Gómez González de Manzanedo facts for kids

Gómez González de Manzanedo was an important nobleman from the Kingdom of Castile. He lived in the 1100s. He was known for governing cities and defending the border with the Kingdom of Navarre. He also spent time serving in the neighboring Kingdom of León.

Family Life

Gómez's father was named Gonzalo. We don't know much more about his parents. Some people thought he was the son of Gonzalo Ruiz, but that's unlikely. He might have been the son of Gonzalo Gómez.

Before May 1162, Gómez married a woman named Amilia Pérez. Her parents were Pedro González de Lara and Eva. Amilia was still alive just months before Gómez passed away.

Gómez and Amilia had several children. Their names were Diego, Elvira, Gil, Gonzalo, Inés, Juan, Manrique, and Jimena. Jimena later married Pedro Fernández de Castro.

Early Career and Important Jobs

Gómez is first mentioned in a document from 1148. This was during the time of King Alfonso VII.

In 1155, he was given the tenencia of Paredes to govern. A tenencia was like a territory or castle that a nobleman was in charge of.

Between June 1155 and August 1156, Gómez worked for Sancho III. Sancho was then ruling part of Castile from Nájera. Gómez served as his alférez. This was a military role, often given to younger noblemen.

By March 1157, Gómez was promoted. He became the majordomo. This was a very important job, like a chief minister for the king.

After King Alfonso VII died in August 1157, Sancho became the king of all Castile. He appointed Gómez to govern Liébana in northwestern Castile. Gómez held this position until 1170.

In March 1158, he was also appointed to govern Calahorra. This was an important city in eastern Castile. He held Calahorra until at least 1171.

In July 1158, he lost the majordomo job. He was appointed alférez again. That fall, he helped defend Calahorra from attacks by Sancho VI of Navarre.

Serving Different Kings

After King Sancho III died in August 1158, Gómez's location became a bit unclear. He governed Pernía in Castile between 1162 and 1164.

After that, a nobleman named Gómez González, also called "the Castilian," started working for Ferdinand II of León. This Gómez served as majordomo for Ferdinand from October 1164 to July 1165. It's likely this was the same Gómez who had worked for King Sancho. However, another Gómez González was also at the court of Alfonso VIII of Castile during this time.

By October 1165, Gómez had returned to Castile. He was given the tenencias of Baró and Cereceda. He kept Cereceda until 1169.

In 1168, he was given more tenencias. These included Abba Alua (we don't know where this was), Villafranca, and Campo. He held Campo until 1172. That year, he also made a donation to the Knights Hospitaller.

Becoming a Count

By December 28, 1169, Gómez had reached the rank of count. This was the highest rank a nobleman could achieve in the Kingdom of Castile.

In 1172, he was governing the Asturias de Santillana. This was the eastern part of the Asturias region. He also governed Cervera, Mudá, and Piedras Negras.

In April 1173, King Alfonso VIII appointed Gómez as his majordomo. But at that time, Gómez seemed to be in Galicia. There, between March and November of that year, he was governing Monforte de Lemos and Monterroso.

He appears to have returned to León in August 1180. He stayed there until March 1181. He is last mentioned in a Castilian document from September 9, 1181. This was over a year before he passed away. A document from 1184 mentions a donation Gómez made to San Salvador de Oña.

Gómez González de Manzanedo passed away on October 12, 1182.

See also

In Spanish: Gómez González de Manzanedo para niños