© Mark Wade
| Cid's Spain © Mark Wade |
Spanish Kingdom and its capital city. Leon's name derives from the garrison of the Roman Legion VII Gemina, established here in AD 68. The town is the cradle of Romanesque art, with some churches in the city dating back to the Cid's time.
Most evocative are the Basilica de San Isidro, with its 11th Centural baptismal, and the church of Nuestra Senora del Mercado, dating to the 12th Century. Even earlier Mozarabic churches are found at San Miguel de la Escalada, 27 km from the city, and San Salvador del Palat del Rey.
The city of Leon is at Latitude: 42.59. Longitude: -5.57. The relatively small kingdom of Leon is part of the modern autonomous community of Castille y Leon, with the capital at Valladolid. Area 94,147 square kilometers. Estimated population in AD 1100, 770 thousand and population density 8.2 per square km.
And in the year 1037 Ferrando slew Bermudo the King of Leon in battle, who was his wife's brother, and conquered his kingdom, and succeeded to it in right of his wife Dona Sancha.
So he was the first person who united the states of Castille and Leon, and the first who was called King of Castille; for till this time the lords of that country had been called Counts.
King Don Ferrando was going through Leon, putting the Kingdom in order, when tidings reached him of the good speed which Rodrigo had had against the Moors.
And when July came the food of the besiegers failed them, insomuch that they had only the dole for a few days left; then the baggage was made ready, and the sumpter beasts and serving-men were ordered to depart for Leon, and proclamation was made in the camp that the army should remain yet four days, and on the fifth they might break up and depart every one to his own house.
Now the men of Leon besought the King that he would repeople Zamora, which had lain desolate since it was destroyed by Almanzor.
When the King saw their letters he was troubled, for he knew that if this thing were done, great evil would follow to Castille and Leon.
They seeing on the one hand the great power of the Church, and on the other the great evil that it would be if Castille and Leon should be made tributary, knew not what counsel to give; howbeit at length they said to him that he should do the Pope's bidding.
The manner in which he divided his lands was this: he gave to Don Sancho the kingdom of Castille as far as to the river Pisuerga, on the side of Leon, with the border, which included the dioceses of Osma, and Segovia, and Avila, and on the side of Navarre as far as the Ebro, as he had won it from his nephew Don Sancho Garcia, King of Navarre.
To Don Alfonso he gave the kingdom of Leon, and in Asturias as far as the river Deva, which runs by Oviedo, and part of Campos as far as Carrion and the river Pisuerga, with the border, which contained the dioceses of Zamora, Salamanca, and Ciudad Rodrigo, and the city of Astorga, and other lands in Galicia, with the town of Zebreros.
And he made himself be carried to Leon, and there on his knees before the bodies of the saints he besought mercy of them.
So they carried him to Leon and buried him near his father, in the Church of St. Isidro, which he had built.
When King Don Sancho heard this, being a man of great heart, he made answer, that he was the head of the kingdoms of Castille and Leon, and all the conquests in Spain were his, for the Kings of Aragon had no conquests appertaining unto them, being by right his tributaries, and bound to appear at his Cortes.
And upon this matter they fixed another day to meet; and then forty knights were named, twenty for Castille and twenty for Leon, as vouchers that this which they covenanted should be faithfully fulfilled on both sides.
Then King Don Sancho gathered together a great host, Castillians and Leonese, and they of Navarre and Biscay, Asturians, and men of Aragon and of the border.
And Don Garcia took with him three hundred horsemen, and went to the Moors, and besought them to lend him aid against his brother, saying that he would give them the kingdom of Leon.
And the Moors made answer, O King, thou canst not defend thyself; how then canst thou give unto us the kingdom of Leon? Howbeit they did him honour and gave him great gifts, and he returned to his people and recovered many of the castles which he had lost.
When King Don Sancho had done this he took unto himself the kingdom of Galicia and of Portugal, and without delay sent to his brother King Don Alfonso, commanding him to yield up to him the kingdom of Leon, for it was his by right.
At this was the King of Leon troubled at heart; howbeit he answered that he would not yield up his kingdom, but do his utmost to defend it.
Then King Don Sancho entered Leon, slaying and laying waste before him, as an army of infidels would have done; and King Don Alfonso sent to him to bid him cease from this, for it was inhuman work to kill and plunder the innocent: and he defied him to a pitched battle, saying that to whichsoever God should give the victory, to him also would he give the kingdom of Leon: and the King of Castille accepted the defiance, and a day was fixed for the battle, and the place was to be Lantada, which is near unto Carrion.
Nevertheless the power of King Don Alfonso was not yet destroyed, and he would not yield up his kingdom: and he sent to his brother a second time to bid him battle, saying that whosoever conquered should then certainly remain King of Leon; and the place appointed was at Vulpegera, beside the river Carrion.
And the two armies met and joined battle, and they of Leon had the victory, for my Cid was not in the field.
The Leonese and Galegos are with the King your brother, secure as they think themselves in their lodging, and taking no thought of you; for it is their custom to extol themselves when their fortune is fair, and to mock at others, and in this boastfulness will they spend the night, so that we shall find them sleeping at break of day, and will fall upon them.
The Leonese lodged themselves in Vulpegera, taking no thought of their enemies, and setting no watch; and Ruydiez arose betimes in the morning and fell upon them, and subdued them before they could take their arms.
Now the knights of Leon gathered together in their flight, and when they could not find their King they were greatly ashamed, and they turned back and smote the Castillians; and as it befell, they encountered King Don Sancho and took him prisoner, not having those in his company whom he should have had, for his people considered the victory as their own, and all was in confusion.
When Dona Urraca knew that her brother King Don Alfonso had fled to Toledo, she sent to him three good men of the kingdom of Leon, that they should be his counsellors, for she loved him well.
But when King Don Sancho heard how his brother had fled from the Monastery, he drew out his host and went against the city of Leon.
leon.htm">The Leonese would fain have maintained the city against him, but they could not, and he took the city of Leon, and all the towns and castles which had been under the dominion of his brother King Don Alfonso.
leon.htm">The Leonese would fain have maintained the city against him, but they could not, and he took the city of Leon, and all the towns and castles which had been under the dominion of his brother King Don Alfonso.
And the King perceived that they spake rightly, and he called for Don Diego Ordonez, the son of Count Don Bermudo, who was the son of the Infante Don Ordonez of Leon, and bade him follow the Cid, and beseech him in his name to return; and whatever covenant he should make it should be confirmed unto him; and of this he ordered his letters of credence to be made out.
And when the Leonese and the Gallegos knew that their Lord King Don Alfonso was come, they were full joyful, and they came to Zamora and received him for their Lord and King.
After this was the King Don Alfonso crowned King of Castille, Leon, Galicia, and Portugal; and he called himself King and Emperor of all Spain, even as his father had done before him.
The tidings of this great enterprise spread far and wide, and adventurers came from all parts to be present, not only they of Castille and Leon, Asturias and Nagera, Galicia and Portugal, but King Sancho Ramirez of Aragon came also, with the flower of Aragon and Navarre and Catalonia, and Franks and Germans and Italians, and men of other countries, to bear their part in so great and catholic a war.
Nothing more, owing to their default, can we say of this so notable a siege, than that when Don Cabrian, the Bishop of Leon, was earnestly engaged in prayer for the success of the Christian arms, the glorious St. Isidro appeared unto him, and certified that in fifteen days the city should be surrendered; and even so it came to pass, for the gates were opened to the King on Thursday the twenty-fifth of May, in the year of the aera 1123, which is the year of Christ 1085.
And King Don Alfonso said, Thanks be to God and to Sir Saint Isidro of Leon, these horses may do me good service; and he gave three of them to Minaya, and Pero Bermudez, and bade them chuse, and he ordered food and clothing to be given them while they remained, and said that he would give them compleat armour when they returned, such as was fit for them to appear in before my Cid.
Glad were the Infantes of Carrion, and richly did they bedight themselves; some things they paid for, and some they went in debt for: great was their company, and with the King there were many Leonese and Galegos, and Castillians out of number.
Go when ye will, and I will give unto you such gifts that it shall be known in Galicia and in Castille and in Leon, with what riches I have sent my sons-in-law home.
King Don Alfonso made no delay, but sent out his letters through Leon and Santiago, to the Portugueze and the Galicians, and they of Carrion, and the Castillians, that he would hold a Cortes in Toledo at the end of seven weeks, and that they who did not appear should no longer be accounted his vassals.
Then those Counts who were appointed Alcaldes were sworn upon the Holy Gospels, that they would judge between the Cid and the Infantes of Carrion, rightly and truly, according to the law of Castille and Leon.
And he sent for the ivory chair which had been carried to the Cortes of Toledo, and gave order that it should be placed on the right of the altar of St. Peter; and he laid a cloth of gold upon it, and upon that placed a cushion covered with a right noble tartari, and he ordered a graven tabernacle to be made over the chair, richly wrought with azure and gold, having thereon the blazonry of the Kings of Castille and Leon, and the King of Navarre, and the Infante of Aragon, and of the Cid Ruydiez the Campeador.