Sancha Ponce de Cabrera facts for kids

Sancha Ponce de Cabrera was an important noblewoman who lived a long time ago, in the 1100s. She was the daughter of Ponce Giraldo de Cabrera and Sancha Núñez. Sancha was married to a powerful nobleman from the Kingdom of León named Vela Gutiérrez.

In 1149, the king, Alfonso VIII of León, gave Sancha and Vela a special wedding gift: a village called Nogales. They decided to use this gift to start a new monastery. They gave the land to Aldara Pérez, who was an abbess (a leader of nuns) from another monastery. Aldara was asked to bring nuns to Nogales to live by the rules of Saint Benedict.

After Sancha's husband, Vela Gutiérrez, passed away, the nuns gave the monastery back to Sancha. The building was not yet finished. In 1164, Sancha gave the monastery to the Monastery of Santa María de Moreruela. This monastery had been started by her own father, Count Ponce. The Nogales monastery then became a home for Cistercian monks.

Sancha had special stone coffins, called sarcophagi, made. One was for her husband, one for a son who had died earlier, and one for herself. These were placed in the main church of the Nogales Abbey. The church was officially opened in 1172. Sancha died in 1176, and she was buried there with her husband and son.

Sancha's Family

Sancha Ponce de Cabrera had children from two marriages.

Children with Vela Gutiérrez

Sancha and her first husband, Vela Gutiérrez, had several children around 1149:

• Fernando Vela (died around 1192): He was a local governor in areas like Asturias and León. He married Sancha Álvarez.
• Ponce Vela de Cabrera (died September 1202): He married Teresa Rodríguez Girón.
• Pedro Vela (died around 1211 or 1212): He became an important church leader. He was an archdeacon at the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela. He also served King Ferdinand II of León and later became an abbot.
• María Vela (died after 1204): She became the abbess (leader of nuns) at the monastery her parents founded.
• Juan Vela (died between June and September 1191): He was buried at the Monastery of Santa María de Moreruela. This monastery was founded by his mother's parents.

They might also have had another son named García Vela.

Children from Second Marriage

After her first husband Vela died, Sancha married again between 1161 and 1164. Her second husband was named Mendo or Menendo. They had one son:

• Suero Menéndez: He was a local governor in Villalpando and a standard-bearer for King Ferdinand II.

See also

In Spanish: Sancha Ponce de Cabrera para niños