Fernando Ansúrez II facts for kids
Fernando Ansúrez II (died in 978) was a very powerful nobleman in the Kingdom of León. He was the Count of Monzón, Peñafiel, and Campos starting in 950.
Fernando was the oldest son of Ansur Fernández. He was named after his grandfather, Fernando Ansúrez I. His sister, Teresa, became the queen of Sancho I. Later, she ruled for her son, Ramiro III, when he was young.
When Fernando first appeared in records in 943, he had six brothers. Their names were Oveco, Gonzalo, Osorio, Muño, Gutier, and Nuño. By 951, when he became Count of Monzón, only two brothers, Gonzalo and Muño, were still alive. They were also counts alongside him. The first time Fernando was called "count" was on June 17, 950. He signed a document as Fredinandus Assurez comes. Fernando likely took over from his father with the king's approval. There are no records about the county of Monzón between 947 and 950.
Talking with the Caliphate
On August 12, 971, the Caliph of Córdoba, al-Hakam II, met with six different Christian groups. This happened at his palace in al-Zahra. The second to last group was led by Jimeno and his friend Elgas. They were sent by Fernando Ansúrez.
Later, on June 24, 974, al-Hakam met with four more Christian groups in one day. The first group came from Borrell Súñer, the Count of Barcelona. They wanted to promise their loyalty again and renew an old peace agreement. The second group was from Emperor Otto II, who was called "king of the Franks." His ambassador wanted to make sure their friendship continued.
The third group was from Castile. They wanted to extend a peace treaty that was ending soon. The last group of the day came from Fernando Ansúrez. They also wanted to keep the peace. All these groups were welcomed kindly.
Fernando also sent groups to Córdoba in October 971. On September 23, 973, al-Hakam met with people from the Kingdom of Navarre, Fernando Ansúrez, the Beni Gómez family, and Rodrigo Velázquez. The Caliph gave them gifts. In return, he received updates from those who sent them.
Fernando's Death and Who Ruled Next
On August 25, 976, Fernando gave some villages to the monastery of Sahagún. These villages were Tello Barba, Coresce, Sarracino, and Gallegos. In this document, he proudly said that his father had always been loyal to King Ramiro II. He also said his father fought bravely in many battles.
When Fernando died, he had no living sons. So, his sister Teresa and her son, Ramiro III, took over. A record from that time says: "this count Fernando Ansúrez died; his sister Lady Teresa came and king Ramiro, who was in León, came to Monzón." This record is kept at the abbey of Husillos. Teresa and her son gave the villages of San Julián and Abandella to this abbey. They did this for Fernando's soul.
Because Fernando had no children, his wife, Toda, was allowed to rule Dueñas. This town was in the county of Monzón. In 980, she was called "the countess Doña Toda judging in the city of Dueñas."
A document from Husillos, written during the rule of Sancho García of Castile, says he "came after" Fernando Ansúrez. However, two other counts ruled between Fernando and Sancho García. These were Ramiro III and García Fernández.
See also
In Spanish: Fernando Ansúrez II para niños
