Astur-Leonese dynasty Facts for Kids

The Victory Cross, a symbol of the Astur-Leonese dynasty

The Asturian or Astur-Leonese dynasty was a powerful family that ruled the kingdoms of Asturias and León. They were in charge from the year 739 until 1037. This family was also known in Arabic as the "Banī Adhfūnsh," which means "sons of Alfonso."

When this dynasty started, their kingdom was just a small area in the mountains. But over time, they grew much stronger. They became one of the most important powers in Hispania, which is the name for the Iberian Peninsula (modern-day Spain and Portugal).

The very first ruling family of Asturias only lasted for two leaders: Pelagius (718–737) and Fafila (737–739). After Fafila, his brother-in-law, Alfonso I, took over. Alfonso I was the son of Duke Peter of Cantabria and married Fafila's sister, Ermesinda. He started the Astur-Leonese dynasty, which ruled for almost 300 years.

For about the first 100 years, the rulers came from two branches of the family. They were either descendants of Alfonso I or his brother, Fruela of Cantabria. After Alfonso I's grandson, Alfonso II, died in 842, Fruela's family branch took the throne for good. Ramiro I was the first king from this line.

A Kingdom Divided
Family History and Legends
Family tree
See also

A Kingdom Divided

When Alfonso III died in 910, his kingdom was split among his sons. This led to a century (the 900s) filled with arguments and fights within the royal family. These family disputes finally ended when Bermudo II became king in 984.

During this time, a neighboring kingdom, Pamplona, became very strong. In 1034, the forces from Pamplona even captured León. The Astur-Leonese dynasty came to an end three years later. This happened when Bermudo III was killed in a battle. He was fighting against his brother-in-law, Ferdinand of Castile. Ferdinand was from the Jiménez dynasty of Pamplona. After Bermudo III's death, Ferdinand took over the throne of León.

Family History and Legends

The historians who wrote about the Astur-Leonese dynasty often tried to connect them to older, famous rulers. For example, in the Chronicle of Alfonso III (written in the late 800s), Duke Peter was said to be a descendant of the Visigothic king Reccared I. This was done to show that the dynasty had a long and important history, linking them to the ancient Gothic kings.