it. The conversion of the large mosque into church or cathedral constituted the act charged with symbolism. The June 29th, the large mosque was converted into church, before being promoted, in 1237, with the row of cathedral. The conquest of the kingdom of Cordoue followed, in order to make safe the city just acquired. These conquest campaigns fell under the duration, and transfer to fall from the places such as Almódovar del Río, Aguilar of Frontera, Écija,…

The years 1240 were favourable with other conquests of importance for Ferdinand III. In 1243, the governors of Royaume of Murcie came to the meeting from infant Alphonse. Dignitaries to subject itself to Castille, in order to secure vis-a-vis the threats of the Aragon (recent conquerors of the Kingdom of Valence, and increasingly powerful Nasrides. Alphonse took possession of the kingdom in the name of his father, adding kind another showpiece in the escarcelle Castilian. All the more invaluable part as Ferdinand III had for the first time one access to the Mediterranean. In exchange of their tender, the inhabitants of the kingdom of Murcie preserved the right to reside on their grounds, particularly fertile.

In 1244, Ferdinand III signed treaty from Almizra, which defined the exact borders between Castille and Aragon, which had arrived at the end of its possibilities of peninsular conquests, and was going from now on to launch out in its phase of Mediterranean expansion. The king remained with his mother during one month and half in Pozuelo, in the English Channel. It was there the last meeting between Ferdinand and Bérangère, which died two years later. After these a few weeks in the area of Cuenca, the king set out again definitively for Andalusia which it did not leave any more. The campaigns were going from now on to be done at almost uninterrupted intervals. The conquests were going to alternate without slackening the rides, and other bags in the enemy kingdoms.

In 1246, Ferdinand III succeeded finally, after two unfruitful seats, to put the hand on Jaén and its impregnable fortress. The capitulation was signed by Ibn Nasr, king of Grenade. Ferdinand III obtained the departure of all the Moslems, and, especially, the tender of the nasride by pact of vasselage. The territories of this last, while keeping their autonomy, was from now on plain in Castille. Ibn Nasr was committed to pay homage to Ferdinand III, to pay a consequent annual sum to him, and lending assistance and council like very vassal to him.

The conquest of Seville

Filled with enthusiasm by this success, Ferdinand III decided as of the conquest of Jaén, to move towards its main objective, Seville. In 1247, the king organized the offensive since Cordoue, which became the point of concentration of the troops. The neighborhoods of the city almohade started to be the subject of rides and victorious seats: Alcalá de Guadaíra, Gerena, Guillena, Carmona, Lora del Río, Setefilla, Cantillana, Alcalá del Río and other fortified towns was taken in order to release the accesses to Seville and to draw aside any external danger at the time of the seat. Defenses of Seville were solid and the many population. The implication of Ibn Nasr was exemplary during this phase: the nasride respected its engagements scrupulously.

In the month of August 1247, Ferdinand III besieged Cordoue. Elements Aragonese and French reinforced its troops, which overlapped in the neighborhoods of the city, in order to push back the attacks of the sévillans. Ferdinand III also made assemble a fleet coming from the ports of the the Bay of Biscay, carried out by the admiral Ramón Bonifaz. The force and the organization of the army of Ferdinand III pained to make fold the city, which ends up capitulating after more than one year and half of seat. November 23rd, 1248, the alcázar was given to the Castilians. The Moslems had a one month deadline to evacuate the city. One month later, on December 22nd, Ferdinand III made its solemn entry in the city. After Cordoue, it was another symbolic system place which integrated the crown of Castille: town of holy Isidore, quoted opulent and commercial, carries to bas-Guadalquivir,… The event knew an extraordinary repercussion in all Christendom, and the pages which the devotes Primera Crónica General of España at these hours of the history of the kingdom testify to the enthusiasm raised by the catch of the city.

Ferdinand III resided from now on in a permanent way at Seville, from where it continued to conduct brilliant campaigns in the south of Andalusia. Conquests and tenders by pacts ensured a more comfortable base the king, and made it possible to guarantee the safety of Seville.

Assessment

Undeniable successes

Ferdinand III died the May 30th (or the 31, according to the sources) 1252. Its body rests since then in the Cathédrale of Seville. It left behind him an assessment of most positive for the crown of Castille. It on the one hand had succeeded in sealing the union of the kingdoms of Castille and León, thus giving rise to a whole of a colossal power in the peninsular context. A power which was going to be brought, with time, to impose its hegemony on the whole of the Iberian kingdoms, except for the Portugal.

Under its reign was reinforced considerably the royal authority: Ferdinand III had joined together under its banner all the lifeblood of the kingdom in the objective to conquer Andalusia. With the assistance of his/her mother, and the faithful ones, among whom the archbishop of Tolède, it could make use of a political tact of a large smoothness, and used the nobility to appease his ambitions. This one, crammed by the profits which it could withdraw from the southernmost expansion of the kingdom, could only agree to the call of the king. Besides one owes in Ferdinand III the first important legal reforms, with the translation in Castilian of the Liber Judiciorum of the Visigoths, and his application in the form of the Fuero Juzgo . This code of local right was granted many lately conquered cities. In the more septentrional cities, the fors and Franchise S were distributed liberally by the king, who rested much on the concejos cities to follow his policy.

It was with the conquest of Andalusia that Ferdinand III had its fame. Never before a king had increased in so important manner and rapid the fields of the crown. Its fight against the Infidel was greeted and recognized, and his/her Alphonse son let show through in his works a real admiration for his predecessor. From died from the king, plus any ground of Spain did not escape control from the Christians: conquered, attached or subjected by pacts of vasselage (Grenade), the Moslem kingdoms of Andalusia from now on all were dominated by Castille. The power and the glory which the kingdom could draw were considerable. Ferdinand III and Castille were presented to the Occident like the defenders of the Christian faith and a frightening machine of war, controlling from now on vast and fertile grounds. Interior order, service of the faith, offensive and effective foreign policy: Castille that Ferdinand III bequeathed seemed a solid unit, and on which it was necessary from now on to count.

A fragile heritage

It is advisable however to moderate this assessment. If the brilliant policy of Ferdinand III made it possible indeed to garner all these successes of an interior and external nature, it does not remain about it less than the medium-term consequences and the management of this new configuration of the kingdom were going to fall down on his/her son, who was going to accumulate the difficulties. The conquest of the area of the Guadalquivir implied two major and paradoxical consequences. The emptied grounds their Moslem inhabitants were from now on to repopulate, and work was hardly started in 1252. It is with an immense task that to harness Alphonse X was going to have: to make come from the north of the kingdom of the thousands from men and women loans to be invested in the repopulation and the reorganization of the space and the economic activity of an emptied area of its occupants. The seizure of most powerful on the majority of the grounds, the climate, the frequent incursions of Moslems ended up discouraging many voluntary peasants, who set out again towards their areas of origin. Repopulation was going to require decades of labor and patience. In addition, the cities and campaigns where the Moslems had been authorized to remain (mainly the kingdom of Murcie and the southern extême of Andalusia, around Jerez of Frontera and Niebla) were not going to be long in being restive with the authority Castilian. The great revolt of the Mudéjars of 1264 threatened the Castilian presence seriously. Worse still, the least movement of revolt awoke the interest and the heats of some local leaders, and king de Grenade. Lastly, the nobility, private from new resources by the rarefaction of the grounds to be conquered, was not going to be long in returning to its low rebellious operations.

Admittedly, the personality even of Alphonse X can explain these difficulties. But, it is obvious that Ferdinand III, victorious, bequeaths to his/her son a country to be rebuilt, to structure and invent. In that, it is not exaggerated to estimate that Alphonse X inherits most difficult: to provide the foundations of a new social organization, policy and economic, in absorptive area in record time, a perhaps even too quickly. One can wonder about the capacities for a medieval kingdom like Castille to assimilate such spaces in if little time. The Reconquest stopped in any case at that time. The real advanced ones could be obtained only two centuries later, under the reign of the catholic Kings. Ferdinand III, with the image of his/her cousin holy Louis in France, remains at all events one of the most admirable monarchs of the Spanish Middle Ages.

Marriages and descent

Ferdinand IIIIl married in first weddings Béatrice de Souabe, girl of Philippe de Souabe, King of the Romans (1198 - 1208). From this union was born his/her son and successor Alphonse X Wise the (1221 - 1284), king de Castille and León (1252 - 1284). Were also the fruit of this union:

Following the death of his first wife in 1235, Ferdinand III married in 1237 Jeanne de Dammartin, of which it had five children:

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