UNIT 3.

THE ORIGINS OF THE FIRST PENINSULAR

KINGDOMS

The Reconquest: To establish the legitimacy of the Visigothic

Kingdom and the Christian kingdoms that followed it to reconquer
the Al-Andalus.

1. How were the first Christian kingdoms?

Throughout the 8th century, some local leaders (caudillos)

from the mountainous areas in Asturias refused to accept
the muslims occupation. One of these leaders called Don
Pelayo defeated a group of muslims in the Covadonga
battle, in 722.

Favila (Don Pelayo son) it is going to be killed by a bear, so

Alfonso the husband of Don Pelayo’s daughter
(Ermesinda) was the new king of the Asturias kingdom.

He decided to burn all the villages and crops of the land

between the Duero river and the Cantabrian mountains. It
was a good strategy to defend the small kingdoms from
the muslims. Alfonso I ruled between 739-756. They
established the capital of the Asturias kingdom in Cangas
de Onís and some years later in Oviedo

Alfonso II “El Casto” (791-842) was one of the most

important kings of Asturian kingdom. In his kingdom he
discovered the Santiago’s tomb. The camino became a
route of cultural and commercial exchange. Towns grew
along the route (Pamplona; Logroño, Burgos…). Trade
developed along, with markets.

The journey was long and difficult, but Church encouraged

the building of inns, hospitals to receive pilgrims.

Romanesque and Gothic style spread through the Iberian

Peninsula along the Camino. The final destination was the
Cathedral of Santiago in Compostela. They traveled in
groups for protection.

Why do you think was so important for the primitive

Asturias kingdom the discovery of the Santiagos’s tomb?

Why don’t we do a test to check the corpse of the tomb in

nowadays?

2. The Marca Hispánica and the first pyrenean kingdoms

and counties

While the kingdom of Asturias was gaining strength,

the Frankish king Charlemagne led several attacks
on Hispanic soil against the Muslims.
He obtained control of the cities of Pamplona, Jaca,
Girona and Barcelona, but failed in his attempt to
reach the Ebro valley and take control of Zaragoza.

To reinforce the border of his kingdom,

Charlemagne created a defensive zone along the
Pyrenees. This territory became known as the Marca
Hispánica.

The Marca was fortified and, as a defensive

measure, was divided into counties governed by
counts, who swore allegiance to the Frankish king.

After the death of Charlemagne, the counts that

governed the different territories tended to make
their counties hereditary and independent from
Frankish rule. This was how the Kingdom of
Pamplona, the Aragonese counties and the Catalan
counties were created.

Vocabulary: The marcas were defensive territories located on the

borders of the Carolingian Empire. The king of the Franks gave
control of the territories to counts who had armies to defend them

Historical Event: THE BATTLE OF RONCESVALLES

At the end of the 8th century, Charlemagne led an army with the aim of
conquering Zaragoza and incorporating the north of the Ebro Valley into his
empire.

After failing in his attempt and returning home, he was ambushed by a group
of Basques in Roncesvalles in 778.

The event was turned into the epic French poem La Chanson de Roland.

3. FROM THE KINGDOM OF ASTURIAS TO THE KINGDOM

OF LEON

A) The occupation of the Duero Valley

In the second half of the 9th century, the kings of Asturias, in

particular Alfonso III (866-910), took advantage of internal
conflict and the weakness of the emirs of Córdoba to expand
their territory.

They conquered the virtually uninhabited region from the

Cordillera Cantábrica to the River Duero (Cities like Zamora;
León; Oporto)

B) The Creation of the kingdom of Leon

In the 9th century, to effectively occupy the right side of the
Duero Valley, it was necessary to resettle it. So, peasant
families from the Cantabrian valleys were encouraged to
move to the area.

To control the territory and protect the settler families, King

Ordoño II (914-924) moved his court to León (914) and made it
his capital. The expansion south of the Cordillera Cantábrica
was so important that the Kingdom of Asturias was renamed
the Kingdom of León.

C) 10TH CENTURY A STABLE ORDER.

The Kingdom of León continued to expand up to the River

Tormes (in Salamanca and Ávila), but the Muslims were quick
to react.

Al-Andalus had increased its military power since the

proclamation of the Caliphate (10th century), and Al-Mansur, an
andalusí military leader, tried to win back cities like Santiago,
León and Zamora through violent raids.

As a result, the Kingdom of León stopped expanding while the

kings defended themselves and tried to secure the border
along the River Duero.

D) How was the kingdom of Castile formed?

Nearly all of the Muslim attacks on the kingdom of León, came
from the east, from present day Burgos.

To defend their territory, the kings of León, in particular

Alfonso III, built castles and gave land and military power to
various counts. As a result, the area became known as
Castilla, the land of castles.

As these territories were not controlled directly by the kings,

the counts began to act more independently.

In the 10th century, the count Fernán Gonzalez (931-970) took

advantage of the conflict in the kingdom of León to unite the
counties in Castilla. He declared his title hereditary and
created the “Condado de Castilla”.

4. THE LEGACY OF SANCHO III THE GREAT

At the start of the 11th century, Sancho III (1004-1035) inherited

the Kingdom of Pamplona. Thanks to his military skills and
marriage alliance, he expanded his territory to:

● The Counties of Castile (through his marriage to the heir,

Doña Sancha), Aragón, Sobrarbe and Ribagorza.
● the Kingdom of León, after he took advantage of internal
divisions to conquer most of the territory.

Under Sancho III, the kingdom became the most powerful on

the Peninsula and established trading links with other
European states. This was why he was known as Sancho the
Great.
When he died, the kingdom was divided among his sons,
creating the Kingdoms of Castile and León, Pamplona and
Aragón, which incorporated Sobrarbe and Ribagorza.

SEGUIMOS AQUÍ PARA EL SIGUIENTE EXAMEN.

1. The consolidation of the Peninsular kingdoms

A)The Crown of Castilla.

● Castile and León: union and separation

On the death of Fernando I, Castile was inherited by Sancho II and

León by Alfonso VI and Zamora corresponded to his sister Urraca.
 Sancho II is going to die assassinated in the city of Zamora by
Vellido Dolfos, when he tried to conquer the city of Zamora (he
accused him of not obeying him and supporting his brother Alfonso
VI).

After the death of his brother, Alfonso VI is going to be named King

of Castile as well, but El Cid is going to force him to take an oath
that he had nothing to do with the death of his brother Sancho II
(Santa Gadea Juramentos).

Alfonso VI conquered the Toledo Taifa but was defeated by the

almoravids in Sagrajas. His only son died fighting against the
almoravids in the Uclés battle (1108), so his daughter Urraca was
the first woman to be named Queen.

After that moment the kingdoms of Leon and Castilla continued to be

united and separated several times for hereditary reasons.

The two kingdoms were finally unified in 1230, when Ferdinand III
inherited the Kingdom of Castile from his mother and the Kingdom
of León from his father.

The result of this union was the Crown of Castile, which had a
major role in the final phase of the Christian conquest.

B) THE CROWN OF PORTUGAL.

Portugal was part of the Kingdom of León until the early 12th century when, due to
inheritance, it became a county, although dependent on the kingdom. It became
independent in 1128, when Count Afonso Henriquesα proclaimed himself king.

C) DSF
2. FDG