Pierre Ier de Castille

Pierre Ier de Castille , (born the August 30th 1334 with Burgos - died the March 23rd 1369 with Montiel), only legitimate son of the king Alphonse XI and Marie of Portugal (girl of the king Alphonse IV of Portugal), known as Pierre " Cruel" - but also for some like Pierre " Justicier" , is king of Castille and León of 1350 with 1369.

Its nickname of Pierre Cruel the seems justified within sight of the long list of executions and assassinations ordered by this king, who is constantly in hillock with rebellions and wars during his 19 years of reign. Its cruelty essentiellment was exerted on noble, revolted or the just awkward ones, and rather little on the people of Castille, auprès whose its reputation is less sulfurous. He is in particular a very active guard of his Jewish and Moslem subjects.

He is one of the protagonist of the First civil war of Castille which opposes it to his/her half-brother Henri de Trastamare and whose outcome fits in the list of the peripheral conflicts of the Guerre One hundred Year old. He is the last sovereign resulting from the Maison of Ivrée.

Biography

The youth and attempts at alliance

His/her father Alphonse XI, who prefers to deal with his favorite Leonor de Guzmán, is hardly worried his education and entrusts it to the Marie queen, who lives with her son with the Alcázar of Seville. A favorite of the king, the noble Portuguese João Afonso de Albuquerque, is designated as tutor of the child. One predicts lets guess the future implication of Pierre in the conflict which opposes the kingdoms of France and England: in 1335, whereas the child did not reach the one year age, a delegation is sent to Alphonse IX by Edouard III of England to propose a future marriage between his/her daughter Isabelle and Pierre. Rejected by king de Castille who considers it premature, this proposal is followed of a new English demand for 1342, this time for another girl of Edouard, Jeanne.

In 1345, the kingdoms of France and Castille plan to organize a marriage of prince Pierre with Blanche of Navarre, widow of Philippe VI of France, attempt which fails in front of the refusal of interested in remarier: The queens of France do not remarient themselves . The following year, an agreement made with England for a marriage with the Jeanne princess. This one dies less than one year later, thus preventing the realization of the project.

These various attempts at alliances coming from France and England are mainly justified by the existence of a powerful fleet Castilian which would have allowed that of the belligerents which would obtain the support from it, to control the Manche.

The reign

First years, under the influence of Albuquerque

The March 26th 1350, whereas it besieges Gibraltar, Alphonse XI dies of the plague. Pierre is then proclaimed king de Castille and León with Seville. At the beginning of its reign clash two clans: the faction directed by his/her mother Marie of Portugal and that of the mistress of Alphonse XI, Leonor de Guzmán, powerful as long as the father of Pierre is in life and with which the illegitimate children are largely equipped in honors and privileges.

The party of the queen-mother pushes it to make stop his/her hybrid half-brothers, in particular Henri de Trastamare and its twin brother Fadrique, large main of the Ordre of Santiago. The latter rebel but end up being reconciled with the king.

In 1351, restored of a serious disease which struck it the year even its crowning, it orders the lifting of the head office of Gibraltar and leaves Seville for Castille, always under the cut of his/her mother and Albuquerque. In 1352, benefitting from died from the lord of Biscay, it makes assassinate the young heir and absorb the seigniory by the crown, in spite of an opposition armed with some: 10000 Basques. It organizes the marriage of the sister of the assassinated heir, Jeanne de Lara - that it makes assassinate thereafter -, with her half-brother Tello de Castille, another of wire illegitimate of Alphonse IX and Leonor de Guzmán.

In 1351 and 1352 are held the the Cortes (during Castilian of the General states of the kingdom of France) with Valladolid on the occasion of which will be published a number important of laws against the armed robbery and vagrancy, for the protection of the Jews, the development of the trade and the agriculture and for the limitation of the rights of the nobility.

In 1352, to seal an alliance with the kingdom of France, it decides to marry , downward Saint Louis by his/her father, the duke Pierre I {{er}} of Bourbon, and Philippe III of France by his/her mother Isabelle de Valois. It is especially about a niece of king de France. It is about a marriage of convenience because Pierre Ier already met that which becomes its appointed mistress, Maria de Padilla. Jean the Good and Pierre Ier agrees on a dowry of: 300000 Florin S, which are not versed according to the bill book envisaged (: 25000 at the beginning of White of France: 25000 in Christmas and: 50000 each year until reaching the contractual sum).

First rebellions

In 1353, it makes carry out the leader of a rebellion in Andalusia in spite of its membership of the nobility. It gains there the not very flattering nickname of Pierre Cruel the . In July of this same year, he marries its promised and gives up it three days after its marriage. It makes lock up his wife and joined her mistress, Maria de Padilla, who already gave him a girl. The failure of this marriage causes the rupture of alliance with the king of France and the fall of Albuquerque which had encouraged it and organized. The queen-mother supports Albuquerque, as well as the many noble ones that this last named with the various loads and functions in the kingdom. Albuquerque is taken refuge near king of Portugal, Alphonse IV, which refuses to give it to Pierre the Ist This last, which at that time has the support of his/her half-brothers, leaves Henri de Tastamare and Fadrique de Castille in post office at the Portuguese border.

Locked up with the Alcazar of Seville, the Blanche queen complains about the treatment of which it is the object near the pope Innocent VI and about king de France. The interventions of the pope in favor of the recluse, as well as the threats of Excommunication, do not lead to nothing.

In 1354, thanks to the support of the bishops of Avila and Salamanque, it convinces Jeanne of Castro, a young widow of good line related to the lords of Biscay, nullity of its marriage with Blanche and the wife. This second wife is also quickly abandoned although it gives a male heir to the king. To the advertisement of this abandonment, the proper brother of the Jeanne queen raises a troop of 2.200 men and joined the rebellion. In October, Albuquerque, figure prow of the rebellion, dies poisoned in Medina del Campo.

Henri de Trastamare is from now on with the head of the rebellion. The king can be based on the minor nobility, the urban middle-class and the Jewish community which are the principal recipients of the laws and measures adopted by the the Cortes in Valladolid. On the other hand, Henri de Trastamare receives the unconditional support of the nobility, the king of Aragon and the people.

An interview is organized between the king and the principal ones entreated in Tejadillo, near Toro. He promises grounds and rewards and thus manages to leave the city for Segovia with the support of Tello de Castille and the Infant S of Aragon. In these two cities, Pierre Ier exerts a bloody repression against his enemies.

In 1355, it obtains the Cortes joined together with Burgos of subsidies to raise the troops necessary to the resumption of the towns of Tolède and Toro, acquired with the rebellion. The two cities are taken again, not without difficulty with regard to Toro.

The war against Aragon

In 1356, it occurs that a fleet of nine Galère S of the king of Aragon Pierre IV the Ceremonious arrives in the Andalusian port of Sanlúcar de Barrameda and hails two vessels of the République of Genoa, then in war with the kingdom of Aragon. Pierre Ier shows himself particularly active in this confrontation, the war of both Pierre and as of 1357 takes the towns of Orihuela and Tarazona.

In same time, between 1356 and 1360, it makes assassinate its enemies: Jean Alphonse of Cerda, Fadrique de Castille, Joan d' Aragon - half-brother of Pierre the Ceremonious one, his aunt Éléonore de Castille, mother of the precedent and widow of Alphonse IV of Aragon…

After many combat, the two kings end up signing the peace of Terrer the May 18th 1361, by which they mutually restore the territories conquered during the war.

New rebellion and dismissal

Henri de Trastamare, indicator to pack its party progressively exactions of his/her brother-in-law decides to attack in 1360 and is made main from the city of Nájera. During the catch of the city, Jean Fernandez de Hinestrosa, uncle de María de Padilla and favorite of Pierre the Cruel one, finds death. In reprisals, Pierre Ier makes put at death two brothers of Henri and sends his troops to Nájera as of April. Henri de Trastamare is beaten and must take refuge in the city. Inexplicably, Pierre the Cruel one does not put the seat in front of the city and turns over to Seville. Trastamare takes refuge in France to return a few years after, in 1364, accompanied by Bertrand Of Guesclin and the Grandes companies, and to invade the kingdom of Castille from there.

In 1366, apès to be entered in Castille by Aragon, from which the king concluded a pact with Henri for détrôner Pierre Ier, the army free-aragono-Castilian of Trastamare controls the essence of the kingdom except for the Galicia, of Seville and some other places. Henri de Trastamare is proclaimed king de Castille. Pierre Ier took refuge in Galicia and from there embarked for Bayonne in Guyenne, under English protection. The September 23rd 1367, it signs the Traité of Libourne with Edouard de Woodstock - the Prince Noir - and Charles the Bad, king of Navarre. This treaty stipulates that Prince Noir and king de Navarre must bring a military aid and financial to Pierre the Cruel one for the reconquest of his throne and receive territories n the other hand. Prince Noir is supposed to receive the seigniory of Biscay, the town of Castro-Urdiales like 550.000 gold guilders. For its part, Charles the Bad one claims to receive the remainder of the Basque provinces as well as a county located in the area of Burgos.

On his side, Henri II of Castille must face desertions and with the withdrawal of Pierre IV of Aragon, frustrated not to have received the kingdom of Murcie like agreed with Henri.

In January 1367, Charles the Bad one tries a transfer of alliance masi is quickly given in the right way by the troops of Prince Noir. In February, the English army is with Pampelune and arrives in April at Nájera where it beats the army of Henri II.

See also: Battle of Nájera

Henri II must flee and takes refuge in France. The many prisoners are released after payment of a ransom and Prince Noir takes his districts in Burgos and awaits his reward. Its troops, little accustomed to the rigorous climate of the area, suffer from the cold, the malaria and dysentery. Mow to wait, Prince Noir ends up turning over in Guyenne, without to have obtained its had. Pierre the Cruel one, supported by the king of Grenade besieges Cordoue, in vain. Henri benefits from the situation to reform an army in addition to the Pyrenees, the king Charles V, by the Traité Acute-Dead, again placing at his disposal the Large companies ordered by Of Guesclin.

The troops of Henri quickly conquer the kingdoms of Castille and of León and as of April 1367 put the seat in front of Tolède. The seat lasts 9 months, during which Henri II signs with France the Traité of Tolède, which engages it with a durable peace as of its final accession with the throne of Castille. Pierre the Cruel one arrives at the help of Tolède with an army made up essentiellemnt of Moors and Juifs. He faces his half-brother with Campo de Calatrava (Castille it Manche) and there undergoes a door demolished the March 13rd 1367. He takes refuge in the castle of Montiel with some faithful.

He tries to bribe Of Guesclin which seems to favorably accommodate its proposal but which actually informs Henri de Trastamare. Put in presence one of the other, the two half-brothers start a combat with the body-with-body. Pierre the Cruel one seems to carry it until the intervention of Of Guesclin which allows the victory of Henri and the execution of Pierre Ier of the own hand of this last.

Descent

María de Padilla gives him four children:

Jeanne of Castro gives him a son:

María González de Hinestrosa also gives him one of them:

  • Ferdinand, died in low age.

Therese d' Ayala gives him a girl:

  • Marie, abbess with Tolède.

Isabelle de Sandoval, préceptrice of Alphonse, give him two wire:

  • Sanche;

  • Diègue.

Pierre the Cruel one probably had other illegitimate children whose noims did not reach us.

Related subjects

Pierre Ier in arts

El rey gift Pedro el Cruel: tragedia in cuatro actos ( king Pierre the Cruel one: tragedy in four acts ) of Santiago Sevilla

Random links:Chemical bond | Paz ahora | Molly Hatchet | London Drugs | Harry Fowler | Branko Zebec | Internet_victorien