Alfonso X of Castile - Family

Family

Violante was ten years old at the time of her marriage to Alfonso; 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 eleven children:

  1. Berengaria (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.
  2. Beatrice (1254–1280). She married William VII, Marquess of Montferrat.
  3. Ferdinand de la Cerda, Infante of Castile (23 October 1255 – 25 July 1275). 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.
  4. Eleanor (1257–1275)
  5. Sancho IV of Castile (13 May 1258–1295)
  6. Constance (1258 – 22 August 1280), a nun at Las Huelgas.
  7. Peter (June 1260 – 10 October 1283)
  8. John, Lord of Valencia de Campos (March or April 1262 – 25 June 1319).
  9. Isabella, died young.
  10. Violant (1265–1296). She married Diego López V de Haro, Lord of Biscay
  11. James (August 1266 – 9 August 1284), Lord of Cameros

Alfonso X also had several illegitimate children. With Mayor Guillen de Guzmán, daughter of Guillén Pérez de Guzmán and of María González Girón, he fathered:

  • Beatrice, married King Afonso III of Portugal. An illegitimate son, Martin, was Abbot of Valladolid.

With Elvira Rodríguez de Villada, daughter of Rodrigo Fernández de Villada, he fathered:

  • Alfonso Fernández de Castilla (1242–1281), also known as el nino, he was señor de Molina and of Mesa through his marriage with Blanca Alfonso de Molina.

With María Alfonso de León, his aunt, the illegitimate daughter of the King Alfonso IX of Leon and Teresa Gil de Soberosa he had:

  • Berenguela Alfonso of Castile, who married after 1264 with Pedro Núñez de Guzmán but she died young leaving behind no descendants.

Read more about this topic:  Alfonso X Of Castile

Famous quotes containing the word family:

    “Q: What would have made a family and career easier for you?
    A: Being born a man.”
    —Anonymous Mother, U.S. physician and mother of four. As quoted in Women and the Work Family Dilemma, by Deborah J. Swiss and Judith P. Walker, ch. 2 (1993)

    “Unfortunately, life may sometimes seem unfair to middle children, some of whom feel like an afterthought to a brilliant older sibling and unable to captivate the family’s attention like the darling baby. Yet the middle position offers great training for the real world of lowered expectations, negotiation, and compromise. Middle children who often must break the mold set by an older sibling may thereby learn to challenge family values and seek their own identity.”
    —Marianne E. Neifert (20th century)

    “Family lore can be a bore, but only when you are hearing it, never when you are relating it to the ones who will be carrying it on for you. A family without a storyteller or two has no way to make sense out of their past and no way to get a sense of themselves.”
    —Frank Pittman (20th century)