© Mark Wade
| Burgo de Osma © Mark Wade |
Osma was part of a line of watchtowers and minor fortifications. In the Cid's time it had been under a Christian lord since 1011.
Osma was already an important town in Roman times, when it was known as Uxama-Argelae, and known to Pliny, Ptolomey, and Antoninus. It reached its peak in the second century AD, when an aqueduct was built that provided water from a distance of 20 km north. It remained inhabited through Visigothic and Moorish times, when a watchtower was built on Roman foundations as part of an observation chain in the area. The city was first reconquered in 912 by Garcia, King de Leon. Although the castle above the city probably had Muslim origins, it is believed to have been substantially rebuilt in the tenth century by Count Gonzalo Tallez. Like other towns in the area, it changed hands several times over the next century before being given by Sulayman to Count Sancho Garcia in 1011 in recognition of his assistance in the wars surrounding the disintegration of the Muslim civil wars. In 1088 Alfonso brought it under his direct control. Latitude: 41.58468. Longitude: -3.07846.
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.
And there went fifty with Martin Garcia and Martin Salvadorez, and fifty with Pero Gonzalvez and Martin Munoz, and Diego Sanchez of Arlanza went with fifty, and Don Nuno, he who colonized Cubiella, and Alvar Bermudez he who colonized Osma, went with forty, and Gonzalo Munoz of Orbaneja, and Muno Ravia, and Yvanez Cornejo with sixty, and Muno Fernandez the Lord of Monteforte, and Gomez Fernandez he who colonized Pampliego with sixty; and Don Garcia de Roa and Serrazin his brother, Lord of Aza, with ninety; and Antolin Sanchez of Soria took with him forty knights who were his children or his kin:...nine hundred knights were they in all.
And they moved on from Salvacanete and came to Osma, and then Alvar Fanez asked of Dona Ximena if they should not put the body of the Cid into a Coffin covered with purple and with nails of gold; but she would not, for she said that while his countenance remained so fresh and comely, and his eyes so fair, his body should never be placed in a coffin, and that her children should see the face of their father; and they thought that she said well, so the body was left as it was.
But when they came within half a league of Osma, they saw the banner of the Cid coming on, and all his company full featly apparelled.
And then they turned back to Osma, and great was the multitude whom they found there assembled from all parts to see the Cid, having heard in what manner he was brought, for they held it to be a strange thing; and in truth it was, for in no history do we find that with the body of a dead man hath there been done a thing so noble and strange as this.
Then they moved on from Osma, and came to Santesteban de Gormaz.