Kingdom of Galicia facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Kingdom of Galicia
409–1833
Flag Coat of arms
Motto: Hoc hic misterium fidei firmiter profitemur "Here is the mystery of faith that we strongly profess"
Anthem: Antiga Marcha do Reino de Galicia
The location of the Kingdom of Galicia in the 11th century CE, in red
Capital	Santiago de Compostela1
Common languages	Latin Vulgar Latin Galician-Portuguese Astur-Leonese Castilian A few speakers of Brittonic, Visigothic, Vandalic and Suebic
Religion	Roman Catholicism
Government	Monarchy
Monarch
• 409–438	Hermeric (first)
• 1813–1833	Ferdinand VII (last)
Legislature	Junta
History
• Founded by Hermeric	409
• Dissolved	1833
Preceded by Succeeded by Western Roman Empire Spain County of Portugal Couto Misto

The Kingdom of Galicia (anciently Gallaecia) was a medieval kingdom in Iberia for two distinct periods. In the first period, it was a barbarian state. In this sense it the name for the land ruled by the Suebi, a Teutonic people, in Hispania. Their kingdom corresponded to the Roman province of Gallaecia. In 910, the region of Galicia gained independence. It had this independence off and on for over two centuries until it was finally united to León in the partition of the realm in 1157. It was then united ever thereafter.

The Suebic Kingdom

Arms of the kingdom of Galicia 1750

The Sueve kingdom in Gallaecia lasted from 410 to 584 and seems to have enjoyed relatively stable government for great part of that time. As in most Germanic invasions, the number of the Suebic invaders is estimated to be small, no more than 30,000 people.

In 438 Hermeric, the King of Suevi recognized the peace with the Hispano-Roman local population and, weary of fighting, abdicated in favour of his son Rechila. The invasion of Visigoths in the Iberian Peninsula from 416 sent from the West to fight the Vandals and the Alans resulted into an expansion of the Suebi Kingdom.

In 448 Rechila died, leaving the crown to his son Rechiarius who had converted to Roman Catholicism circa 447. Catholicism had became the official recognised religion, as opposed to the old ways of the pagan Suebi.

In 456 Rechiarius died after being defeated by the Visigoth king Theodoric II, and the Sueve glory began to fade. The Sueve kingdom got cornered to the hostile northwest and political division arose across the river Minius (Miño) with two different kings ruling in both sides of the river.

Despite the Visigoths pressure, the Suebi maintained their nominal independence on the northwest until 584, when the Visigoth King Leovigild, on the pretext of conflict over the succession, put off the Sueve kingdom. Andeca, the last king of the Suebi, held out for a year before surrendering in 585.

Kingdom of Galicia and Portugal

Comercial Company of the Kingdom of Galicia 18th century

The Kingdom of Galicia and Portugal (as it is now known) was formed in 1065 after the County of Portugal declared independence following the death of Ferdinand I of Castile. In 1063, Ferdinand I had divided his kingdom among his sons. Galicia was allotted to García. The Count of Portugal, Nuno II Mendes, took advantage of the internal tension caused by the civil war between Ferdinand's sons to finally break off and declare himself an independent ruler.

However, in 1071, King García defeated and killed him at the Battle of Pedroso and took his territory, adding the title of King of Portugal to his previous ones. In 1072, García himself was defeated by his brother Sancho II of Castile and fled. In that same year, after Sancho's murder Alphonso VI became king of León and Castile thus reuniting his father's realm. From that time Galicia remained part of the kingdom of Castile and León, although under differing degrees of self-government. Although it did not last for very long, the Kingdom set the stage for future Portuguese nationalism under Henry, Count of Portugal.

Leonese Kings of Galicia

At the Battle of São Mamede (1128), Afonso I of Portugal overcame the troops under Count Fernando Peres de Trava of Galicia, making his mother his prisoner and exiling her forever to a monastery in León. Thus the possibility of incorporating Portugal into a kingdom of Galicia was eliminated and Afonso become sole ruler (Dux of Portugal).

Images for kids

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  Arms of the Kingdom of Galicia, illustrated in L´armorial Le Blancq, Bibliothèque nationale de France, 1560

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  Theodemar (or Ariamir), king of Galicia with the bishops Lucrecio, Andrew, and Martin. Codex Vigilanus (or Albeldensis), Escurial library

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  Miro, king of Galicia, and Martin of Braga, from an 1145 manuscript of Martin's Formula Vitae Honestae, now in the Austrian National Library. The book was originally dedicated to King Miro with the header "To King Miro, the most glorious and calm, the pious, distinguished for his Catholic faith"

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  Monastery of San Pedro de Rocas, Galicia, founded in 575 and inhabited until the early 20th century

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  Roman walls of Lugo

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  Political map of southwestern Europe around the year 600, which referred to three different areas under Visigothic government – Hispania, Gallaecia, and Septimania

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  Church of Santa Comba de Bande, built c.7th century, rebuilt in the 9th century after being ruined for more than 200 years

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  Tombstone of the sepulcher of bishop Theodemar of Iria (d. 847), discoverer of the tomb attributed to apostle Saint James the Great

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  Statue of Vímara Peres, conqueror of Porto in 868

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  Modern replicas of Viking ships by the castle of Torres de Oeste, Catoira

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  Romanesque cathedral of San Martiño de Mondoñedo (9th–11th centuries); first construction dates from the 6th–7th centuries

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  Queen Urraca ruled Galicia with her husband, Raymond of Burgundy, until the death of her father Alfonso VI. Medieval portrait, Tumbo A chartulary of the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela

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  Political Map of the northwest Iberian peninsula at the end of the 12th century

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  Pórtico da Gloria, Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela

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  Medieval miniatures of Ferdinand II (left) and Alfonso IX (right), kings of León and Galicia. Chartulary of the monastery of Toxosoutos, Lousame, 13th century

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  Sepulchre of a merchant: Pero Carneiro, son of Pero Afonso da Corredoira, in the church of St. Mary a Nova, Noia

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  One of the oldest legal charters written in Galician, the constitutional charter of the Bo Burgo (Good Burg) of Castro Caldelas. Year 1228.

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  Miniatures from a manuscript of the Cantigas de Santa Maria

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  Sepulchre of the knight Sueiro Gomes de Soutomaior. The inscription, in Galician, reads "[Here] lies Sueiro Gomes de Souto Maior, who died [...]": SUEIRO GOMES DE SOUTO MAIOR Q FALECEU

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  Romance portrait of Castilian King Ferdinand III; flanking him are the canting arms of his kingdoms, the purple lion of León, and the castle of Castile

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  Paio Gómez Chariño's Tomb, Convent of San Francisco, Pontevedra, Galicia

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  Sepulchre of Alvaro Paz Carneiro, church of St. Mary 'A Nova' in Noia, 'who died in the Mortality, August 15, 1348'

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  Battle of Nájera. Galician armies fought with Pedro I and Edward of Woodstock, defeating the Castilian armies of Henry of Trastámara

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  Ferdinand I of Portugal

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  John of Gaunt entering Santiago de Compostela, from a manuscript of Jean Froissart's chronicles

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  John of Gaunt

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  Castle of the House of Andrade, A Nogueirosa, Pontedeume

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  14th century 'Retablo de Belvis'

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  The castle of Pambre, Palas de Rei, which resisted the Irmandiños troops

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  Castle of Soutomaior

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  A Mariscala, the chain which allegedly kept prisoner Marshal Pardo de Cela before his execution. Museo Arqueolóxico Provincial de Lugo

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  Flag and arms of the Kingdom of Galicia (16th century), after the funeral of Emperor Charles V, also king of Galicia, by Joannes and Lucas Doetecum

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  The reign of Philip II of Habsburg saw a deep economic and social crisis, and was disastrous for its cultural development; portrait by Alonso Sanchez Coello

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  Battle between the naval fleets of Philip II of Habsburg (nicknamed the "Invincible Armada") and Elizabeth I of England in 1588, leaving the English victorious

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  The Kingdom of Galicia in 1603

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  Diego Sarmiento de Acuña, count of Gondomar, was one of the main advocates of voting rights at the Council of Castile. A humanist ambassador and lover of the Galician language and culture, he was respected and appreciated in the kingdom and abroad; c. 17th century

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  Portrait of Martín Sarmiento

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  Romanesque miniature representing Alfonso IX, King of León. In the upper part appears his historic title Rex Legionensium et Gallecie, while the lower part shows the purple lion, symbol of the Leonese monarchy

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  Romanesque façade in the Cathedral of Ourense (1160); founded in the 6th century, its construction is attributed to King Chararic

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  Monastical church of San Miguel de Eiré, Pantón (12th century)

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  Oratory of San Miguel de Celanova (first quarter of the 10th century)

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  Pórtico da Gloria, Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela (12th–13th centuries), summum of the local Romanesque sculpture

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  Sepulcher of count Pedro Fróilaz de Traba (Orbem Galletie Imperante), protector of king Alfonso VII (d. 1128)

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  Sepulcher of king Ferdinand II (Rex in Legione et Gallecia) (d. 1187)

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  Sepulcher of Ferdinand of Galicia and León. Son and heir of the king Afonso VIII (known as alfonso ix in the Spanish bibliography) (d. 1214)

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  Sepulcher of the queen Berengaria of Barcelona wife of Afonso VII (d. 1149)

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  Sepulcher of king Afonso VIII of León and Galicia (known as Afonso IX in the Spanish bibliography) (Rex Legionis et Gallecie) (d. 1230)

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  Sepulcher of queen Joana de Castro of Castilla, León, Toledo and Galicia (d. 1374)

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  Arms of the Kings of Galicia, Segar's Roll, 13th century

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  Arms of the kingdom of Galicia in the "Great Triumphal Chariot of Maximilian", Year 1515.

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  Arms of the kingdom of Galicia in the Historia originis et succesionis regnorum et imperiorum a Noe usque ad Carolum V, 1548.

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  Arms of the kingdom od Galicia, Le blason des Armoiries, Year 1581

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  Arms of the Kingdom of Galicia, illustrated in L´armorial Le Blancq, Bibliothèque nationale de France, 16th century

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  Arms of the Kingdom of Galicia, Pedro de Teixeira, 17th century

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  Burgo de Osma´s map (1086), with the names Gallecia (occupying the whole Northwest Iberian Peninsula), Asturias (occupying the Cantabrian linecoast), and Spania (occupying the rest of Iberia)

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  In Liber Floridus (1125), by Lambert of Saint-Omer, showing the names Galitia, Hispania, Lusitania, and Wasconia, among others

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  In Tabula Rogeriana (1154), by Muhammad al-Idrisi, showing the name Ard Galika

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  In Imago Mundi (1190), by Honorius Augustodunensis, showing the names Galicia and Hispania

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  Ebstorf Map (1234), showing the name Gallicia Regio

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  In Liber Secretorum (1125), by Marino Sanuto, where the name Galitia occupies the entire northwestern Iberia

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  Pirrus de Noha's map (1414) where Galicia occupies the northwestern Iberia.

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  Sallust de Geneve's map (1420), where the name Galaecia occupies the entire northwestern Iberia

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  In Rudimentum Novitorum (1475), by Lucas Brandis, showing the names Galicia, Hispani, and Anglia, among others

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  Northwest Iberian Peninsula (15th century) with the names Galiicia and nearby infidelis Yspania

See also

In Spanish: Reino de Galicia para niños