Fernán González of Castile facts for kids

Fernán González (died 970) was a very important leader in early Spain. He was the first independent count of Castile. Fernán González was a famous and legendary figure in the Iberian Peninsula, which is where Spain and Portugal are today. He started a powerful family that would rule Castile, helping it become an independent kingdom later on. In the year 930, Fernán was first mentioned as a count in the eastern Kingdom of León.

Fernán's Early Life and Family

Fernán was the son of Gonzalo Fernández, who was a count himself. His mother, Muniadona, was so well-known that later leaders from Castile were sometimes called "descendants of Muniadona" by Muslim scholars.

Fernán González grew up in the castle of Lara. His father had started to bring together the different small areas, or counties, of Old Castile. These areas had been split up after the death of a previous count, Diego Rodríguez Porcelos, in 885.

Fernán became the count of Castile and Burgos before the year 931. In the same year, another count named Álvaro Herraméliz died. Fernán took over his areas too, bringing many parts of Castile back together. He also married Álvaro's widow, Sancha Sánchez. She was the sister of King García Sánchez I of Pamplona. This marriage helped Fernán connect with powerful families across the Christian kingdoms in the north.

Fernán's Rise to Power

Fernán brought together a strong army from different counties like Burgos, Asturias, Santillana, Lantaron, Álava, Castile, and Lara. He became very famous for his military skills.

He showed his strength in the Battle of Simancas in 939. After this, he also fought at Sepulveda, where he took control of the region from the Moors (Muslims) and helped people move there to live. As Fernán's power grew, he became more independent from the Kingdom of León.

Conflicts and Alliances

After fighting alongside King Ramiro II of León against the Arabs, Fernán was unhappy with how the king divided his troops. So, Fernán rebelled against King Ramiro II. In 944, Fernán lost his title as count of Castile. The king gave it to his own son, Sancho.

Fernán was defeated and held prisoner for three years. He eventually made peace with the king. To seal this peace, Fernán gave his daughter, Urraca, in marriage to the king's son, Ordoño. Ordoño later became King Ordoño III.

When King Ramiro II died in 951, the Kingdom of León faced problems about who would be the next king. Fernán used this situation to his advantage. At first, he supported Sancho against his older half-brother, Ordoño III, who was Fernán's son-in-law. When Sancho didn't succeed, Fernán had to accept Ordoño as king.

Ordoño III died soon after, which gave Fernán another chance to gain power. He stopped supporting Sancho I and instead supported Ordoño IV, who was the new husband of Fernán's daughter Urraca.

In 960, Fernán was captured by García Sánchez I of Pamplona. He gained his freedom by giving up some land and promising not to support Ordoño IV anymore. Before 964, he made a new alliance stronger by marrying García's daughter, Urraca. She was the niece of his first wife. Also, Fernán's daughter Urraca, who had divorced Ordoño IV, married García's son, who would become Sancho II of Pamplona.

With the Kingdom of León weaker and in trouble, Fernán slowly made Castile more independent. He was still called a count, but he had much more power and freedom from León.

Death and Legacy

Fernán González died in 970. His son, García Fernández, became the next count. Fernán's widow, Urraca, returned to Pamplona before marrying again.

Fernán was buried in the monastery of San Pedro of Arlanza. His life and achievements are told in a poem called The Poem of Fernán González. This poem was written between 1250 and 1271.

Fernán's Children

With his first wife, Sancha Sánchez of Pamplona, Fernán had these children:

• Gonzalo, who married Fronilde Gómez.
• Sancho.
• Munio.
• García, who took over as count after his father.
• Urraca, who was queen of León twice (married to Ordoño III and Ordoño IV). She then became queen of Pamplona (married to Sancho II).
• Muniadona, who married Gómez Díaz, a count from a powerful family.

Images for kids

• 

  Sepulchre of Fernán González at Covarrubias, Spain. The lid is from the nineteenth century and the casket from the fifth.

See also

In Spanish: Fernán González para niños