Sancho Ramírez, Count of Ribagorza facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Sancho Ramírez
Count of Ribagorza
Castle in Sos, governed by Sancho Ramírez
Born	c. 1043 Aragon
Died	1105/November 1110 Aragon
Buried	Jaca Cathedral
Noble family	Jiménez dynasty
Spouse(s)	Beatriz
Issue	See Descendants
Father	King Ramiro I of Aragon
Mother	Amuña

Sancho Ramírez (born before 1043, died between 1105 and November 1110) was an important figure in the early Kingdom of Aragon. He was the son of King Ramiro I of Aragon and Amuña. Even though he was the firstborn, he could not become king because he was an illegitimate son. His younger brother, also named Sancho, later became King Sancho Ramírez.

Life and Role

Sancho Ramírez was a very active and important person in the Kingdom of Aragon. Even though he couldn't inherit the throne, he became a count when he was young. He was a key member of the king's council, known as the curia regis. This was a group of important people who advised the king.

Early Life and Responsibilities

Sancho Ramírez first appeared in official records around 1049. He was a witness to a gift his father, King Ramiro, made to a monastery. In this document, he was called "Sancho, the firstborn son of King Ramiro." His younger brother, who would later be king, was called "Sancho, son of King Ramiro and Queen Ermesinda."

Sancho Ramírez was put in charge of many important areas called tenencias. These were strategic places that he governed for the king. Some of the places he managed included:

• Aibar (from 1061 to 1062, and again from 1091 to 1100)
• Sos (1062)
• Benabarre (from 1063 to 1093)
• Fantova (from 1063, probably until 1110)
• Ribagorza (from 1083 to 1093)
• Monzón (February 1090)
• Arrieso (January 1091)
• Javier (from September 1091 to December 1097)

Participation in Reconquista and Pilgrimage

Sancho Ramírez likely took part in the Reconquista. This was a long period when Christian kingdoms in Spain fought to take back land from the Moors. In 1059, his father's will mentioned him as an heir if he returned from the "land of the Moors." This suggests he was fighting there.

In 1061, his father's second will gave him the towns of Aibar and Javierrelatre. Later, in 1092, when he was in his fifties, Sancho Ramírez went on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. At that time, Jerusalem was controlled by the Seljuq dynasty. A pilgrimage is a special journey to a holy place.

Support for Religious Places

Sancho Ramírez was very generous to religious buildings. He supported churches in places like Lasieso and San Salvador de Javierrelatre. He also helped the Jaca Cathedral, where he paid for a chapel to be built for his own burial.

Later Life and Death

In his will from 1105, Sancho Ramírez left most of his property to his son, García. He also made sure his two daughters, Talesa and Beatriz, received land and other properties. He stated that after their deaths, these properties should go to his son García or his children.

Sancho Ramírez passed away sometime between 1105 (when he made his last will) and November 24, 1110. We know this because on that date, his wife made a gift to a monastery for the souls of her parents and her husband, Count Sancho. Their son García confirmed this gift. By 1111, García was managing the properties he inherited from his father.

Family and Children

Sancho Ramírez married a woman named Beatriz. Her family name is not known from old documents. In 1100, Sancho and Beatriz appeared together in a document confirming a sale made by their son, Pedro, who had passed away.

In November 1110, Beatriz, who was then a widow, gave some salt mines to the Monastery of San Vicente. She had received these salt mines from her brother-in-law, King Sancho Ramírez.

Sancho and Beatriz had four children:

• García Sánchez: He became the Lord of Aibar, Atarés, and Javierrelatre. He married Teresa Cajal. Their son, Pedro de Atarés, later tried to claim the throne of Aragon after King Alfonso the Battler died.
• Pedro Sánchez: He died before the year 1100.
• Talesa Sánchez: She married Gaston IV, who was a Viscount of Bearn.
• Beatriz Sánchez

See also

In Spanish: Sancho Ramírez (conde) para niños

• Count of Ribagorza