Leonor López de Córdoba facts for kids

Leonor López de Córdoba (born around 1362 in Calatayud, died in Córdoba in 1430) was a very important woman in Spanish history. She wrote what many believe is the first autobiography in the Castilian language. Her book, called Memorias (Memoirs), tells her life story. Leonor wrote it after she was no longer welcome at the royal court, where she had been a trusted advisor to Queen Catalina, who was married to King Henry III.

Leonor's Life Story

Leonor López de Córdoba was born around 1362 in the home of King Pedro I of Castile (also known as Peter the Cruel). Since the King's daughters were her godmothers, Leonor spent her childhood at the royal court. Her mother, Sancha Carrillo, was also related to the King.

Leonor's mother died young. Her father, Martín López de Córdoba, was a powerful leader of two knightly orders, Calatrava and Alcántara. He arranged for Leonor to marry Ruy Gutiérrez de Henestrosa. Ruy's father was a key official for King Pedro.

After they married, Leonor and Ruy moved to Carmona, a strong city near Seville. While they lived there, King Pedro I was killed by his half-brother, who became King Enrique II. Enrique II then attacked Carmona because Leonor's family supported the dead King Pedro.

Imprisonment and Freedom

After many attempts to take the city, Leonor's father, Martín López, finally gave up to King Enrique in 1371. The King had promised to let them leave the country safely. However, King Enrique did not keep his promise. He killed Martín López and put his family in prison in Seville.

Leonor was only nine years old when she and her family were imprisoned. They faced many hardships for eight years. Sadly, all her relatives except her husband died in prison. They were finally set free because King Enrique II had written it in his will.

Leonor then went to live with her aunt, María García Carrillo, in Córdoba. Her husband tried to get back their lost properties but failed. After seven years, he returned with nothing. Leonor then asked her aunt for her own place. There, she built a home and a small chapel.

Life at Court and Banishment

In 1392, the terrible Black Death spread through Córdoba. Leonor and her family fled to Santa Ella and then to Aguilar. Sadly, one of her sons died from the plague there. Her aunt's family became afraid and asked her to leave. So, Leonor returned to Córdoba.

After 1403, Leonor lived at the court of King Enrique III and his wife, Queen Catalina. She became a very close advisor to the Queen. Historical records say that Queen Catalina trusted Leonor so much that she did nothing without her advice.

However, around 1412, Leonor lost the Queen's favor. She was forced to leave the court and was even threatened with being burned if she ever returned. Leonor lived in Córdoba until she died in 1430.

Leonor's Book: Memorias

Leonor López de Córdoba's book, Memorias (Memoirs), is thought to be the oldest autobiography still existing in Spanish. The original handwritten book is now lost. However, copies made in the 1700s allowed her story to be published. One of these copies is kept in the Biblioteca Capitular y Colombina in Seville.

The Memorias is a short story, about nine pages long. It starts like a legal document, saying, "Let those who see this writing know..." Even though Leonor says she wrote it, the many legal words suggest she might have told her story to a notary (a legal writer) who wrote it down for her.

Why She Wrote It

Leonor wrote her Memorias after she was banished from the royal court. The book is a way for her to show her strong faith and how much she believed in the power of prayer to the Virgin Mary. It is also a way for her to defend her father's actions and her own.

What starts as a religious act of devotion turns into a defense of her family's good name. The prayers in the Memorias are meant to prove that Leonor's story is true. She believed that the blessings she received from the Virgin Mary showed that her father's disgrace, imprisonment, and death were unfair. This way, she tried to change her family's shame into a story of divine protection. The Memorias also tell a story of surviving tough times, both physically and spiritually. It might also have been a legal plea to get back her family's lost property.

See also

In Spanish: Leonor López de Córdoba para niños