Urraca of Leon and Castile

• Sancha - born before 1095
• Alfonso (later Alfonso VII of León and Castile), born March 1, 1105; ruled 1126 - 1157
• Urraca may have had as many as seven other pregnancies during this marriage, ending in miscarriage, stillbirth, or infant deaths

• none; he was compelled to make his stepson, Alfonso VII of Castile, his heir, based on his marriage contract with Urraca

Sources About Urraca

We know very little about Urraca's personal life; it must be largely inferred from the 118 documents and charters with her name that survive, and a few other documents. The Bishop Gelmirez -- at times Urraca's supporter and enemy -- is the subject of a near-contemporary biography, and this provides some information about Urraca, probably seriously biased. A few other contemporary or near-contemporary chroniclers mention Urraca in connection with her father's and her son's histories.

Urraca of Leon and Castile Biography:

Urraca was born in 1079 or 1080, and from that time until 1107 was the heiress presumptive of the titles of her father, Alfonso VI of León and Castile, as he had no living legitimate son. Urraca's mother, Constance of Burgundy, died in 1093. Her father had a son, Sancho, by his Muslim mistress, and in 1107 named Sancho his heir. Sancho died the next year in a battle, and Urraca was again the heiress presumptive.

First Marriage

Sometime around 1086 to 1088, still in her childhood and younger than the twelve years old required normally by the church for marriage eligibility, Urraca was betrothed to Count Raymond of Burgundy. She was pregnant nine times, miscarrying or having stillborns with most pregnancies. Only two children survived early childhood: a daughter, Sancha, born before 1095, and a son, Alfonso, born March 1, 1105. In 1107, the same year that her father named his illegitimate son his heir, Urraca's first husband Raymond died, and she inherited title to his lands, including Galicia.

Unity With Aragon?

Urraca's father negotiated a marriage for Urraca to Alfonso I of Aragon, a second cousin of Urraca. In this marriage agreement, Alfonso I agreed to make Urraca and any son they had his heirs to Aragon; if no sons were born to them, Urraca and her children from her first marriage were to inherit Aragon. As for Urraca's titles and lands, if Alfonso I outlived Urraca, he was to profit from those lands only during his lifetime, and her son from her first marriage was to become the ruler.

Urraca's father died on June 30, 1109, making Urraca the sovereign ruler of Leon and Castile. That fall, Urraca married Alfonso I of Aragon, as her father had negotiated.

The church objected to the marriage, as the two were within the prohibited limites of consanguinity. The marriage was not generally accepted by the nobles of Leon and Castile. There were no children, and Urraca charged Alfonso I with being physically abusive.

The long Spanish battle between the native Spaniards and the conquering Muslims -- called the Reconquista by the Spanish -- brought Urraca and Alfonso I into a cooperative effort to repel a Muslim attack on Aragon, during late 1109 into 1110. After that success, Urraca and Alfonso separated. The church annulled the marriage in 1110, an annulment which Alfonso did not accept. Alfonso seized control of Castile by force.

In 1112, Urraca's forces retook Castile from Alfonso, who then claimed Leon, Castile, Toledo and Aragon. Alfonso I finally accepted the annulment in 1114.

Ruling with Her Son

Urraca made her son, another Alfonso, her co-ruler, and the two won back Castile by 1116. Alfonso I of Aragon negotiated a trade: Castile for Urraca if she gave up claims to Zaragoza, which was in the hands of the Muslims but which Alfonso intended to retake. The truce was approved by the church.

Alfonso I of Aragon succeeded in winning back Zaragoza from Muslim control. He pursued other Muslim strongholds, winning for himself the title of Alfonso the Warrior. Urraca led her forces against the Muslims who had control of Toledo.

In 1120, Urraca angered the church by taking captive a bishop, Gelmirez.

Death and Legacy

Urraca died on March 8 or 9, 1126. Her cause of death is not known for certain; some speculate she died in childbirth. Urraca is credited with having several lovers after her separation from Alfonso I. Count Pedro Gonzalez of Lara attempted, with his brother, to seize her crown after her death, on the grounds he had been Urraca's consort. Urraca's son mustered his allies and they prevailed over Pedro Gonzalez; the son became king as Alfonso VII of Leon and Castile.

Alfonso VII continued to fight against Alfonso I of Aragon. They signed a truce in 1128, the Peace of Tamara, confirming the separate boundaries of the two realms. Alfonso I died in 1134, with enough mystery surrounding his end that an imposter came forward years later impersonating him. Alfonso VII could not gain the support of the nobles of Leon and Navarre to succeed Alfonso I, ending the hope of uniting Aragon, Castile, Leon and the other territories then considered Spain, which Urraca's second marriage was supposed to bring about.

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