Berengaria of Barcelona

Berenguela or Berengaria of Barcelona (1116 – January 15, 1149) was Queen consort of Castile, León and Galicia (1128–1149)

She was the daughter of Raimon III of Barcelona and Dulce Aldonza Milhaud. Berenguela was the sister of Ramon Berenguer IV who was the ruler of the Kingdom of Aragon.

On November 10/17 1128 in Saldaña, she married Alfonso VII, King of Castile, León and Galicia (1127–1157). Their children were:

  1. Sancho III of Castile (1134–1158)
  2. Ramon, living 1136, died in infancy
  3. Ferdinand II of León (1137–1188)
  4. Constance (c. 1138–1160), married Louis VII of France
  5. Sancha (c. 1139–1179), married Sancho VI of Navarre
  6. García (c. 1142–1145/6)
  7. Alfonso (c. 1144–c. 1149)

In her lifetime a new political entity was formed in the northeast Iberian Peninsula: Portugal seceded from León in the west, giving more balance to the Christian kingdoms of the Iberian peninsula. Her brother Ramon Berenguer successfully pulled Aragon out of its pledged submission to Castile, aided no doubt by the beauty and charm of his sister Berenguela, wife of Alfonso the Emperor, for which she was well known in her time. Her niece (daughter of Ramon Berenguer) Dulce of Aragon (1160–1198), married in 1175 king Sancho I from Portugal.

She died in Palencia, and was buried at the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela.

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