Alfonso XI (Castile)

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Alfonso XI el Justiciero

Alfonso XI el Justiciero , the avenger (born August 13, 1311 in Salamanca , † March 26, 1350 off Gibraltar ) was King of Castile and León from 1312 to 1350 .

Career

When his father Ferdinand IV died , Alfons was only a year old but was crowned immediately. Several relatives fought for the guardianship of the young king, including his uncle Peter and his great-uncle Johann. However, de facto his grandmother Maria de Molina prevailed as the most important bearer of guardianship. During this phase the Moors invaded the empire and there were numerous aristocratic revolts. Peter and Johann died in the Battle of Tiscar in 1319.

In 1325 Alfons came of age and initially concentrated on the internal stabilization of his empire. He cracked down on rebellious nobles and relied on the cities. His nickname "the avenger" comes from this phase. In addition, Alfonso stabilized his empire by finally enforcing the Las Siete Partidas legislation drawn up by his great-grandfather Alfons X.

As part of the Reconquista , Alfons had to deal primarily with the Berber dynasty of the Merinids , who had been called to help by Emir Mohammed IV of Granada . After Alfonso quickly defeated Granada in the Battle of Teba in 1330 and made it subject to tribute, the Merinids under Abu l-Hasan became his main opponents. Alfonso broke up the Muslim siege of Tarifa by defeating the Merinid army on October 30, 1340 in the battle of the Salado . This dynasty no longer played a role in Spain. He relied on extensive weapon aid from his father-in-law Alfons the Bold of Portugal .

Alfonso XI, contemporary miniature

After two victories by the Castilian fleet on the African coast, several permanent places in Granada fell, including Algeciras , which since then has been the main base of the Christians' efforts against Africa . In the middle of his armor for further action against the Moors, Alfons died of the plague during the siege of Gibraltar in 1350 . His sarcophagus is still in the Church of San Hipólito in Cordoba today . He was succeeded by his son as Peter I of Castile .

Marriages and offspring

Alfons was initially married to Constanza Manuel, daughter of the Infante Juan Manuel . However, the marriage was dissolved and Alfons married Maria of Portugal , daughter of the Portuguese king Alfons IV. With her he had two sons:

  • Ferdinand (* 1332, † 1333)
  • Peter I of Castile (1334–1369), King of Castile and León

Alfons also had several illegitimate children with Leonor de Guzman , including

literature

Web links

Commons : Alfonso XI. (Castile)  - Collection of images, videos and audio files
predecessor Office successor
Ferdinand IV. King of Castile and León 1312–1350
Blason Castille Léon.svg
Peter I.