Diego Martínez de Villamayor facts for kids

Diego Martínez de Villamayor (died 5 November 1176) was an important noble from the Kingdom of Castile in Spain. He came from a powerful family called the counts of Bureba. Diego was a trusted advisor to kings Alfonso VII and Sancho III. He also managed the money as the treasurer for King Alfonso VIII.

Who Was Diego Martínez?

Diego Martínez de Villamayor was the son of Martín Díaz. His mother was either María García or Jimena Pérez. He inherited land in a place called Benevívere from his mother. Later, he married María Ponce de Minerva, whose parents were Ponce de Minerva and Estefanía Sánchez.

His Life of Faith

After his wife passed away, Diego Martínez decided to live a more religious life. He helped fix up several monasteries, which are places where monks live and pray. These included San Andrés de Valvení, Santiago de la Tola, and Sandoval.

Building Benevívere Abbey

Diego Martínez started building a very important religious center called the Abbey of Santa María de Benevívere in 1169. This abbey followed special religious rules, like those of Saint Augustine, and had a specific way of worship. He also built a hospital next to it, dedicated to San Torcuato, to help people who were sick.

Before 1173, Diego chose Pascual Rustan to be the first leader (called a prior) of the abbey. The church building for the monastery wasn't finished when Diego died. In his will, written on October 22, 1176, he asked his brother, Rodrigo, to finish the work. Rodrigo is sometimes called the "second founder of Benevívere" because of this.

Diego Martínez was buried at the abbey. His tomb has an inscription that says: "Here lies Diego Martínez of venerable memory, builder of the house of Benevívere, patron of the house, whose soul rests in peace." This shows how important he was to the abbey.

The Poem of Benevívere

A long poem called the Poema de Benevívere (Poem of Benevívere) was written in Latin around the late 1200s. It has 758 lines and tells the story of Diego Martínez de Villamayor and his wish to live a holy life. The poem also features King Alfonso VIII of Castile. It explores the differences and connections between religious goals and the goals of everyday life in the kingdom.