Bonanada (fl. 1380), was a
Spanish midwife
A midwife is a health professional who cares for mothers and newborns around childbirth, a specialization known as midwifery.
The education and training for a midwife concentrates extensively on the care of women throughout their lifespan; co ...
.
Bonanada was the midwife of the royal family of
Aragon
Aragon ( , ; Spanish and an, Aragón ; ca, Aragó ) is an autonomous community in Spain, coextensive with the medieval Kingdom of Aragon. In northeastern Spain, the Aragonese autonomous community comprises three provinces (from north to sou ...
. She was evidently a trusted and reputed midwife, as she was recommended among the members of the royal family: she participated in the labor of
Eleanor of Aragon, Queen of Castile
Eleanor of Aragon (20 February 1358 – 13 August 1382) was a daughter of King Peter IV of Aragon and his wife Eleanor of Sicily. She was a member of the House of Barcelona and Queen of Castile by her marriage. cites .
Family
Eleanor was the you ...
as well as
Violant of Bar
Violant of Bar (c. 1365 – 3 July 1431) was Queen of Aragon by marriage to John I of Aragon. She was active in matrimonial politics and served as "Queen-Lieutenant" (regent) of Aragon as proxy of her spouse from 1388 until 1395.
Life
She was the ...
, and was described by
Peter IV of Aragon
Peter IV, ; an, Pero, ; es, Pedro, . In Catalan, he may also be nicknamed ''el del punyalet'': "he of the little dagger". (Catalan: ''Pere IV''; 5 September 1319 – 6 January 1387), called the Ceremonious (Catalan: ''el Cerimoniós''), w ...
and
Eleanor of Sicily
Eleanor of Sicily (1325–1375) was Queen of Aragon from 1349 until 1375 as the third wife of King Peter IV.
Early life
Eleanor was the daughter of Peter II of Sicily and Elisabeth of Carinthia. She was the second of eight children, six of who ...
as an excellent servant worthy of complete trust.
In 1374, she was accused by the heir to the throne, the future
John I of Aragon
John I (27 December 1350 – 19 May 1396), called by posterity the Hunter or the Lover of Elegance, but the Abandoned in his lifetime, was the King of Aragon from 1387 until his death.
Biography
John was the eldest son of Peter IV and his third ...
, of the murder of
Joan of France by use of
sorcery. However, Bonanada was given complete protection by the king and queen, who also asked that she be returned from John's custody as soon as possible, as her services were needed, and she evidently was.
References
*
Diccionari Biogràfic de Dones: Bonanada»
* Rubió i Lluch, Antoni (2000). Documents per a la història de la cultura catalana medieval. Ed. facsímil. Barcelona: Institut d'Estudis Catalans.
14th-century people from the Kingdom of Aragon
People accused of witchcraft
Spanish midwives
Spanish courtiers
Witch trials in Spain
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