Raymond of Fitero facts for kids
Quick facts for kids SaintRaymond of Fitero |
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The Defence of Calahorra by Miguel Jacinto Meléndez, c. 1730
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| Born | ? unknown |
| Died | 1163 AD Ciruelos, Toledo, Spain |
| Venerated in | Roman Catholic Church |
| Canonized | cult approved in 1719 |
| Feast | March 15; February 1 |
Raymond of Fitero (also known as Ramon Sierra, Spanish: San Raimundo de Fitero) was a monk and abbot who started a famous group called the Order of Calatrava. He died in Ciruelos, Spain, in 1163. No one knows exactly where Raymond was born, but places like Saint-Gaudens in France and Tarazona in Spain have been suggested.
Contents
Raymond's Early Life
When Raymond was young, he decided to dedicate his life to God. He became a priest (called a 'canon') in Tarazona. This city had recently been taken back from the Moors by King Alfonso I of Aragon in 1119.
Becoming a Cistercian Monk
Raymond traveled across the Pyrenees mountains to Escaladieu Abbey. There, he joined the Cistercian Order, a group of monks that had started not long before (in 1098). This order even welcomed former knights as members.
King Alfonso VII of Castile wanted the Cistercian Order to grow in Spain. So, Raymond joined another abbot named Durando and other monks. They built a new monastery near the Ebro River, in a place called Nienzabas. This spot was between Calahorra and Tudela, which were often attacked by the Moors.
When Durando died, Raymond was chosen to lead the monks. They moved their monastery first to Castejón, Navarre, and then to a place called Fitero. This new monastery, named Monasterio de Santa María la Real de Fitero, was on the border between Castile and the Kingdom of Navarre.
Defending Calatrava
In 1158, King Alfonso VII died, and his son Sancho III of Castile became the new king. Raymond went to Toledo to make sure the new king would continue to support his monastery.
While in Toledo, Raymond's friend, Father Diego Velásquez, heard an important piece of news. Christian leaders were planning a big attack against the Moors to the south. King Sancho III also offered a special deal: he would give the important town of Calatrava to anyone who could protect it from the Moors. Calatrava was a key location on the road from Toledo to Córdoba, a major Moorish city.
Father Diego encouraged Raymond to accept this challenge. With help from the Archbishop of Toledo, Raymond gathered an army. They successfully stopped a Moorish attack on Calatrava that same year.
Founding the Order of Calatrava
Because of this success, Raymond decided to create a new group called the Order of Calatrava. This group was a military order, meaning its members were monks who also fought. It was organized in a similar way to the Cistercian Order.
Raymond then moved some of his fighting monks from Fitero to Calatrava. He himself moved to Ciruelos, where he died in 1163. A year later, in 1164, Pope Alexander III officially recognized the new military order. The Order of Calatrava became very important in the Reconquista, which was the Christian effort to take back Spain from the Moors.
See also
In Spanish: Raimundo de Fitero para niños
