Nuño González de Lara (died 1275) facts for kids

Nuño González I de Lara (died 8 September 1275) was a very important nobleman from the Kingdom of Castile. People called him el Bueno ("the Good"). He was a trusted advisor and military leader for the king. Nuño was the head of the powerful House of Lara family and a close friend of Alfonso X, who was the king.

Even though they were friends, the king's plans sometimes made it hard for Nuño to make his family more powerful and wealthy. In 1272, Nuño even led many important noblemen in a rebellion against the king. But he was back in the king's good graces the next year. He died in 1275 while bravely defending the castle of Écija from an attack by an army from Morocco.

Who Was Nuño González?

His Early Life and Family

Nuño was the younger son of Gonzalo Núñez II de Lara and María Díaz. His older brother, Diego González, passed away around 1239. Nuño grew up on his family's lands near Villaldemiro and Celada.

He became the closest friend of Alfonso X when Alfonso was a prince. King Ferdinand III of Castile sent Prince Alfonso away from the royal court to be raised, and Nuño was there with him. Nuño didn't inherit a lot of wealth or power at first. But after his brother Diego died, things changed. In 1240, King Ferdinand III gave Prince Alfonso a house and money, and Nuño often visited the prince's court.

Becoming a Military Leader

Nuño became a well-known military commander under King Ferdinand in the 1240s. When Alfonso became king in 1252, Nuño was often at the royal court. He signed many important royal documents between 1252 and 1256. This showed how close he was to the king, as he usually signed his name right after the church leaders and royal family members. This was the highest position for a nobleman who wasn't part of the royal family.

Nuño married Teresa Alfonso, who was the daughter of King Alfonso IX of León. They had two sons: Juan Núñez I and Nuño González II.

Nuño's Lands and Power

His Properties and Castles

In 1255, Nuño led the king's army to defeat Alfonso's rebellious brother, Henry of Castile the Senator, near Lebrija. This forced Henry to leave the country. Nuño also stopped three rebellions by the Mudéjar people (Muslims living in Christian lands): in Jerez de la Frontera in 1255, in Écija in 1262–63, and in Matrera in 1263.

He was given control of several safe areas in northern Castile, like Bureba, La Rioja, and Castilla la Vieja. He also controlled important fortresses on the border, such as Écija, Jerez, and Seville. These were areas where Christian Spaniards were just starting to settle in large numbers.

King Alfonso X didn't give Nuño a huge amount of land, even though the crown had gained many new estates. Nuño received one large estate called Corixad Albat, which became the town of Herrera. He also got some land at Aznalcázar, some houses in Seville in 1258, and some windmills in Alcalá de Guadaira. Nuño and his wife also owned some windmills in Alcalá that they later sold. He also bought some wine cellars in Écija when he was in charge there. Overall, Nuño's properties were enough to support about 300 knights.

A Strategic Marriage for His Son

In 1260, Nuño arranged for his son Juan to marry Teresa Álvarez de Azagra. She was the heir to the lordship of Albarracín. This was a large, independent area located between Castile, Aragon, and Valencia. This marriage was important for increasing the Lara family's influence.

The Fall of Jerez (1261–64)

Nuño as Castellan of Jerez

In 1261, King Alfonso X conquered Jerez. He made Nuño the first Christian alcaide (commander) of the citadel of Jerez de la Frontera. Nuño put a knight named García Gómez Carrillo in charge on the ground.

By 1264, the Muslim people of Jerez had built a wall between their town and the citadel. That year, with help from the Marinids of Morocco, they rebelled. They attacked the citadel, where Nuño was in command with only a few knights. Nuño immediately asked the king in Seville for help, demanding that the king come himself.

Abandoning His Post

When no help arrived, Nuño left his post, leaving only a small group of soldiers behind. A small relief force from Seville arrived too late. The citadel fell, and the soldiers left behind were killed on August 8.

Nuño was criticized for not defending the citadel. King Alfonso, in one of his songs (Cantiga 345), said that Nuño's escape was something that "by law and custom ought not to be." Even though he had brought dishonor upon himself, Nuño was given money to make up for the loss of income from Jerez.

Nuño's Rebellion (1267–73)

Growing Disagreements with the King

In 1266, a powerful Muslim family in Granada, the Banu Ashqilula, asked King Alfonso X for an alliance against the King of Granada. Alfonso agreed and sent Nuño with an army of 1,000 knights to help them.

However, problems began to appear in Nuño's relationship with the king around 1267. In February 1267, in the Treaty of Badajoz, Alfonso gave up his claim to the Algarve region to King Denis of Portugal. In return, Portugal gave up its claims to the eastern Algarve to Castile. Nuño strongly advised Alfonso against giving up the tribute (money) that Portugal used to pay Castile. This caused a very public disagreement between Nuño and the king. In the end, the king did what he wanted.

Joining the King's Enemies

In June 1268, Nuño's son, Nuño II, visited the King of Granada. He complained about the unfair treatment his family had received from King Alfonso X. The King of Granada agreed to help the Lara family if they would help him fight the Banu Ashqilula. He gave the younger Nuño jewels and told him to tell his father and brother, Juan Núñez, about their agreement.

By late 1269, Nuño tried to join the service of King James I of Aragon. He offered James the service of 100 or 200 knights. But James, who was on good terms with Alfonso, convinced Nuño not to. Soon after, Nuño left to serve King Henry I of Navarre. By 1272, Nuño was openly rebelling against King Alfonso X, working with Castile's enemies and other high-ranking noblemen.

In June 1272, the Marinids invaded Castile from Morocco. King Alfonso X ordered all his noblemen to gather on the border. But many refused, which marked the start of the nobles' rebellion. The rebel leaders, including Nuño, had been in contact with the Marinid leader, Abu Yusuf Yaqub ibn Abd Al-Haqq. The rebels accused King Alfonso X of making money less valuable, breaking their traditional rights, causing prices to rise, and favoring merchants.

Exile in Granada

Before the end of 1272, Nuño and other rebel leaders swore loyalty to Ibn al-Ahmar of Granada. They said their goal was to bring back an old treaty and the Portuguese tribute. Despite clear evidence of treason, the nobles attended a meeting with the king in Burgos in November. Alfonso made some changes, but not enough to satisfy the rebels. Nuño and the other leaders decided to go into exile in Granada, but not before stealing from the kingdom as they left. Nuño's sons joined him in exile.

When they arrived in Granada, Ibn al-Ahmar sent the Castilians to raid the land around Guadix. When Ibn al-Ahmar died in January 1273, there was a fight over who would be the next king. But the Castilian exiles supported his son, Muhammed II al-Faqih, which helped him become king.

Defending Écija (1273–75)

Returning to the King's Service

In 1273, the new King of Granada and the rebels quickly started talking with King Alfonso. In July, Alfonso and the rebels reached an agreement in Seville. The number of special taxes (called servicios) was reduced, and a law that gave special rights to towns (the Fuero real) was ended. In December, a truce (a temporary stop to fighting) was agreed with the King of Granada.

In March 1274, Nuño was back in the King of Castile's service and attended the royal court in Burgos. Alfonso gave Nuño control of Écija. Some old stories say he was made the main commander of the southern border, but the king's own son, Alfonso Fernández el Niño, was actually in charge of the border defense. Because of the truce, the border was quiet. Nuño and his son Juan even thought about joining a new crusade to the Holy Land. But a Marinid invasion in May 1275 stopped them.

The Battle of Écija and Nuño's Death

After some early attacks, Abu Yusuf, the Marinid leader, personally led his main army against Écija. Some people told Nuño to avoid a big battle, but Nuño chose to listen to others who said a pitched battle was the only way to save his honor.

A Moroccan historian, Ibn Abi Zar, called Nuño "the cursed one." He wrote that Nuño led a huge army with breastplates, chain mail, banners, and trumpets. Nuño died in the battle of Écija, probably on Sunday, September 8, 1275. Another Christian source says it was Saturday, September 7.

According to Ibn Abi Zar, the Marinid leader would have preferred to capture Nuño alive. He ordered all the dead Christian soldiers to be beheaded on the battlefield. He could not capture Écija, which was defended by 300 knights, so he left. He entered Algeciras in triumph on September 18, with Nuño's head displayed on a pole.

Later, he sent Nuño's head to the King of Granada. This was meant to be an insult, especially since the King of Granada owed his throne mostly to Nuño's help. Out of friendship for Nuño and hatred for the Marinids, the King of Granada had Nuño's head preserved with musk and camphor. He secretly sent it to Córdoba to be buried with Nuño's body. Nuño's reunited head and body were later moved from Córdoba to the convent of San Pablo in Palencia, where they were buried. Nuño's wife, Teresa, was also buried there.

See also

In Spanish: Nuño González de Lara el Bueno para niños