Manuel of Castile

Manuel of Castile (1234 – 25 December 1283, Lord of Escalona, Peñafiel, Cuéllar, and Villena, was an Infante, son of Ferdinand III of Castile and his wife Elisabeth of Hohenstaufen.

Born in Carrión de los Condes, the name Manuel was given to him to commemorate his maternal grandmother's roots in Imperial Byzantium. Manuel travelled to Italy in 1259 as part of the embassy sent by his father to Pope Alexander IV.

He died at Peñafiel in 1283 and was buried in the Monastery of Uclés. His son Juan Manuel, who succeeded him in Peñafiel and Villena among the others, was a notable medieval writer.

Family

He married twice. His first wife, whom he married in 1260 in Soria was Constance of Aragon, daughter of James I of Aragon. Two children were born of this marriage:

• Alfonso Manuel (1260/1261–Montpellier, 1276), without issue.
• Violante Manuel (1265–Lisbon, 1314), lady of Elche and Medellín. Married circa 1287 to Afonso of Portugal, son of Afonso III of Portugal.

His second marriage after Constança's death was in 1274/1275 to Beatrice of Savoy, daughter of Amadeus IV of Savoy. One child was born of this marriage:

• Juan Manuel (1282–1348), Prince of Villena, Duke of Penafiel and Lord of Escalona.

Children from other women include:

• Sancho Manuel (1283-after 1345), Lord of Infantado and Carrion. First married María Rodríguez de Castañeda, and then Inés Díaz de Toledo. With issues from both marriages.
• Enrique Manuel (born circa 1272)
• Blanca Manuel (born circa 1273)

Ancestry