Sancho IV of Castile

Sancho IV
Sancho in a contemporary manuscript.
King of Castile and León
Reign	4 April 1284–25 April 1295 (&1000000000000001100000011 years, &1000000000000002100000021 days)
Predecessor	Alfonso X
Successor	Ferdinand IV
Consort	María de Molina
among others... Issue
Isabella, Queen of Aragon Ferdinand IV of Castile Beatrice, Queen of Portugal
House	House of Burgundy
Father	Alfonso X of Castile
Mother	Violant of Aragon
Born	12 May 1258(1258-05-12) Valladolid
Died	25 April 1295(1295-04-25) (aged 36) Toledo
Burial	Cathedral of Toledo
Religion	Roman Catholicism

Sancho IV the Brave (12 May 1258 – 25 April 1295) was the King of Castile, León and Galicia from 1284 to his death. He was the second son of Alfonso X and Yolanda, daughter of James I of Aragon.

Contents 1 Biography 2 Family 3 Ancestry 4 Notes 5 References

Biography

His elder brother, Ferdinand de la Cerda, died in November 1275, and in 1282 Sancho assembled a coalition of nobles to declare for him against Ferdinand's son Alfonso, then took control of the kingdom when Alfonso X died in 1284. This was all against the wishes of their father, but Sancho was crowned in Toledo nevertheless.

Sancho was recognised and supported by the majority of the nobility and the cities, but a sizable minority opposed him throughout his reign and worked for the heirs of Ferdinand de la Cerda. One of the leaders of the opposition was his brother John, who united to his cause the lord of Biscay, Lope Díaz III de Haro. Sancho responded by executing the Lord of Biscay and incarcerating his brother. According to the chroniclers, he cemented his hold on power by executing 4,000 other followers of Infante Alfonso, son of Ferdinand de la Cerda, in Badajoz. He executed 400 more in Talavera and more in Ávila and Toledo.

Upon dispensing with this opposition, Sancho pardoned his brother, who was released. John bided his time before fomenting revolt again: the conflict over Tarifa. He called in the aid of the Marinids of Morocco and besieged Guzmán the Good in his castle (1291). At this siege occurred that famous act of heroism, the innocent death of the son of Guzmán. Tarifa was faithfully defended until Sancho could rescue it and the Marinids retreated to Morocco. The intent of both John and the King of Morocco (to invade) was foiled.

When James II succeeded to the Crown of Aragon, he endeavoured to bind the two crowns more closely and to unite in the Reconquista. Indeed, both of James' predecessors had tried to do likewise. Sancho was also the friend and tutor of Juan Manuel, Lord of Villena.

Just before succumbing to a fatal illness, he appointed his queen, María de Molina, to act as regent for his nine year-old son, Ferdinand IV. He died in 1295 in Toledo.

Family

Sancho married Maria de Molina in 1282 and they had the following children:

• Isabella (1283–1328). Married first James II of Aragon and secondly John III, Duke of Brittany.
• Ferdinand IV (1285–1312).
• Alfonso (1286–1291)
• Peter (1290–1319) married Maria daughter of James II of Aragon
• Henry (1288–1299)
• Philip (1292–1327). Married his cousin Margarita de la Cerda, daughter of Alfonso de la Cerda (1270-1333).^[1]
• Beatrice (1293–1359). Married Afonso IV of Portugal.

He had three illegitimate children before his marriage.

by an unknown woman:

• Teresa Sánchez, who married Dom João Afonso de Menezes (died 5 May 1304), 1st Conde de Barcelos in Portugal, the first Portuguese hereditary Count, 4th Lord of Alburquerque in Castille and 29th Mordomo-Mór of Portugal, and had female issue, and Rui Gil de Vilalobos, and had female issue

by Doña María Alfonso Téllez de Menezes (d. Toro), wife of Juan García, señor de Usero:

• Violante Sánchez (died bef. 1327), who held the dowry of Usero as its lady, married in 1293 Fernando Rodríguez de Castro, Lord of Lemos.^[2]

by María Pérez:

• Alfonso Sánchez, who married as her second husband María Díaz de Haro, without issue.

Ancestry

Ancestors of Sancho IV of Castile

16. Ferdinand II of León               8. Alfonso IX of León                       17. Urraca of Portugal               4. Ferdinand III of Castile                             18. Alfonso VIII of Castile               9. Berengaria of Castile                       19. Eleanor of England               2. Alfonso X of Castile                                   20. Frederick I, Holy Roman Emperor               10. Philip of Swabia                       21. Beatrice I, Countess of Burgundy               5. Elisabeth of Hohenstaufen                             22. Isaac II Angelos               11. Irene Angelina                       23. Irene               1. Sancho IV of Castile                                         24. Alfonso II of Aragon               12. Peter II of Aragon                       25. Sancha of Castile               6. James I of Aragon                             26. William VIII of Montpellier               13. Marie of Montpellier                       27. Eudokia Komnene               3. Violant of Aragon                                   28. Béla III of Hungary               14. Andrew II of Hungary                       29. Agnes of Antioch               7. Violant of Hungary                             30. Peter II of Courtenay               15. Yolanda de Courtenay                       31. Yolanda of Flanders

Notes

References

• XXV años de la Escuela de Genealogía, Heráldica y Nobiliaria, Ed. Escuela de Genealogía, Heráldica y Nobiliaria, Hidalguia, 1985.

Sancho IV of Castile House of Burgundy Born: 12 May 1258 Died: 25 April 1295
Regnal titles
Preceded by Alfonso X	King of Castile and León 1284–1295	Succeeded by Ferdinand IV

Monarchs of Castile House of Jiménez Ferdinand I  · Sancho II  · Alfonso VI  · Urraca House of Burgundy Alfonso VII  · Sancho III  · Alfonso VIII  · Henry I  · Berengaria  · Ferdinand III  · Alfonso X  · Sancho IV  · Ferdinand IV  · Alfonso XI  · Peter House of Trastámara Henry II  · John I  · Henry III  · John II  · Henry IV  · Isabella I & Ferdinand V  · Joanna & Philip I

Monarchs of León Beni Alfons Alfonso III  · García I  · Ordoño II  · Fruela II  · Alfonso IV  · Ramiro II  · Ordoño III  · Sancho I  · Ordoño IV  · Sancho I  · Ramiro III  · Bermudo II  · Alfonso V  · Bermudo III House of Jiménez Ferdinand I  · Sancho II  · Alfonso VI  · Urraca House of Burgundy Alfonso VII  · Ferdinand II  · Alfonso IX  · Ferdinand III  · Alfonso X  · Sancho IV  · Ferdinand IV  · Alfonso XI  · Peter House of Trastámara Henry II  · John I  · Henry III  · John II  · Henry IV  · Isabella I & Ferdinand V  · Joanna & Philip I

Persondata
Name	Sancho IV of Castile
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	12 May 1258
Place of birth	Valladolid
Date of death	25 April 1295
Place of death	Toledo