© Mark Wade
| Cid's Spain © Mark Wade |
Site of the Royal Benedictine Monastery of the Cid's time (today in ruins), 63 km from Leon. The town retains an atmosphere of antiquity.
The Church of San Tirso shows Moorish elements but was built in the 12th Century. The Roman bridge by the Virgen del Puente shrine would have been known to the Cid.
And the King saw that his counsel was good, and sent his letters to King Don Alfonso beseeching him to meet him at Sahagun.
And the two kings met in Sahagun.
And they -spake with the Cid, and besought him that he would join with them and intercede with the King that he should release his brother from prison, and let him become a Monk at Sahagun.
And she besought him that he would let their brother Don Alfonso take the habit of St. Benedict, in the royal Monastery of Sahagun, and my Cid, and Count Peransures and the other chief persons who were there present, besought him in like manner.
And he released King Don Alfonso from prison, and Don Alfonso became a Monk in the Monastery at Sahagun, more by force than of free will.
And being in the Monastery he spake with Don Peransures, and took counsel with him, and fled away by night from the Monks, and went among the Moors to King Alimaymon of Toledo.
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.
And it came to pass as they had feared, for King Don Sancho knew that his sisters greatly loved Don Alfonso, and he thought that by their counsel he had fled from the Monastery, especially by Dona Urraca's, because Don Alfonso guided himself in all things by her counsel, holding her in place of a mother, for she was a lady of great understanding.
And he sent his letters through all the land, calling upon his vassals to assemble together upon the first day of March in Sahagun, upon pain of forfeiting his favour.
And they assembled together in Sahagun on the day appointed; and when the King heard in what readiness they were, it gladdened him, and he lifted up his hands to God and said, Blessed be thy name, O Lord, because thou hast given me all the kingdoms of my father.
And the day in which they left Burgos they took up their lodging at Fromesta; and the next day they came to Carrion, but the King would not lodge there, and he went on to Sahagun, where the army awaited him, and took up his lodging without the town; and on the following morning he bade the host advance, and they made such speed that in three days they arrived before Zamora, and pitched their tents upon the banks of the Douro; and he ordered proclamation to be made throughout the host that no harm should be done until he had commanded it.