Sancha Raimúndez facts for kids

Sancha Raimúndez of León (around 1095/1102 – February 28, 1159) was a princess, also known as an infanta, from the Kingdom of León. She was the daughter of Queen Urraca of León and Raymond of Burgundy. Sancha was also the older sister of Alfonso VII of León, who later became king.

Her Early Life

Sancha was likely born between 1095 and 1102. Her parents were Queen Urraca of León and Raymond of Burgundy. She was the sister of Alfonso VII, who took over the thrones of Castile and León after their mother passed away.

Sancha grew up with her mother and her aunts, Sancha and Elvira. These aunts were daughters of Alfonso VI of León and Castile. They held something called the Infantado. This was a collection of monasteries and churches across the kingdom. If the unmarried princesses who owned them died, these properties would return to the Crown. Sancha's aunt, Infanta Sancha, also owned Infantados in León, Castile, and Galicia.

Becoming Queen-Infanta

Queen Urraca, Sancha's mother, died in 1126. Her son, Alfonso VII, became king. He gave his sister Sancha the title of queen. This was similar to what their grandfather, Alfonso VI, had done for his sister, Urraca of Zamora. Infanta-Queen Sancha then became a very close advisor and helper to her brother, the king. Her name appeared on almost all of his official documents.

In 1127, King Alfonso gave Sancha the Infantado. This made her the lady of many important monasteries in the kingdom. One of these was San Isidoro de León. She first took control of the Infantado in León. Later, she also gained those in Galicia and Asturias. She inherited all the Infantados in the kingdoms of León, Castile, and Asturias. This included areas like Covarrubias, Valle del Torío, León, Tierra de Campos, and El Bierzo.

Her Important Work

In 1138, Sancha helped restore the Monasterio de Santa María de Carracedo. She gave it to the monks from the Monastery of Santa María de Valverde. She also expanded the San Isidoro temple. She added cloisters, a chapter house, and a bell tower called Torre del Gallo.

On June 10, 1140, Infanta Sancha donated the monastery of Santa María de Wamba to the Order of St. John of Jerusalem. She did this to help her own soul and the souls of her parents and aunt. The lands she gave to the Knights of St. John had once been part of an Infantado belonging to her father, Raymond of Burgundy. In 1148, she gave the Church of Santa Maria de Olmedo to the same order. A year before, in 1147, she founded the Monastery of Santa María de La Santa Espina. This was in the province of Valladolid. Her brother King Alfonso confirmed this foundation a year later.

In 1148, the kingdom's assembly met in Palencia. Infanta-Queen Sancha convinced her brother, the bishops, and important nobles to make a change. She arranged for the Augustinian canons from the Monastery of Carbajal to move to the Collegiate Church of San Isidoro de León. At the same time, the Benedictine nuns who had lived in San Isidoro for over 200 years moved to the Monastery of Carbajal. Sancha said that Saint Isidore of Seville had appeared to her in a vision and told her to make this move.

Helping Others

Records show that Sancha also gave more properties to the archbishop of Compostela. These included the monastery of Santiago and San Miguel de Escalada. In 1156, she gave the town of San Juan de Arenas to the Hospitallers. This was in Siero, Asturias. She made sure they could not sell it. In the same year, she gave the canons of San Isidoro a special right. Her brother the king signed this. It allowed any man who wished to become a vassal of the Monastery. They would be under its rule. They could bring all their belongings with them. From then on, they would not have to pay any taxes to the king. Her brother Alfonso VII died the next year, in 1157. His son Ferdinand II took the throne of León. His other son Sancho III took the throne of Castile. Sancho III only ruled for a year. His son Alfonso VIII of Castile then became king.

In her will, Sancha asked for some properties to be returned to San Isidoro. These properties had belonged to the Monastery of San Julián and Santa Basilisa of Ruiforco. They had been given to San Isidoro by Alfonso V of León. Her nephew, King Ferdinand II of León, made sure this happened on March 24, 1159. In the document, the king mentioned that his aunt Sancha was buried there.

Her Death and Burial

Sancha died on February 28, 1159. She was buried in the Pantheon of Kings in San Isidoro de León. Her mother, Queen Urraca, was also buried there. Sancha's remains were placed in a stone tomb. It had an epitaph written in Latin.

The Royal Pantheon.

The Mystery of Her Tomb

During the Peninsular War, the Pantheon of Kings in San Isidoro de León was used as a stable. French soldiers removed the bodies from their graves. They piled them in a corner. The canons of the church later gathered them. They took them to the church of Santa Marina de León. However, Infanta Sancha's body was treated differently. People respected her greatly. Her body was taken to the home of a resident in León. It stayed there until the war ended. Then, it was returned to the church of San Isidoro. Her mummy was placed in a tomb without a cover. The original cover of her tomb was found years later, broken in half.

In 1858, Queen Isabella II of Spain visited the Basilica of San Isidoro de León. She saw Infanta Sancha's mummy, which was uncovered. When the Queen returned to Madrid, she sent a special gold robe for the mummy. But this robe disappeared during a later revolution. It was supposedly stolen by a governor. He borrowed it to make a copy for his wife. He never returned the original.

In 1997, the tombs in the Pantheon of Kings were studied. It was found that Infanta Sancha's body was still preserved. It was like a mummy. A letter was found under her head. It was dated December 22, 1868. It explained that in 1868, the Pantheon was in bad shape. Queen Sancha's perfectly preserved body was found uncovered. The Pantheon was restored. Queen Isabel II's daughter, Doña Carmen, donated linen to dress the queen's body.

However, some sources say Infanta Sancha was buried in the Cathedral of Zamora. Others say she was buried in the church of San Cosme and San Damián de Covarrubias. In the Zamora Cathedral, there is an epitaph from 1620-1621. It states that Infanta Sancha was buried there.

In the Collegiate of Covarrubias, there is a stone tomb from the 15th century. People believe it holds Sancha's remains. She had given special rights to the town of Covarrubias in 1148. The tomb has an abbey and a cross carved on it. It also shows the shield of Castile and León. This shield was given to Infanta Sancha by her brother the king.

In the Monastery of Santa Maria de La Santa Espina, there is a statue of Infanta Sancha Raimúndez. It is made of alabaster. However, the infanta was not buried there.

Her Lasting Impact

Infanta-Queen Sancha, like her brother Alfonso, gave many gifts to the Basilica of San Isidoro de León. She lived there before the Augustinian canons moved in during 1148. She finished the work on the new church of San Isidoro de León. This work had started during the time of Infanta Urraca of Zamora. Sancha was called "San Isidoro's wife." She received much praise even while she was alive. The Augustinian canons of San Isidoro saw her as their founder.

After her death, the Infantado system changed. It almost disappeared. It no longer remained as property for unmarried infantas. Years after Alfonso VII died, King Alfonso VIII of Castile gave the Castilian Infantado properties to different churches. These included the Collegiate of Covarrubias and the Monasterio de las Huelgas de Burgos. In the Kingdom of León, her uncle Fernando II gave all the Leonese Infantado to his sister Sancha of Castile, Queen of Navarre.

See also

In Spanish: Sancha Raimúndez para niños