Alfonso X (November 23, 1221, Toledo, Spain – April 4, 1284, Seville, Spain) was a Spanish monarch who ruled as the King of Castile, León and Galicia from 1252 until his death. Events 800 - Charlemagne arrives at Rome to investigate the alleged crimes of Toledo Spain locationpng|thumb|right|200px|Location of Toledo in Spain Events 1581 - Francis Drake completes a circumnavigation of the world and is knighted by Elizabeth I. Seville ( Spanish: Sevilla, see also different names) is the artistic cultural and financial capital of southern Spain. Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Kingdom of Castile was one of the medieval kingdoms of the Iberian Peninsula. Kingdom of León was an independent kingdom situated in the northwest region of the Iberian Peninsula. The Kingdom of Galicia (410-1833 was a kingdom of the Iberian Peninsula for two distinct periods He also was elected German King (formally King of the Romans) in 1257. This article lists the German monarchs, ruling over the territory of Germany from the creation of a separate Eastern Frankish Kingdom in 843 until the end of monarchy King of the Romans ( Latin: Rex Romanorum) was the title used by the elected ruler of the Holy Roman Empire, the Imperator futurus His nicknames were "el Sabio" ("the Wise" or "the Learned") and "el Astrólogo" ("the Astronomer").
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Life
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Alfonso was the eldest son of Ferdinand III of Castile and Elisabeth of Hohenstaufen. La Puebla del Río is a city located in the province of Seville, Spain. Seville ( Spanish: Sevilla) is a province of southern Spain, in the western part of the autonomous community of Andalusia Saint Ferdinand III (July 30 or August 5 1199 &ndash May 30, 1252) was the King of Castile from 1217 and King of León from 1230 Elisabeth of Hohenstaufen (called Beatriz de Suabia in Spanish (1203 &ndash Toro Spain, 1235 Queen of Castile 1219-1235 Queen of Leon 1230&ndash1235 His maternal grandparents were Philip of Swabia and Irene Angelina. Philip of Swabia (1177 &ndash June 21, 1208) was king of Germany and duke of Swabia, the rival of the emperor Otto IV. Irene Angelina (1181 &ndash 1208 was the daughter of the Byzantine Emperor Isaac II Angelos by his first wife Herina
As a writer and intellectual he gained considerable scientific fame based on his encouragement of astronomy and the Ptolemaic cosmology as known to him through the Arabs. Astronomy (from the Greek words astron (ἄστρον "star" and nomos (νόμος "law" is the scientific study In Astronomy, the geocentric model of the Universe is the superseded theory that the Earth is the center of the universe and other Cosmology (from Greek grc κοσμολογία - grc κόσμος kosmos, "universe" and grc -λογία -logia) is study (Because of this, the Alphonsus crater on the Moon is named after him). Alphonsus is an ancient Impact crater on Earth 's Moon that dates from the immediate post- Nectarian era His fame extends to the preparation of the Alfonsine tables, based on calculations of al-Zarqali Alzarquel. The Alfonsine tables (sometimes spelled Alphonsine tables) were Ephemeris (astronomical tables drawn up at Toledo by order of One famous quote attributed to him was supposedly said upon hearing an explanation of Ptolemy's theory of astronomy and being shown the extremely complicated mathematics required to "prove" it - "If the Lord Almighty had consulted me before embarking on creation thus, I should have recommended something simpler. Claudius Ptolemaeus ( Greek: Klaúdios Ptolemaîos; after 83 &ndash ca " The validity of this quotation is questioned by some historians. [1]
From the beginning of his reign, Alfonso began employing Jewish, Christian and Muslim scholars at his court, primarily for the purpose of translating books from Arabic into Old Spanish. Most of these books survive in only one manuscript and were almost certainly created for the private use of Alfonso and his inner circle, which included Jewish and Christian courtiers. The first translation, commissioned by his brother, Fernando de la Cerda -- who had extensive experience, both diplomatic and military, among the Muslims of southern Spain and north Africa -- was a Spanish version of the animal fable Kalila wa-Dimna, a book that belongs to the genre of wisdom literature labeled Mirrors for Princes: stories and sayings meant to instruct the monarch in proper and effective governance. The Panchatantra (also spelled Pañcatantra, in Sanskrit: पञ्चतन्त्र 'Five Principles' or Kalīleh o Demneh But the primary intellectual work of these scholars centered on astronomy and astrology. The early period of Alfonso's reign saw the translation of selected works of magic -- Lapidario, Picatrix, Libro de las formas et las ymagenes -- all translated by a Jewish scholar named Yehudah ben Moshe (Yhuda Mosca, in the Old Spanish source texts). These were all highly ornate manuscripts (only the Lapidario survives in its entirety) containing what was believed to be secret knowledge on the magical properties of stones and talismans. In addition to these books of astral magic, Alfonso ordered the translation of well-known Arabic astrological compendia including the Libro de las cruzes and Libro conplido en los iudizios de las estrellas, the first of these was, ironically, translated from Latin (it was used among the Visigoths!), into Arabic, and then back into Spanish and Latin [2]
As a ruler, Alfonso showed legislative capacity, and a wish to provide his kingdoms with a code of laws and a consistent judicial system. In Law, codification is the process of collecting and restating the law of a Jurisdiction in certain areas usually by subject forming a Legal code. The Fuero Real was undoubtedly his work. He began the code called the Siete Partidas, which, however, was only promulgated by his great-grandson. The Siete Partidas (Seven-Part Code or simply Partidas was a Castilian statutory code first compiled during the reign of Alfonso X of Castile Because of this, he is one of the 23 lawmakers depicted in the chamber of the United States House of Representatives. The United States House of Representatives is one of the two chambers of the United States Congress; the other is the Senate.
Alfonso was the first king who initiated the use of the Castilian language extensively, although his father, Fernando III had begun to use it for some documents, instead of Latin, as the language used in courts, churches, and in books and official documents. Latin ( lingua Latīna, laˈtiːna is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome.
Throughout his reign, Alfonso contended with the nobles, particular the families of Nuño González de Lara, Diego López de Haro and Esteban Fernández de Castro, all of whom were formidable soldiers and instrumental in maintaining Castile's military strength in frontier territories. According to some scholars, Alfonso lacked the singleness of purpose required by a ruler who would devote himself to organization, and also the combination of firmness with temper needed for dealing with his nobles. Others have argued that his efforts were too singularly focused on the diplomatic and financial arrangements surrounding his bid for Holy Roman Emperor.
Alfonso's descent from the Hohenstaufen through his mother, a daughter of the emperor Philip of Swabia, gave him a claim to represent the Swabian line. Philip of Swabia (1177 &ndash June 21, 1208) was king of Germany and duke of Swabia, the rival of the emperor Otto IV. Swabia, Suabia, or Svebia ( German: Schwaben, Schwabenland or Ländle) is both a historic and linguistic Alfonso's election by the prince-electors of the Holy Roman Empire in 1257 misled him into wild schemes that involved excessive expense but never took effect. The Prince-Electors (or simply Electors) of the Holy Roman Empire ( German: Kurfürst ( pl The Holy Roman Empire ( HRE; German Heiliges Römisches Reich (HRR, Latin Sacrum Romanum Imperium (SRI was a union of territories in To obtain money, he debased the coinage and then endeavoured to prevent a rise in prices by an arbitrary tariff. For other uses of this word see Tariff (disambiguation. A tariff is a tax imposed on goods when they are moved across a political boundary The little trade of his dominions was ruined, and the burghers and peasants were deeply offended. His nobles, whom he tried to cow by sporadic acts of violence, rebelled against him.
Alfonso's eldest son, Ferdinand de la Cerda, Infante of Castile, died in 1275, leaving two infant sons. Don Ferdinand de la Cerda (1253-1275 was the Crown Prince ( Infante) of Castile, eldest son of King Alfonso X of Castile and Alfonso's second son, Sancho, claimed to be the new heir, in preference to the children of Ferdinand de la Cerda, basing his claim on an old Castilian custom, that of proximity of blood and agnatic seniority. Sancho IV the Brave (1257 or 1258 &ndash 25 April 1295, Toledo) was the King of Castile and León from 1284 to his death Proximity of blood, or closeness in degree of Kinship, is one of the ways to determine hereditary Succession based on Genealogy. Agnatic (or patrilineal descent is established by tracing descent exclusively through males from a founding male ancestor Alfonso preferred to leave the throne to his grandsons, but Sancho had the support of the nobility. A bitter civil war broke out resulting in 1282 Alfonso's being forced to accept Sancho as his heir instead of his young grandsons. Son and nobles alike supported the Moors when he tried to unite the nation in a crusade; and when he allied himself with Abu Yusuf Yakub, the ruling Marinid Sultan of Morocco, they denounced him as an enemy of the faith. The description Moors has referred to several historic and modern populations of Muslim (and earlier non-Muslim people of Berber and Arab descent The Anglicised name used for this article derives from the Arabic Banu Marin (also Benī Merīn, which is the source of the Spanish name Morocco (المغرب "al-Maghrib" officially the Kingdom of Morocco (المملكة المغربية is a country located in North Africa A reaction in his favor was beginning in his later days, but he died defeated and deserted at Seville, leaving a will, by which he endeavored to exclude Sancho, and a heritage of civil war. Seville ( Spanish: Sevilla, see also different names) is the artistic cultural and financial capital of southern Spain.
Alfonso X commissioned or co-authored numerous works of music during his reign. These works included Cantigas d'escarnio e maldicer, General Estoria and the Libro de los juegos ("Book of Games"). The Libro de los Juegos, ("Book of games" or Libro de acedrex dados e tablas, ("Book of chess dice and tables" was commissioned
Among the most important of the works by Alfonso X was the celebrated Cantigas de Santa Maria ("Songs to the Virgin Mary"), one of the largest collections of vernacular monophonic songs to survive from the Middle Ages. The Cantigas de Santa Maria ("Songs to the Virgin Mary" are manuscripts written in Galician-Portuguese, with music notation during the reign of Alfonso In Music, monophony is the simplest of textures, consisting of Melody without accompanying Harmony. The Cantigas de Santa Maria consists of 420 poems written in Galician-Portuguese with musical notation. Galician-Portuguese (also known as galego-português or galaico-português in Portuguese and as galego-portugués or galaico-portugués The poems are for the most part on miracles attributed to the Virgin Mary. A miracle is an event believed to be caused by interposition of Divine intervention by a Supernatural being in the Universe by which the ordinary operation This ecumenical article is about general Christian views on and veneration of the Virgin Mary One of the miracles Alfonso relates is his own healing in Puerto de Santa María. El Puerto de Santa María (Spanish for "The port/harbour of Saint Mary " locally known as just El Puerto) is a city located on the banks of the Guadalete
Family
In 1246, Alfonso X married Violante of Aragon, the daughter of King James I of Aragon and Yolande of Hungary in 1249, although betrothed already in 1246. Violant or Violante of Aragon, also known as Yolanda of Aragon (1236 - 1301 Queen consort of Castile and León (1252-1284 James I the Conqueror ( Catalan: Jaume el Conqueridor, Aragonese: Chaime lo Conqueridor, Spanish: Jaime el Conquistador Violant of Hungary ( Esztergom, Kingdom of Hungary, c 1216 &ndash 1253 was Queen consort of James I of Aragon. Because of her young age (Violante was only 13-years-old at the time of the marriage), she produced no children for several years and it was feared that she was barren. Alfonso almost had their marriage annulled, but they went on to have ten children:
- Fernando, died in infancy, and buried in Las Huelgas in Burgos. History Early man of Neanderthal occupied sites around Burgos as early as 800000 years ago
- Berengaria of Castile (1253-after 1284). She was betrothed to Louis, the son and heir of King Louis IX of France, but her fiance died prematurely in 1260. She entered the convent in Las Huelgas, where she was living in 1284.
- Beatriz of Castile (1254-1280). She married William VII, Marquess of Montferrat. William VII ( circa 1240 &ndash 6 February 1292) called the Great ( il Gran Marchese) was the twelfth Margrave of Montferrat
- Ferdinand de la Cerda, Infante of Castile (October 23, 1255-July 25, 1275). Don Ferdinand de la Cerda (1253-1275 was the Crown Prince ( Infante) of Castile, eldest son of King Alfonso X of Castile and Events 4004 BC - Creation of the world begins according to the calculations of Archbishop James Ussher 42 BC - Events 285 - Diocletian appoints Maximian as Caesar, co-ruler He married Blanche, the daughter of King Louis IX of France, by whom he had two children. Because he predeceased his father, his younger brother Sancho inherited the throne.
- Leonor of Castile (1257-1275)
- Sancho IV of Castile (May 13, 1258-1295)
- Constanza of Castile (1258-August 22, 1280), a nun at Las Huelgas. Sancho IV the Brave (1257 or 1258 &ndash 25 April 1295, Toledo) was the King of Castile and León from 1284 to his death Events 1497 - Pope Alexander VI excommunicates Girolamo Savonarola. Events 392 - Arbogast has Eugenius elected Western Roman Emperor.
- Pedro of Castile (June 1260-October 10, 1283)
- Juan of Castile, Lord of Valencia (March or April, 1262-June 25, 1319). Events 680 - Battle of Karbala: Shia Imam Husayn bin Ali, the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad, is decapitated Events 524 - Battle of Vézeronce, the Franks defeat the Burgundians
- Isabella, died young.
- Violante of Castile (1265-1296). She married Diego Lopez de Haro
- Jaime of Castile (August 1266-August 9, 1284)
Alfonso X also had several illegitimate children. Events 48 BC - Caesar's civil war: Battle of Pharsalus - Julius Caesar decisively defeats Pompey at Pharsalus His illegitimate daughter, Beatriz de Castilla, married King Alfonso III of Portugal. Afonso III (ɐˈfõsu in Portuguese; rare English alternatives Alphonzo or Alphonse) or Affonso (Archaic Portuguese An illegitimate son, Martin, was Abbot of Valladolid.
References and notes
- ^ Owen Gingerich, "Alfonso X as Patron of Astronomy. Dr Owen Jay Gingerich (1930- is a former Research Professor of Astronomy and of the History of Science at Harvard University, and a senior Astronomer "
- ^ Julio Samsó, "Ciencias Welcoming Jewish, Muslim as well as Christian scholars to his court, Alfonso sponsored translations of several books of astronomy, astrology and magic. After the revolt by his son Sancho, however, Alfonso turned against the Jewish community of Toledo, imprisoning them in their synagogues and demolishing their homes. <ref> James Carroll, ''Constantine's Sword: The Church and the Jews'', Boston, Houghton-Mifflin, 2002, pp. 327-28. </li></ol></ref>
- Ballesteros-Beretta, Antonio. Alfonso X el Sabio, 1963
- Gingerich, Owen. Dr Owen Jay Gingerich (1930- is a former Research Professor of Astronomy and of the History of Science at Harvard University, and a senior Astronomer "Alfonso X as a Patron of Astronomy. " The Eye of Heaven: Ptolemy, Copernicus, Kepler. New York: American Institute of Physics, 1993.
Further reading
- Thomas, Phillip Drennon (1970). "Alfonso el Sabio". Dictionary of Scientific Biography 1. The Dictionary of Scientific Biography is a scholarly reference work that was published from 1970 through 1980 New York: Charles Scribner's Sons. 122. ISBN 0684101149.
External links
- http://www.pbm.com/~lindahl/cantigas/ Cantigas de Santa Maria (facsimile and more)
- http://games.rengeekcentral.com/ Libro de los juegos (illustrations and info)
- http://www.ahs.uwaterloo.ca/~museum/Alfonso/index.html Libro de los juegos, more illustrations and info
- http://www.u.arizona.edu/~smusser/ljtranslation.html Libro de los juegos, partial translation. The Cantigas de Santa Maria ("Songs to the Virgin Mary" are manuscripts written in Galician-Portuguese, with music notation during the reign of Alfonso
- Libros del Saber de Astronomía, Rare Book Database at Universidad Complutense de Madrid. Images of manuscript from 1276. Bibliographical data.
- http://www.hebrewsongs.com/song-hamelechnimrod.htm Cuando el Rey Nimrod - famous Ladino (Judeo-Spanish) song believed to date from King Alfonso's time.
| Preceded by Ferdinand III |
King of Castile and León 1252–1284 |
Succeeded by Sancho IV |
| Preceded by William of Holland |
King of Germany (formally King of the Romans) 1 April 1257–1275 (opposed by Richard of Cornwall and Rudolf of Habsburg) |
Succeeded by Rudolf I |
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