Ramiro II of León facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Ramiro II
King of León
Reign	931–951
Predecessor	Alfonso IV
Successor	Ordoño III
Born	c. 900
Died	1 January 951 (aged 50–51) León
Burial	Basilica of San Isidoro
Consort	Adosinda Gutiérrez Urraca of Pamplona
Issue	Bermudo Theresa, Queen of Pamplona Ordoño III Sancho I Elvira
Dynasty	Astur-Leonese dynasty
Father	Ordoño II of León
Mother	Elvira Menéndez
Religion	Roman Catholicism

Ramiro II (born around 900, died January 1, 951) was a powerful king of León. He was the son of King Ordoño II and Elvira Menendez. Ramiro II ruled from 931 until his death. He became king after taking the crown from his brother, Alfonso IV, and his cousin, Alfonso Fróilaz.

Ramiro II was known for being a fierce warrior. He fought many battles against the Moors, who were Muslim rulers in Spain. They even called him "the Devil" because he was so strong and determined in battle. He famously defeated the army of the Umayyad leader, Abderramán III, at the Battle of Simancas in 939.

Becoming King of León

When Alfonso III of Asturias stepped down as king in 910, his kingdom was divided among his sons. This led to a time of trouble and disagreements over who should rule. The kingdom was split into three parts: García I got León, Ordoño II received Galicia, and Fruela II ruled the main part of Asturias.

After García I died in 914 and Ordoño II died in 924, Fruela II became king of the entire area, which was then called the Kingdom of León. But when Fruela died in 925, the kingdom was again divided. Ramiro, who was a younger brother, tried to become king but didn't succeed. Instead, the sons of Ordoño II became important.

The oldest son of the previous king, Alfonso Fróilaz, was crowned king. However, he couldn't control the whole kingdom. His cousins, the three sons of Ordoño II, had strong support from the Kingdom of Pamplona. These brothers then divided the kingdom they controlled among themselves. The oldest, Sancho Ordóñez, ruled in Galicia. Alfonso IV ruled in León. Ramiro II ruled in the newly won lands to the south.

In 929, Sancho died, and Alfonso IV took over his kingdom. But soon after, Ramiro forced Alfonso IV to give up his crown. Ramiro then made sure Alfonso IV and Fruela II's three sons could not rule by having them harmed. This secured Ramiro's position as king.

Ramiro's Rule and Victories

Ramiro II was an excellent military leader. He greatly expanded his kingdom to the south, taking control of areas like Salamanca and Ledesma. He also built or rebuilt important forts along the border, such as Osma and Clunia.

One of his biggest achievements was leading a combined army from Pamplona and León. This alliance defeated a large counter-attack by the Andalusian forces in the Battle of Simancas in 939. This major victory allowed the border of León to move further south to the Duero River.

Towards the end of his rule, Ramiro lost some support from his brother-in-law, García Sánchez I of Pamplona. García Sánchez I then helped another relative, Count Fernán González of Castile, gain some independence for a short time. Even so, in 950, Ramiro launched another military trip and defeated the Umayyad forces at Talavera.

Ramiro's Family Life

Ramiro II was married two times. His first wife was Adosinda Gutiérrez, who was from a noble family in Galicia and was also his cousin. They had at least two sons: Bermudo, who died before his father, and Ordoño III, who became king after Ramiro. They also likely had a daughter named Teresa, who became queen of Pamplona.

Ramiro's second marriage was to Urraca Sánchez of Pamplona. She was the daughter of Sancho I of Pamplona. This marriage helped Ramiro form an alliance with the Kingdom of Pamplona. With Urraca, Ramiro had two children: Sancho I of León and Elvira Ramírez. These marriages later caused more disagreements over who should be king. Ordoño and his son Vermudo II were supported by the Galician nobles. Meanwhile, Elvira, Sancho, and his son Ramiro III had support from Urraca's family in Pamplona and Córdoba.

See also

In Spanish: Ramiro II de León para niños