Muño Alfonso facts for kids

Munio or Muño Alfonso (died August 2, 1143) was a brave Galician nobleman and a strong military leader during the Reconquista. This was a long period when Christian kingdoms in Spain fought to take back land from Muslim rule. Munio was also the governor of Toledo under King Alfonso VII.

He is known as the hero of the second part of the Chronica Adefonsi imperatoris, a historical book written at the time of King Alfonso's reign. He also inspired a play called Munio Alfonso by a Cuban writer, Gertrudis Gómez de Avellaneda.

Early Life and Capture

Munio Alfonso first appears in historical records in 1131. At that time, he was the castellan (which means the commander or governor) of the castle of Mora.

In 1131, an army from the Almoravids (a Muslim group) attacked the Tajo valley. They captured the governor of Toledo, Gutierre Armíldez, and killed him. Other governors were also defeated or killed. During this time, Munio was captured and taken to Córdoba. He was held in harsh conditions until he was able to pay a large ransom of gold, silver, animals, and weapons to be set free. After his release, he returned to Toledo and then to Mora.

Losing and Regaining Favor

The Chronica Adefonsi imperatoris mentions that Munio did not keep the castle of Mora well-supplied enough to defend against a big attack. Because of this, sometime before 1139, the castle was captured by Almoravid leaders, Azuel and Abenceta, when Munio was away. They made the castle stronger and added more supplies.

Munio felt ashamed and did not want to face King Alfonso. The king then ordered a new, stronger fortress called Peña Negra (also known as Peña Cristiana) to be built right across from Mora. He put Martín Fernández in charge of this new fortress.

To try and win back the king's favor, Munio started leading more attacks into Muslim lands. With soldiers from Toledo, Ávila, Segovia, Guadalajara, Talavera, and Madrid, he captured a lot of valuable goods and defeated many Muslim leaders. When King Alfonso heard about Munio's successes, he called him back to court. The king then made Munio the vice-governor of Toledo and gave him control over all the cavalry (soldiers on horseback) and infantry (soldiers on foot) in the area.

The Battle of Montiel and Final Campaign

In 1143, Munio led the local armies from Ávila, Segovia, and Toledo in a campaign against Córdoba. This led to the Battle of Montiel. He returned to Toledo with a huge amount of captured goods, celebrated like a hero.

In the same year, King Alfonso gathered a large army near Toledo to prepare for another campaign against Córdoba. He left Toledo in the care of Munio and Martín Fernández, telling them to stay at Peña Negra and stop the Almoravids from making Mora stronger. While King Alfonso was away, Farax, the governor of Calatrava, teamed up with other Almoravid commanders. They planned to strengthen Mora and set a trap for Munio.

Munio's Last Stand

On August 1, before sunrise, Munio and forty knights left Peña Negra to scout for enemy movements. They found a spy who was revealing Farax's plans when the Muslim army's first group appeared. A battle started right away, and the Christians won. Munio then went back to prepare with Martín for the main battle the next day.

On August 2, the Christians and Muslims met near the springs of the river Algodor. Martín was hurt in the fight, but both sides pulled back without a clear winner. Martín then returned to defend Peña Negra.

Later, a second battle took place in an open field. Munio realized his side was at a disadvantage and told his men to retreat to a large rock called Peña del Cuervo. There, surrounded by enemy archers, Munio was hit by an arrow and died during the Muslims' third attack. Everyone who had climbed the rock with him also died, as did many Muslim leaders.

Munio's body was treated harshly after his death. His head, right arm, shoulder, and right leg were cut off. His head was sent to Córdoba, then to Seville, and finally carried to the Almoravid sultan Texufin and all over Morocco to announce Munio's death. His arm, leg, and the heads of his comrades were hung from the towers of Calatrava.

However, the people of Toledo recovered Munio's body and the bodies of his knights. They were buried in the cemetery of Saint Mary in Toledo.

Successor

After Munio's death, Sancho Jimeno the Hunchback, who was the leader of the Ávila militia, took over Munio's role as the main leader of the Reconquista along the southern front of Toledo.

Images for kids

• 

  A robot, representing a kid-friendly image.

See also

In Spanish: Muño Alfonso para niños