Teresa Gil de Vidaure facts for kids
Teresa Gil de Vidaure, who passed away on 15 July 1285, was a special partner to King James I of Aragon. Even though they were together, she was never officially a queen. King James I later left her, claiming she had a skin condition, to be with someone else. Teresa Gil spent her final years living quietly in a monastery she had helped build.
King's Companion
Teresa Gil de Vidaure was born in Navarre. Her father was a nobleman named Juan de Vidaure. People said she was very beautiful, and King James I was drawn to her. She asked him to promise he would marry her, and he did. However, he broke that promise and married Violant of Hungary in December 1235. Even after the king married Queen Violant, he and Teresa Gil continued their relationship. Teresa Gil later married Sancho Pérez de Lodosa.
An Unofficial Marriage
Teresa Gil was a widow when Queen Violant passed away in 1251. This meant the king and Teresa Gil could be together more openly. They entered into a partnership that was not officially recognized by the Roman Catholic Church.
In 1255, the king gave Teresa Gil a special document. This document granted her the castle of Jérica, which would not have taxes. It was meant to be passed down to their children after her death. Two years later, he also gave her the villages of Bejís, Liria, Andilla, and Altura. These documents did not call Teresa Gil the king's wife.
Historians sometimes called her the king's companion because of how these documents were written. However, a letter from King James to Pope Clement IV in 1265 confirmed that they were indeed married. Still, she was never called queen. Their first son, James, was born around 1255. Their second son, Peter, was born around 1259.
The King's Decision
In 1265, their partnership began to face problems. King James started a relationship with his cousin, Berenguela Alfonso. The king wanted to end his marriage with Teresa Gil. He claimed she had a skin condition as an excuse to separate.
Both the king and Teresa Gil wrote to Pope Clement IV about ending their union. The king wanted it to end, but Teresa Gil wanted to prevent it. The Pope decided that even though their marriage was not officially blessed by the Church, it was a real union and could not be ended. He strongly criticized the king for even asking to end it.
Pope Clement IV died in 1268. After his death, Andrés Albalat, who was the bishop of Valencia, declared the marriage invalid. Pope Gregory X, who became Pope after Clement IV, allowed the case to be reviewed in Rome. He then confirmed the previous Pope's decision.
Quiet Life
Teresa Gil had to spend the rest of her life living quietly in the Cistercian monastery of Zaidia de Valencia. She had helped establish this monastery. She passed away on 15 July 1285 and was buried there. Her tomb no longer exists, but the words written on it do.
See also
In Spanish: Teresa Gil de Vidaure para niños
