Mayor Guillén de Guzmán facts for kids

Mayor Guillén de Guzmán (born 1205, died 1262) was a member of a very important noble family in the court of King Ferdinand III of Castile. Her parents were Guillén Pérez de Guzmán and María González Girón. Her mother, María, was the daughter of Gonzalo Rodríguez Girón. Mayor was also the sister of Pedro Rodríguez de Guzmán, a powerful leader in Castile, and the aunt of Alonso Pérez de Guzmán.

About Mayor Guillén de Guzmán

A beautiful landscape in La Alcarria, where Mayor Guillén de Guzmán received land from King Alfonso X.

Mayor Guillén de Guzmán is mentioned in old historical records. She was a close companion of Prince Alfonso of Castile, who later became King Alfonso X. He was the son of Ferdinand III of Castile and Beatriz de Suabia.

In 1255, Prince Alfonso gave Mayor many lands in an area called La Alcarria. These lands included towns like Cifuentes, Viana de Mondéjar, Palazuelos, Salmerón, Vadesliras, and Alcocer.

With the help of King Alfonso, Mayor founded a special place called the Monastery of Santa Clara de Alcocer. This monastery was built in a small, empty village named San Miguel del Monte, near Alcocer. The official document for starting the monastery was signed on September 22, 1260. Her brothers, Pedro and Nuño Rodríguez de Guzmán, also approved this important project.

Mayor's Daughter

The Del Monte gate, part of the old walls of Palazuelos, a town once owned by Mayor.

Mayor Guillén de Guzmán had one daughter with Prince Alfonso:

• Beatrice (born 1242, died 1303). Beatrice was the only person to inherit her mother's lands and wealth. She later married Afonso III of Portugal, who was the King of Portugal. They had a son named Denis I of Portugal, who also became a king.

On December 31, 1244, Prince Alfonso gave the village of Elche to his daughter Beatrice. His father, King Ferdinand III, agreed to this gift. This suggests that Beatrice was likely born around that time, and that her parents' connection was well-known and accepted.

Death and Burial

Mayor Guillén de Guzmán passed away in early 1262 in Alcocer. She was buried in the monastery she had founded, the Poor Clares monastery at San Miguel del Monte.

Years later, on July 24, 1276, King Alfonso made an agreement with a craftsman named Juan González. Juan was to create a special tomb for Mayor made of walnut wood. This tomb had a carved image of Mayor on it. The old document about this agreement was sold at an auction in 2009.

Later, the monastery and Mayor's tomb were moved to Alcocer. Her body was said to be perfectly preserved until the early 1900s. However, in 1936, her body and a beautiful painted sculpture of her disappeared. This sculpture was considered one of the best examples of medieval art from Guadalajara.

See also

In Spanish: Mayor Guillén de Guzmán para niños