Elvira of Castile, Queen of León

For other people of the same name, see Elvira of Castile.
Elvira García of Castile
Born c. 978
Died 1017
Spouse Bermudo II of León
Father García Fernández of Castile
Mother Ava of Ribagorza

Elvira García (c. 978–1017), daughter of García Fernández, count of Castile, and his wife Ava of Ribagorza, Queen Consort of Leon as the wife of King Bermudo II, and co-regent, after her husband's death, jointly with Count Menendo González, during the minority of her son Infante Alfonso, future King Alfonso V.

Biographical sketch

Although the year of her birth is not documented, she must have been born shortly before or after 978 since she does not appear with her older sisters, Urraca and Toda, in the foundational charter of the Infantado of Covarrubias in November 24 of that year.[1] Her husband, Bermudo II of León was her first cousin,[2] if Bermudo's debated filiation as the son of Queen Urraca Fernández is correct.[lower-alpha 1]

The marriage was celebrated near the end of November 991[3] and both appear together confirming royal charters as of 992. The marriage, which took place after Bermudo repudiated his first wife, Velasquita Ramírez between 988 and 991, sealed an alliance between the Kingdom of León and the County of Castile which significantly strengthened the Leonese crown.[2]

Pantheon of the Kings at the Basilica de San Isidoro.

Bermudo II died in September 999. He was succeeded by his son, Infante Alfonso, a minor, annointed king by October 13 of that year, under the tutorship of his mother, Queen Elvira.[4] The document where Alfonso appears for the first time as King, was confirmed by his mother, followed by count Menendus Gundisaluis comes (Count Menendo González), Santius, dux, Garsea prolis (Sancho, duke, son of García, i.e., Sancho García, Elvira's brother, in addition to several bishops and magnates of the realm.[5] In 1004, Count Sancho García, with the support of his sister Queen Elvira, challenged Count Menendo's tutorship of his nephew, the young King Alfonso. To avoid an armed conflict, both sought the arbitration of the Córdoban hajib al-Muzaffar whose deputy, the qadi of the Mozarabic community of Córdoba, Asbag bin Abd Allah bin Nabil, ruled in favour of Menendo who continued to be the king's tutor until his death in October 1008, after which Alfonso ruled on his own.[6]

The good relations between Alfonso and his maternal uncle, Count Sancho García, were broken in 1014 when a member of the Banu Gómez clan named Munio Fernández, who seemed to count with King Sancho's support, rebelled against the king. "This rupture coincided or rather gave rise to Queen Elvira's retirement in Oviedo where she died in the autumn of 1017".[7] Elvira's presence is recorded for the last time on August 18, 1017 with her son making a donation to the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela.[8] She was buried at the Pantheon of the Kings at the Basilica of San Isidoro in León.[9]

Descendants

Elvira and Bermudo II had three children:

Family tree

Notes

  1. ↑ If Bermudo was the son of Urraca Fernández, both were grandchildren of Count Fernán González.

References

Bibliography

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