Pedro Ansúrez

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The supposed sword of Pedor Ansúrez.

Pedro Ansúrez (died 1117) was the Count of Liébana, Saldaña, and Carrión in the closing decades of the eleventh and the opening decades of the twelfth centuries. He is reputed as the founder and first lord of Valladolid.

Statue dedicated to him in the Plaza Mayor in Valladolid.

His standard conserved in the Museo Arqueológico Valladolid.

Pedro was a descendent of the Beni Gómez family of Castilian nobility, the son of Ansur Díaz and Justa Fernández. He married twice, firstly to Eylo, daughter of Alfonso Muñoz of Trigueros, and secondly to Elvira Sánchez.

Pedro was one of the nobles closest to Alfonso VI of Castile. In 1072, he accompanied Alfonso into exile in Toledo. Later, when Alfonso returned to inherit the kingdoms of León and Castile, Pedro and Eylo were charged with the repopulation of Valladolid. This they did with men from their counties of Saldaña and Carrión. However, the city really began to grow when its lordship was given to Pedro some years later. He became a prolific builder, constructing a large palace for himself and his wife, which has not survived, and a hospital. He built a bridge over the Pisuerga and many religious edifices, like the church of Santa María la Antigua and the Colegiata de Santa María, which served as the site of the cathedral (the bishop's seat). The environs of Valladolid formed the outer limits of the Kingdom of Castile at his time and Pedro was responsible for the repopulating of the region between Liébana and Cuéllar. His massive frontier district included the historically significant city of Toledo. In 1095, his lordship included Madrid.^[1]

Around 1087, at the time of the marriage of Alfonso's eldest daughter and heiress apparent, Urraca, to Raymond of Burgundy, the king appointed Pedro to be her guardian and she stayed at his court.^[2] This probably served to prevent the accumulation of too great influence in the hands of the French.

Towards the end of the century, Pedro's power and influence were diminished by the extension of that of the Capetians Raymond and Henry of Burgundy.

When his daughter Mary was widowed by the Count of Urgel, Ermengol V, Pedro transferred the guardianship of her son, Ermengol VI, to Raymond Berengar III of Barcelona. Between 1102 and 1108, Pedro lived in Urgel, taking an active part in the conquest of Balaguer.

Pedro died at Valladolid in 1117.