kids encyclopedia robot

Álvaro de Zúñiga y Guzmán facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
Quick facts for kids
Álvaro de Zúñiga y Guzmán
 
Ducado de Béjar (Casa de Zúñiga).svg
Coat of arms of the Duchy of Béjar
Reign  Kingdom of Castile
Born 1410
 Spain, Encinas de Esgueva
Died 10 June 1488(1488-06-10) (aged 78)
Béjar
Spouse
  • Leonor Manrique de Lara y Castilla
  • Leonor Pimentel y Zúñiga
Father Pedro de Zúñiga y Leiva
Mother Isabel Elvira de Guzmán y Ayala

Álvaro de Zúñiga y Guzmán (born in Encinas de Esgueva in 1410 – died in Béjar on 10 June 1488) was a very powerful nobleman from Castile, a region in what is now Spain. He belonged to the important House of Zúñiga family.

Álvaro was involved in many major political and military events of his time. He played a big role in the conflicts between the nobles and those who wanted to be king or queen. These fights eventually led to the War of the Castilian Succession. At first, he was against the future Catholic Monarchs, Isabella and Ferdinand, but he later supported them.

When he was young, Álvaro worked for King John II of Castile. He even fought alongside his father against Álvaro de Luna, who was a powerful advisor to King John. After his father passed away in 1453, Álvaro became the 2nd Count of Plasencia. He also became the leader of a group of nobles called the Liga Nobiliaria.

He first supported King Henry IV. However, he later disagreed with the king. Álvaro did not believe that Henry's daughter, Joanna la Beltraneja, should be the next queen. Instead, he supported Henry's half-brother, Alfonso, Prince of Asturias, to take the throne.

Álvaro de Zúñiga became the main leader of the Liga Nobiliaria. This group wanted Alfonso to be king. Alfonso even stayed at Álvaro's palace in Plasencia, which became like a royal court. Álvaro was a key person in an event called the Farce of Ávila on June 5, 1465. During this event, they pretended to remove Henry IV from the throne and declared Alfonso as king. This act started the War of the Castilian Succession.

Later, in 1467, Álvaro de Zúñiga made peace with King Henry IV. He also became friends with the Portuguese King Afonso V. King Afonso V came to Plasencia in May 1475 and married Joanna, who had been declared queen of Castile the year before.

After the Portuguese king lost to the armies of the Catholic Monarchs at the Battle of Toro in March 1476, Álvaro de Zúñiga decided to stay neutral in the civil war. The Catholic Monarchs eventually recognized most of Álvaro's titles and lands. They even gave him more special rights later on.

Biography

Family and Marriages

Álvaro de Zúñiga was the son of Pedro de Zúñiga y Leiva and Isabel Elvira de Guzmán y Ayala. His father was a chief judge and chief bailiff of Castile. His mother was the Lady of Gibraleón.

In 1429, Álvaro married Leonor Manrique de Lara y Castilla. Their parents arranged this marriage to bring their two powerful families together. Álvaro and Leonor had nine children:

  • Pedro (1430-1484), who became the 2nd Count of Bañares.
  • Diego, who became a Prior in the Order of Santiago.
  • Álvaro, who became a Prior in the Order of Malta.
  • Iñigo, who died very young.
  • Francisco, who became the Lord of Mirabel.
  • Fadrique, who became the Bishop of Osma.
  • Leonor, who married Juan de Luna y Pimentel.
  • Elvira (born around 1430), who married Alonso de Sotomayor y Guzmán.
  • Joan, who became an Abbess in a monastery.

After his first wife passed away, Álvaro married his niece, Leonor Pimentel y Zúñiga, in 1458. He was 49 and she was 16. He needed special permission from Pope Pius II and King Henry IV because they were related. From his second marriage, he had four more children:

  • Juan de Zúñiga y Pimentel, who became the Master of the Order of Alcántara and later an archbishop.
  • Fernando, who became a Prior.
  • Maria (born around 1465), who married her nephew Álvaro II de Zúñiga y Guzmán.
  • Isabel (1470-1520), who married Faldrique Álvarez de Toledo.

Leonor Pimentel died in Béjar in 1486.

Working for King John II

As a young boy, Álvaro de Zúñiga y Guzmán was a page for John II of Castile. He helped his father fight against Álvaro de Luna, who was a very powerful advisor to King John. Álvaro de Luna had a lot of influence over the king.

In 1430, King John named Álvaro the chief bailiff of Castile. In 1433, Álvaro and his father joined forces with other nobles to help King John gain more freedom from his advisors. In 1437, Álvaro de Luna ordered the arrest of Pedro Manrique de Lara, a friend of Álvaro de Zúñiga. But Álvaro de Zúñiga helped Pedro escape.

Álvaro de Luna also caused problems between the Zúñiga family and another powerful family, the Álvarez de Toledo. This led to a long fight for control of the city of Salamanca. The Zúñiga family also wanted to control the region of Extremadura.

Álvaro, his father, and other nobles formed a group to rebel against Álvaro de Luna. They wanted to free King John II from Luna's control. In 1450, Álvaro's father gave him the title of chief magistrate of Seville.

In 1453, King John II, encouraged by the queen, decided to get rid of Álvaro de Luna. Pedro de Zúñiga, Álvaro's father, sent his troops to Curiel de Duero. Álvaro de Luna tried to take control of Béjar, where Pedro had fortified himself, but he failed. Álvaro de Luna then had one of his loyal men murdered.

King John II called Álvaro de Zúñiga to Burgos. On April 4, Álvaro de Zúñiga and his soldiers entered Burgos castle. King John II, after much thought, ordered Álvaro to arrest Álvaro de Luna. If Luna resisted, he was to be killed. Álvaro de Luna was arrested and imprisoned. After a trial, he was beheaded in Valladolid on June 3, 1453. The Zúñiga family then became very close to King John II.

When his father died in July 1453, Álvaro de Zúñiga became the 2nd Count of Plasencia. He also took over as the leader of the Liga Nobiliaria and inherited the titles of chief judge and chief bailiff of Castile.

Working for King Henry IV

King John II died in 1454. His son, Henry, became King Henry IV. At first, Henry IV got along well with the nobles. His main advisor was Juan Pacheco, the Marquis of Vilhena.

Henry IV decided to continue the war against Granada to keep the nobles busy. Álvaro de Zúñiga and his troops from Plasencia joined these battles. In 1457, the Marquis of Vilhena made agreements that weakened the Liga Nobiliaria. However, Álvaro de Zúñiga and other important nobles were given positions in the new government.

Álvaro de Zúñiga, the Count of Plasencia, had good relations with King Henry IV and the Marquis of Vilhena between 1458 and 1464. After his first wife died, Álvaro wanted to marry his niece, Leonor Pimentel y Zúñiga. Even though they were related and there was a big age difference, Pope Pius II and King Henry IV allowed the marriage.

The Nobles' League

Important nobles, including the Count of Plasencia, met and formed a league. They wanted to make Alfonso, Prince of Asturias, Henry's half-brother, the next king. King John II of Navarre also joined this league. In return for his help, Prince Alfonso gave Álvaro de Zúñiga the towns of Trujillo and Cáceres in 1460. The league wanted to protect the nobles' rights and make Alfonso the heir to the throne.

In 1462, Queen Joan gave birth to a daughter named Joanna. She was later called "la Beltraneja." King Henry IV declared Joanna his heir because he had no sons. Beltrán de La Cueva became a close advisor to the king. Álvaro de Zúñiga and other nobles helped conquer Gibraltar in 1462.

Conflict with the Crown

In 1464, King Henry IV met with the King of Portugal, Afonso V. They agreed that Henry's half-sister, Isabella, should marry the Portuguese king.

The Liga Nobiliaria, which included Álvaro de Zúñiga, formed again in May 1464. They promised to support Prince Alfonso and prevent Isabella from marrying without their permission. King Henry responded by giving Beltrán de La Cueva an important title. The Marquis of Vilhena sent troops to arrest the Archbishop of Seville, who sought safety in Álvaro de Zúñiga's castle in Béjar. This made the Zúñiga family openly rebel against the king. Álvaro de Zúñiga moved his troops to help the archbishop.

The nobles' league tried to stop Beltrán de La Cueva from getting his new title, but the Pope allowed it. The nobles then planned to capture King Henry near Segovia, but their plan failed.

The Marquis of Vilhena held a big meeting in Burgos in September 1464. Álvaro de Zúñiga attended. The meeting demanded that Beltrán de la Cueva be removed. They also said that Joanna was not Henry's daughter and that Prince Alfonso should be recognized as the next king. Henry IV agreed to recognize Alfonso as his successor if Alfonso married Joanna. Beltrán de La Cueva gave up his title for Alfonso.

At a meeting in December 1464, Prince Alfonso, who was 14 years old, was sworn in as the successor by the nobles. A group was formed to make reforms. This group created a list of 39 demands, which included sending Beltrán de La Cueva away. The nobles were also given more rights, like protection from arrest without permission from a special group. However, King Henry IV canceled this agreement in February 1465. He also forbade anyone from recognizing Alfonso as his heir.

Alfonso XII Becomes King

Álvaro de Zúñiga's palace in Plasencia became the unofficial court for Prince Alfonso. The Marquis of Vilhena also moved to Plasencia, making it the center for the rebels.

King Henry IV sent a message from Salamanca in April 1465, demanding that Prince Alfonso return. The nobles, including Álvaro de Zúñiga, refused. They threatened to stop obeying the king if he did not follow the agreements. Prince Alfonso was then declared King of Castile and León in Valladolid by another noble.

On June 5, 1465, a symbolic event called the Farce of Ávila took place. The nobles gathered outside the walls of Ávila. They put a dummy dressed as King Henry IV on a platform. The nobles then listed his "crimes." The Archbishop of Toledo took off the dummy's crown, Álvaro de Zúñiga took its sword, and another noble knocked it down. Then, Alfonso XII was declared king. Álvaro de Zúñiga took his new king to Valladolid.

At this time, Álvaro de Zúñiga controlled many cities, from Ávila to Cáceres. Álvaro's son, Pedro, sent letters saying that Joanna was not Henry's daughter, but Beltrán de la Cueva's. The city of Seville and the region of Andalusia supported the rebellious nobles. Álvaro de Zúñiga's third son, Álvaro, was given a position in the Order of Saint John of Jerusalem for helping King Alfonso XII. Álvaro de Zúñiga helped make sure that other powerful nobles in Seville swore loyalty to Alfonso XII.

The Civil War (1465-1474)

The civil war became very chaotic. In 1466, some moderate rebel nobles decided to bring back the old league. They arranged a meeting between King Henry IV and Álvaro de Zúñiga in Béjar in May 1467. But the meeting did not happen because the people of Madrid feared for their king and would not let him leave the city.

Álvaro de Zúñiga decided to accept a peace plan and offered his palace as a safe place for the king. Henry IV arrived in Plasencia in December 1467 and stayed with Álvaro de Zúñiga for four months. The king promised to give Álvaro the town of Trujillo. However, Álvaro could not take control of Trujillo because its people resisted. Álvaro's peace with the king caused some division among the nobles.

The civil war in Castile continued until 1474 because the king could not decide who should be his successor. Prince Alfonso, who the rebels had declared king, died in June 1468. In September 1468, the Treaty of the Bulls of Guisando was signed. In this treaty, Henry IV declared his half-sister, Princess Isabella, as his rightful successor. It was agreed that Isabella's marriage needed the king's permission and advice from certain nobles, including Álvaro de Zúñiga.

However, Isabella married Prince Ferdinand of Aragon in October 1469 without the king's permission. King Henry IV then tried to take Trujillo from Álvaro de Zúñiga. Instead, in November 1469, the king gave Álvaro the town and valley of Arévalo. Álvaro de Zúñiga took control of Arévalo and received the title of Duke of Arévalo in December 1469.

Henry IV then declared his daughter Joanna as his rightful successor again in July 1470. Joanna was promised in marriage to the Duke of Guyenne, who was the brother of King Louis XI of France. The Duke of Guyenne promised to support Joanna's claim to the throne, but he died in 1472.

In 1470, Henry IV confirmed Álvaro de Zúñiga's title as Duke of Arévalo. Álvaro de Zúñiga became very influential in Extremadura. He helped his son Juan become the Master of the Order of Alcántara. Another son, Álvaro, became a Prior in the Order of Saint John of Jerusalem.

Álvaro de Zúñiga also attended a meeting between King Henry and King Afonso V of Portugal in 1472. In the summer of 1472, the Liga Nobiliaria, now supporting King Henry, included Álvaro de Zúñiga. Álvaro agreed to recognize his son Juan as Master of the Order of Alcántara. In return, Álvaro gave up his rights over Trujillo.

King Henry IV died in December 1474. He left instructions for his advisors, including Álvaro de Zúñiga, to decide about his daughter Joanna's future. Only Álvaro de Zúñiga and one other advisor recognized Joanna as the successor. Álvaro did so because he had given his word and feared losing Arévalo.

The Zúñiga family owned many strongholds in places like Béjar, Plasencia, and Burgos. One of Álvaro's sons, Álvaro de Zúñiga y Manrique de Lara, supported the Catholic Monarchs. He blamed his stepmother for his father's rebellious actions. In 1472, Pope Sixtus IV made Juan de Zúñiga y Pimentel, then 13 years old, the Master of Alcántara. Álvaro, as Juan's father, became the administrator of the Order of Alcántara while Juan was still young.

War of the Castilian Succession

Princess Isabella, daughter of King John II, was declared queen of Castile and León in Segovia in December 1474. The Duke of Arévalo and the Marquis of Vilhena took Princess Joanna from Madrid to Trujillo. There, Joanna was declared the rightful successor of Henry IV in March 1475. The Portuguese King Afonso V decided to marry Joanna, who was 13 years old, and claimed the crown of Castile for himself. This was a declaration of war against the Catholic Monarchs.

King Afonso V entered Castile with his army in May 1475. He was welcomed in Plasencia by Álvaro de Zúñiga, the Duke of Arévalo and Count of Plasencia, and other nobles. Afonso and Joanna were declared monarchs of Castile and León in Plasencia on May 25, 1475. They married in the same city on May 30. Queen Isabella then ordered that Álvaro de Zúñiga and other nobles who supported Afonso should not be obeyed. On June 10, 1475, Isabella ordered that Álvaro de Zúñiga's possessions be seized because he sided with the King of Portugal.

King Afonso V and his army took Arévalo. He decided to go to Toro instead of Burgos, which Álvaro de Zúñiga had asked for. Álvaro de Zúñiga won a battle with Afonso V's support in September 1475. After this, the Portuguese army returned to Arévalo. In October 1475, the Portuguese king and his army moved to Zamora for the winter. The castle of Burgos, belonging to the Zúñiga family, was under siege for four months. Its commander eventually surrendered to Queen Isabella in January 1476.

Pedro de Zúñiga y Manrique de Lara, Álvaro's oldest son, tried to make peace with the Catholic Monarchs in December 1475. Queen Isabella did not punish the commander of Burgos castle, but she swore that the castle would never return to the Zúñiga family. The Zúñiga family was unhappy with the Portuguese king's lack of support. They decided to stop fighting and remained neutral from January 1476.

Peace with Queen Isabella

On March 1, 1476, the Catholic Monarchs won a big victory against King Afonso V of Portugal at the Battle of Toro. The Portuguese king retreated and left the civil war. After this battle, the entire Zúñiga family recognized the Catholic Monarchs.

Between March and April 1476, Álvaro de Zúñiga negotiated a peace agreement with Queen Isabella. The queen remembered that the Zúñiga family had helped her before. The agreement was signed on April 10 and confirmed by the monarchs on April 13. The main points were:

  • The Zúñiga family would support the Catholic Monarchs in all their lands.
  • The lordship of Arévalo, which belonged to Isabella's mother, would be given to Isabella.
  • The commander of Burgos castle would receive payment for giving up the castle, which would return to the Crown.
  • Juan de Zúñiga y Pimentel, Álvaro's son, was confirmed as Master of the Order of Alcántara.
  • Fernando de Zúñiga y Pimentel, another of Álvaro's sons, received church benefits.
  • The Duke of Arévalo got back all his titles, jobs, and income.
  • The Zúñiga family made peace with other noble families they had fought with.

Álvaro de Zúñiga changed his family name to Zúñiga, from older forms like Stunica.

King Afonso V of Portugal left Toro in May 1476. Queen Isabella stayed in Tordesillas to guard the region. Álvaro's son, Pedro de Zúñiga, fought battles near the border with Portugal. In late 1476, there were fierce fights in Trujillo over who would be the Master of the Order of Alcántara. Álvaro de Zúñiga helped his son Juan and took charge of Trujillo.

The Catholic Monarchs declared the Zúñiga family's main properties could not be sold in 1477. This protected the family's firstborn. On January 1, 1480, the Catholic Monarchs gave Álvaro de Zúñiga y Guzmán the titles of Duke of Plasencia and Count of Bañares. Álvaro de Zúñiga gave up Arévalo on July 25, 1480, as agreed. On December 31, 1480, he was named chief judge of Castile by the Catholic Monarchs. In 1480, the monarchs also agreed to give him back lands in Seville and a fortress. All of Álvaro de Zúñiga's special rights were confirmed in a royal letter in 1481.

Later Years

Queen Isabella gave Álvaro de Zúñiga the title of Duke of Béjar in 1458. The lordship of Béjar had been given to Álvaro's grandfather by King Henry III of Castile in 1396.

The Dukes of Plasencia and Béjar promised to build a Dominican church and convent in Plasencia. They did this to honor Saint Vincent Ferrer, who they believed saved their son Juan's life. Construction began in 1477. The dukes also started the first college in Extremadura to improve education in the region.

Álvaro de Zúñiga y Guzmán died in Béjar on June 10, 1488. In his will, he named his grandson, Álvaro II de Zúñiga y Guzmán, as his successor. The Catholic Monarchs confirmed this. Álvaro II had his grandfather buried in the church of San Vicente Ferrer in Plasencia.

Titles

In 1449, King Henry IV appointed Álvaro de Zúñiga as chief judge and chief bailiff of Castile. These titles were given back to him by Queen Isabella in 1480. Henry IV also declared him the first knight of the Realm in 1464. He was also the chief magistrate of the fortress of Burgos and administrator of the Grand Master of the Order of Alcántara. He was the 2nd count of Plasencia and 1st duke of Arévalo in 1469.

The Catholic Monarchs later took some of these titles away. However, they then granted him new ones: 1st duke of Plasencia (1476), 1st count of Bañares (1485), and 1st duke of Béjar (1485).

Other titles Álvaro de Zúñiga held included: a powerful noble of Castile, lord of Zúñiga, Béjar, Bañares, Mendavia, and, through his mother, marquis and lord of Gibraleón.

Images for kids

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Álvaro de Zúñiga y Guzmán para niños

kids search engine
All content from Kiddle encyclopedia articles (including the article images and facts) can be freely used under Attribution-ShareAlike license, unless stated otherwise. Cite this article:
Álvaro de Zúñiga y Guzmán Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.