Alfonso VIII of Castile facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Alfonso VIII |
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Miniature of Alfonso VIII
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| King of Castile and Toledo | |
| Reign | 31 August 1158 – 5 October 1214 |
| Predecessor | Sancho III |
| Successor | Henry I |
| Born | 11 November 1155 Soria |
| Died | 5 October 1214 (aged 58) Gutierre-Muñoz |
| Burial | Abbey of Santa María la Real de Las Huelgas |
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| Issue among others... |
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| House | Castilian House of Ivrea |
| Father | Sancho III of Castile |
| Mother | Blanche of Navarre |
Alfonso VIII (born 11 November 1155, died 5 October 1214) was a powerful king of Castile and Toledo. He was known as the Noble (El Noble) or the one of Las Navas (el de las Navas). He became king in 1158 and ruled until his death.
Alfonso VIII is famous for leading Christian armies against the Almohads, a Muslim group, in the Iberian peninsula. After a big defeat at the Battle of Alarcos in 1195, he gathered a strong alliance of Christian leaders. This alliance won a huge victory at the Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa in 1212. This battle was a major turning point, helping Christian kingdoms gain more power in Spain.
His time as king also saw Castile become more dominant over the neighboring León. By working with the Aragon, he brought these Christian kingdoms closer together.
Contents
Becoming King: A Young Ruler's Challenges
Alfonso was born in Soria on 11 November 1155. His parents were Sancho III of Castile and Blanche. He was named after his grandfather, Alfonso VII of León and Castile, who had divided his kingdoms. This division caused some family conflicts until Alfonso VIII's grandson, Ferdinand III of Castile, later reunited them.
A King at Two Years Old
Alfonso became king in 1158 when he was only two years old. Because he was so young, powerful nobles in Castile started fighting for control. This period, called a "regency," meant others ruled in his place. Two important noble families, the Lara and Castro, both wanted to be in charge.
Saved by Loyalty
During this time of conflict, a loyal squire (a knight's assistant) saved young Alfonso. He carried the king on his saddle to a safe castle in San Esteban de Gormaz. This kept Alfonso from falling into the hands of the fighting noble groups.
Taking Back Control
Alfonso was placed in the care of the loyal town of Ávila. When he was about fifteen, he began to take back control of his kingdom. He even managed to surprise the Lara family and recover his capital city, Toledo.
Alliances and Royal Marriages
During the time Alfonso was a child, his uncle, Sancho VI of Navarre, took advantage of the chaos. He seized lands along the border, including parts of La Rioja.
Marriage to Eleanor of England
In 1170, Alfonso sent a message to Henry II of England and Eleanor of Aquitaine. He wanted to marry their daughter, Eleanor. This marriage was very important because it gave Alfonso a strong ally against his uncle and other rivals. In 1176, Alfonso even asked his father-in-law, Henry II, to help settle disputes over border lands.
Relations with León
Alfonso's relationship with his cousin, Alfonso IX of León, was often complicated. They had conflicts, but also made agreements. In 1188, Alfonso VIII held a special meeting where he recognized Alfonso IX as the King of León. In return, the King of León agreed that the King of Castile was his overlord.
Later, after Castile's defeat at the Battle of Alarcos, Alfonso IX of León attacked his cousin. However, peace was eventually made when Alfonso VIII's daughter, Berengaria, married Alfonso IX in 1197. Even after their marriage was later ended by the Pope, new treaties helped keep the peace between the two kingdoms.
The Reconquista: Fighting for Land
Alfonso VIII played a very important role in the Reconquista. This was the long period when Christian kingdoms in Spain worked to take back land from Muslim rule.
Building Strongholds
In 1174, Alfonso gave the town of Uclés to the Order of Santiago, a military-religious group. This became their main base. From Uclés, Alfonso began a campaign that led to the recapture of Cuenca in 1177. The city surrendered on 21 September, a day still celebrated there.
Uniting Christian Kingdoms
Alfonso took the lead in trying to unite all the Christian kingdoms of the Iberian Peninsula. These included Navarre, León, Portugal, and Aragon. They aimed to fight together against the Almohads. The Treaty of Cazola in 1179 helped define which areas each kingdom would expand into.
The Battle of Alarcos
In 1195, a peace treaty with the Almohads was broken. Alfonso went to defend Alarcos, an important Castilian town. However, at the Battle of Alarcos, his army suffered a big defeat by the Almohad leader, Abu Yusuf Yaqub al-Mansur. The Almohads quickly took back surrounding areas, including Calatrava. For the next seventeen years, the border between Christian and Muslim lands was set near Toledo.
Finally, in 1212, with help from Pope Innocent III, a major crusade (a religious war) was called against the Almohads. Soldiers from Castile (led by Alfonso), Aragon (led by Peter II), Navarre (led by Sancho VII), and even some from France joined the effort. Military orders also helped.
They first captured Calatrava, then Alarcos, and finally Benavente. The big final battle happened at Las Navas de Tolosa on 16 July. The Almohad leader, Muhammad al-Nasir, was defeated. This battle broke the power of the Almohads and was a huge victory for the Christian kingdoms.
Cultural Achievements
Alfonso VIII also cared about education and culture. He founded the first Spanish university, called a studium generale, in Palencia. However, this university did not continue after his death.
His royal court was also a place where Spanish culture thrived. Alfonso and his wife Eleanor were among the first to use the Alcázar of Segovia as their home.
Alfonso died in Gutierre-Muñoz in 1214. His son, Henry I, became the next king.
Children
Alfonso VIII and Eleanor of England had 11 children:
| Name | Birth | Death | Notes |
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| Berengaria | Burgos, 1 January/ June 1180 |
Las Huelgas near Burgos, 8 November 1246 |
She was briefly married to Duke Conrad II of Swabia. Later, she married King Alfonso IX of León. After her brother Henry I died, she became Queen of Castile but quickly gave the throne to her son, Ferdinand III of Castile. Ferdinand later reunited the kingdoms of Castile and León. |
| Sancho | Burgos, 5 April 1181 |
26 July 1181 | He was the heir to the throne but died when he was only three months old. |
| Sancha | 20/28 March 1182 | 3 February 1184/ 16 October 1185 |
Died as a baby. |
| Henry | 1184 | 1184? | He was also an heir but died very young. Some records dispute his existence. |
| Urraca | 1186/ 28 May 1187 |
Coimbra, 3 November 1220 |
She became the Queen of Afonso II of Portugal. |
| Blanche | Palencia, 4 March 1188 |
Paris, 27 November 1252 |
She married Louis VIII of France and became Queen of France. |
| Ferdinand | Cuenca, 29 September 1189 |
Madrid, 14 October 1211 |
He was the heir to the throne. He died from a fever after a military campaign. |
| Mafalda | Plasencia, 1191 |
Salamanca, 1204 |
She was promised in marriage to Infante Ferdinand of Leon, who was the eldest son of Alfonso IX. |
| Eleanor | 1200 | Las Huelgas, 1244 |
She married James I of Aragon. |
| Constance | c. 1202 | Las Huelgas, 1243 |
She became a nun at the Santa María la Real monastery at Las Huelgas. |
| Henry | Valladolid, 14 April 1204 |
Palencia, 6 June 1217 |
He was the only surviving son and became king after his father died. He was only ten years old. He died when a tile fell from a roof and hit him. |
Through his daughters, Berengaria and Blanche, Alfonso was the grandfather of two monarchs who later became saints in the Roman Catholic Church.
Images for kids
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Miniature detail of Alfonso VIII in the Tumbo menor de Castilla
See also
In Spanish: Alfonso VIII de Castilla para niños
