Ferdinand III ( es, Fernando, link=no; 1199/120130 May 1252), called the Saint (''el Santo''), was
King of Castile from 1217 and
King of León
In the reign of Ordoño I of Asturias (850–866), the kingdom began to be known as that of León. In 910, an independent Kingdom of León was founded when the king of Asturias divided his territory amongst his three sons.
Below follows a ...
from 1230 as well as
King of Galicia from 1231. He was the son of
Alfonso IX of León and
Berenguela of Castile. Through his second marriage he was also
Count of Aumale
The County of Aumale, later elevated to a duchy, was a medieval fief in Normandy. It was disputed between England and France during parts of the Hundred Years' War.
Aumale in Norman nobility
Aumale was a medieval fief in the Duchy of Normandy and ...
. Ferdinand III was one of the most successful kings of Castile, securing not only the permanent union of the crowns of Castile and León, but also masterminding the most expansive southward territorial expansion campaign yet in the
Guadalquivir Valley, in which Islamic rule was in disarray in the wake of the decline of the
Almohad presence in the Iberian Peninsula.
By military and diplomatic efforts, Ferdinand greatly expanded the dominions of Castile by annexing the
Guadalquivir
The Guadalquivir (, also , , ) is the fifth-longest river in the Iberian Peninsula and the second-longest river with its entire length in Spain. The Guadalquivir is the only major navigable river in Spain. Currently it is navigable from the Gul ...
river valley in the south of the Iberian Peninsula, establishing the boundaries of the Castilian state for the next two centuries. New territories included important cities such as
Baeza
Baeza may refer to:
* Baeza, Ecuador
* Baeza, Spain
** University of Baeza
** Baeza Cathedral
* '' Brusqeulia baeza'', a species of moth
People
* Baeza (rapper) (born 1993), American rapper, singer, actor, hip hop producer, and songwriter
* Ac ...
,
Úbeda,
Jaén,
Córdoba or
Seville
Seville (; es, Sevilla, ) is the capital and largest city of the Spanish autonomous community of Andalusia and the province of Seville. It is situated on the lower reaches of the River Guadalquivir, in the southwest of the Iberian Penins ...
, that were subject of Repartimiento, given a new general charter and repopulated in the following years.
Ferdinand was
canonized in 1671 by
Pope Clement X. Places such as the cities of
San Fernando, Pampanga
San Fernando, officially the City of San Fernando ( pam, Lakanbalen ning Sampernandu; fil, Lungsod ng San Fernando), is a 1st class component city and capital of the province of Pampanga, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a p ...
and
San Fernando, La Union
San Fernando City, officially the City of San Fernando ( ilo, Siudad ti San Fernando; fil, Lungsod ng San Fernando), is a 3rd class component city and capital of the province of La Union, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a popu ...
; the
Diocese of Ilagan and the
San Fernando de Dilao Church in
Paco, Manila in the
Philippines
The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no),
* bik, Republika kan Filipinas
* ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas
* cbk, República de Filipinas
* hil, Republ ...
; and in the United States, in
California
California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...
the
City of San Fernando, the
San Fernando Valley
The San Fernando Valley, known locally as the Valley, is an urbanized valley in Los Angeles County, California. Located to the north of the Los Angeles Basin, it contains a large portion of the City of Los Angeles, as well as unincorporated ar ...
, and in
Texas
Texas (, ; Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2020, it is the second-largest U.S. state by ...
the
Cathedral of San Fernando in
San Antonio
("Cradle of Freedom")
, image_map =
, mapsize = 220px
, map_caption = Interactive map of San Antonio
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = United States
, subdivision_type1= State
, subdivision_name1 = Texas
, subdivision_ ...
were all named after him.
Early life
The exact date of Ferdinand's birth is unclear. It has been proposed to have been as early as 1199 or even 1198, although more recent researchers commonly date Ferdinand's birth in the summer of 1201. Ferdinand was born at the
Monastery
A monastery is a building or complex of buildings comprising the domestic quarters and workplaces of monastics, monks or nuns, whether living in communities or alone (hermits). A monastery generally includes a place reserved for prayer whic ...
of Valparaíso (Peleas de Arriba, in what is now the
Province of Zamora
Zamora () is a province of western Spain, in the western part of the autonomous community of Castile and León. It is bordered by the provinces of Ourense, León, Valladolid, and Salamanca, and by Portugal.
The present-day province of Zam ...
).
As the son of
Alfonso IX of León and his second wife
Berengaria of Castile, Ferdinand descended from
Alfonso VII of León and Castile
Alfonso VII (1 March 110521 August 1157), called the Emperor (''el Emperador''), became the King of Galicia in 1111 and King of León and Castile in 1126. Alfonso, born Alfonso Raimúndez, first used the title Emperor of All Spain, alongside hi ...
on both sides; his paternal grandfather
Ferdinand II of León and maternal great grandfather
Sancho III of Castile
Sancho III (c. 1134 – 31 August 1158), called the Desired (''el Deseado''), was King of Castile and Toledo for one year, from 1157 to 1158. He was the son of Alfonso VII of León and Castile and his wife Berengaria of Barcelona, and was su ...
were the sons of Alfonso VII between whom his kingdom was divided. Ferdinand had other royal ancestors from his paternal grandmother
Urraca of Portugal and his maternal grandmother
Eleanor of England
Eleanor of England ( es, Leonor; – 31 October 1214), was Queen of Castile and Toledo as wife of Alfonso VIII of Castile. She was the sixth child and second daughter of Henry II, King of England, and Eleanor of Aquitaine.
Early life and fam ...
a daughter of
Henry II of England
Henry II (5 March 1133 – 6 July 1189), also known as Henry Curtmantle (french: link=no, Court-manteau), Henry FitzEmpress, or Henry Plantagenet, was King of England from 1154 until his death in 1189, and as such, was the first Angevin kin ...
and
Eleanor of Aquitaine
Eleanor ( – 1 April 1204; french: Aliénor d'Aquitaine, ) was Queen of France from 1137 to 1152 as the wife of King Louis VII, List of English royal consorts, Queen of England from 1154 to 1189 as the wife of Henry II of England, King Henry I ...
.
The marriage of Ferdinand's parents was annulled by order of
Pope Innocent III
Pope Innocent III ( la, Innocentius III; 1160 or 1161 – 16 July 1216), born Lotario dei Conti di Segni (anglicized as Lothar of Segni), was the head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 8 January 1198 to his death in 16 ...
in 1204, due to
consanguinity
Consanguinity ("blood relation", from Latin '' consanguinitas'') is the characteristic of having a kinship with another person (being descended from a common ancestor).
Many jurisdictions have laws prohibiting people who are related by blood fr ...
, but the legitimacy of the children was recognized.
Berengaria then took their children, including Ferdinand, to the court of her father, King
Alfonso VIII of Castile
Alfonso VIII (11 November 11555 October 1214), called the Noble (''El Noble'') or the one of Las Navas (''el de las Navas''), was King of Castile from 1158 to his death and King of Toledo. After having suffered a great defeat with his own army a ...
. In 1217, her younger brother,
Henry I Henry I may refer to:
876–1366
* Henry I the Fowler, King of Germany (876–936)
* Henry I, Duke of Bavaria (died 955)
* Henry I of Austria, Margrave of Austria (died 1018)
* Henry I of France (1008–1060)
* Henry I the Long, Margrave of the N ...
, died and she succeeded him on the Castilian throne with Ferdinand as her heir, but she quickly surrendered it to her son.
Alfonso of León considered himself tricked, and the young king had to begin his reign by a war against his father and a faction of the Castilian nobles. His and his mother's abilities proved too much for the king of Leon and his Castilian allies. Berengaria continued to be a key influence on Ferdinand, following her advice in prosecuting wars and even in the choice of a wife,
Elisabeth of Swabia
Elisabeth of Swabia (renamed Beatrice; March/May 1205 – 5 November 1235), was a member of the House of Hohenstaufen who became Queen of Castile and Leon by marriage to Ferdinand III.
Born in Nürnberg, Elisabeth was the fourth daughter of Phili ...
.
Unification of Castile and León
When Ferdinand's father died in 1230, his will delivered the kingdom to his older daughters
Sancha
is a district of Setagaya, Tokyo, Japan. It is also known as Sancha (三茶) for short.
It is home to many bars, cafes and restaurants. Some major streets include National Route 246, Setagaya-dori and Chazawara-dori.
Education
Setagaya Board o ...
and
Dulce, from his first marriage to
Teresa of Portugal. But Ferdinand contested the will, and claimed the inheritance for himself. At length, an agreement was reached, negotiated primarily between their mothers, Berengaria and Teresa. The resulting
treaty of Benavente
The Treaty of Benavente, signed on 30 December 1230, was the agreement by which Sancha and Dulce, the heiresses of the Kingdom of León, renounced their throne to their brother, King Ferdinand III of Castile, thus uniting the kingdoms of León a ...
was signed on 11 December 1230, by which Ferdinand received the
Kingdom of León
The Kingdom of León; es, Reino de León; gl, Reino de León; pt, Reino de Leão; la, Regnum Legionense; mwl, Reino de Lhion was an independent kingdom situated in the northwest region of the Iberian Peninsula. It was founded in 910 when t ...
, in return for a substantial compensation in cash and lands for his half-sisters, Sancha and Dulce. Ferdinand thus became the first sovereign of both kingdoms since the death of
Alfonso VII
Alphons (Latinized ''Alphonsus'', ''Adelphonsus'', or ''Adefonsus'') is a male given name recorded from the 8th century (Alfonso I of Asturias, r. 739–757) in the Christian successor states of the Visigothic kingdom in the Iberian peninsula. ...
in 1157.
Early in his reign, Ferdinand had to deal with a rebellion of the
House of Lara.
Reconquest of al-Andalus
Since the
Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa in 1212 halted the advance of the
Almohads
The Almohad Caliphate (; ar, خِلَافَةُ ٱلْمُوَحِّدِينَ or or from ar, ٱلْمُوَحِّدُونَ, translit=al-Muwaḥḥidūn, lit=those who profess the unity of God) was a North African Berber Muslim empire ...
in Spain, a series of truces had kept Castile and the Almohad dominions of
al-Andalus
Al-Andalus translit. ; an, al-Andalus; ast, al-Ándalus; eu, al-Andalus; ber, ⴰⵏⴷⴰⵍⵓⵙ, label= Berber, translit=Andalus; ca, al-Àndalus; gl, al-Andalus; oc, Al Andalús; pt, al-Ândalus; es, al-Ándalus () was the M ...
more-or-less at peace. However, a crisis of succession in the Almohad Caliphate after the death of
Yusuf II in 1224 opened to Ferdinand III an opportunity for intervention. The Andalusian-based claimant,
Abdallah al-Adil, began to ship the bulk of Almohad arms and men across the
straits to
Morocco
Morocco (),, ) officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is the westernmost country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria to A ...
to contest the succession with his rival there, leaving al-Andalus relatively undefended. Al-Adil's rebellious cousin, Abdallah al-Bayyasi (the
Baeza
Baeza may refer to:
* Baeza, Ecuador
* Baeza, Spain
** University of Baeza
** Baeza Cathedral
* '' Brusqeulia baeza'', a species of moth
People
* Baeza (rapper) (born 1993), American rapper, singer, actor, hip hop producer, and songwriter
* Ac ...
n), appealed to Ferdinand III for military assistance against the usurper. In 1225, a Castilian army accompanied al-Bayyasi in a campaign,
ravaging the regions of
Jaén,
vega de Granada
The Vega de Granada is a ''comarca'' (county, but with no administrative role) in the province of Granada, southeastern Spain. According to the 2007 census (INE), the comarca has a population of 500,121 inhabitants, which is over half the ove ...
and, before the end of the year, had successfully installed al-Bayyasi in
Córdoba. In payment, al-Bayyasi gave Ferdinand the strategic frontier strongholds of
Baños de la Encina, Salvatierra (the old
Order of Calatrava fortress near
Ciudad Real
Ciudad Real (, ; en, "Royal City") is a municipality of Spain located in the autonomous community of Castile–La Mancha, capital of the province of Ciudad Real. It is the 5th most populated municipality in the region.
History
It was founded ...
) and
Capilla (the last of which had to be taken by siege). When al-Bayyasi was rejected and killed by a popular uprising in Córdoba shortly after, the Castilians remained in occupation of al-Bayyasi's holdings in
Andújar,
Baeza
Baeza may refer to:
* Baeza, Ecuador
* Baeza, Spain
** University of Baeza
** Baeza Cathedral
* '' Brusqeulia baeza'', a species of moth
People
* Baeza (rapper) (born 1993), American rapper, singer, actor, hip hop producer, and songwriter
* Ac ...
and
Martos.
The crisis in the Almohad Caliphate, however, remained unresolved. In 1228, a new Almohad pretender,
Idris al-Ma'mun
Abu al-Ala Idris al-Ma'mun ( ar, أبو العلا المأمون إدريس بن المنصور; ''Abū Al-`lā Al-Mā'mūn Idrīs ibn Al-Manṣūr''; died 16 or 17 October 1232) was an Almohad rival caliph who reigned in part of the empire fro ...
, decided to abandon Spain, and left with the last remnant of the Almohad forces for Morocco. Al-Andalus was left fragmented in the hands of local strongmen, only loosely led by
Muhammad ibn Yusuf ibn Hud al-Judhami
Muhammad ( ar, مُحَمَّد; 570 – 8 June 632 Common Era, CE) was an Arab religious, social, and political leader and the founder of Islam. According to Muhammad in Islam, Islamic doctrine, he was a prophet Divine inspiration, di ...
. Seeing the opportunity, the Christian kings of the north – Ferdinand III of Castile,
Alfonso IX of León,
James I of Aragon and
Sancho II of Portugal
Sancho II (; 8 September 1209 – 4 January 1248), nicknamed the Cowled or the Capuched ( pt, o Capelo), alternatively, the Pious ( pt, o Piedoso), was King of Portugal from 1223 to 1248. He was succeeded on the Portuguese throne by his bro ...
– immediately launched a series of raids on al-Andalus, renewed almost every year. There were no great battle encounters – Ibn Hud's makeshift Andalusian army was destroyed early on, while attempting to stop the Leonese at
Alange in 1230. The Christian armies romped through the south virtually unopposed in the field. Individual Andalusian cities were left to resist or negotiate their capitulation by themselves, with little or no prospect of rescue from Morocco or anywhere else.
The twenty years from 1228 to 1248 saw the most massive advance in the
reconquista
The ' ( Spanish, Portuguese and Galician for "reconquest") is a historiographical construction describing the 781-year period in the history of the Iberian Peninsula between the Umayyad conquest of Hispania in 711 and the fall of the N ...
yet. In this great sweep, most of the great old citadels of al-Andalus fell one by one. Ferdinand III took the lion's share of the spoils –
Badajoz
Badajoz (; formerly written ''Badajos'' in English) is the capital of the Province of Badajoz in the autonomous community of Extremadura, Spain. It is situated close to the Portuguese border, on the left bank of the river Guadiana. The populati ...
and
Mérida (which had fallen to the Leonese), were promptly inherited by Ferdinand in 1230; then by his own effort,
Cazorla
Cazorla is a municipality of Spain located in the province of Jaén, Andalusia. According to the 2006 census (INE), it had a population of 8,173 inhabitants.
Description
Cazorla lies at an elevation of 836 metres on the western slope of the S ...
in 1231,
Úbeda in 1233, the old
Umayyad capital of
Córdoba in 1236,
Niebla and
Huelva in 1238,
Écija
Écija () is a city and municipality of Spain belonging to the province of Seville, in the autonomous community of Andalusia. It is in the countryside, 85 km east of the city of Seville. According to the 2008 census, Écija had a total populat ...
and
Lucena in 1240,
Orihuela and
Murcia in 1243 (by the famous 'pact of Alcaraz'),
Arjona,
Mula and
Lorca in 1244,
Cartagena in 1245,
Jaén in 1246,
Alicante
Alicante ( ca-valencia, Alacant) is a city and municipality in the Valencian Community, Spain. It is the capital of the province of Alicante and a historic Mediterranean port. The population of the city was 337,482 , the second-largest in ...
in 1248 and finally, on 22 December 1248, Ferdinand III entered as a conqueror in
Seville
Seville (; es, Sevilla, ) is the capital and largest city of the Spanish autonomous community of Andalusia and the province of Seville. It is situated on the lower reaches of the River Guadalquivir, in the southwest of the Iberian Penins ...
, the greatest of Andalusian cities. At the end of this twenty-year onslaught, only a rump Andalusian state, the
Emirate of Granada
)
, common_languages = Official language: Classical ArabicOther languages: Andalusi Arabic, Mozarabic, Berber, Ladino
, capital = Granada
, religion = Majority religion: Sunni IslamMinority religions:R ...
, remained unconquered (and even so, Ferdinand III managed to extract a tributary arrangement from Granada in 1238).
Ferdinand annexed some of his conquests directly into the
Crown of Castile
The Crown of Castile was a medieval polity in the Iberian Peninsula that formed in 1230 as a result of the third and definitive union of the crowns and, some decades later, the parliaments of the kingdoms of Castile and León upon the accessi ...
, and others were initially received and organized as vassal states under Muslim governors (e.g. Alicante, Niebla, Murcia), although they too were eventually permanently occupied and absorbed into Castile before the end of the century (Niebla in 1262, Murcia in 1264, Alicante in 1266). Outside of these vassal states, Christian rule could be heavy-handed on the new Muslim subjects. The range of Castilian conquests also sometimes transgressed into the spheres of interest of other conquerors. Thus, along the way, Ferdinand III took care to carefully negotiate with the other Christian kings to avoid conflict, e.g. the
treaty of Almizra (26 March 1244) which delineated the Murcian boundary with
James I of Aragon.
Ferdinand divided the conquered territories between the
Knights
A knight is a person granted an honorary title of knighthood by a head of state (including the Pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the church or the country, especially in a military capacity. Knighthood finds origins in the ...
, the Church, and the nobility, whom he endowed with great
latifundia. When he took Córdoba, he ordered the ''
Liber Iudiciorum'' to be adopted and observed by its citizens, and caused it to be rendered, albeit inaccurately, into
Castilian.
The capture of Córdoba was the result of a well-planned and executed process whereby parts of the city (the Ajarquía) first fell to the independent
almogavars of the
Sierra Morena
The Sierra Morena is one of the main systems of mountain ranges in Spain. It stretches for 450 kilometres from east to west across the south of the Iberian Peninsula, forming the southern border of the '' Meseta Central'' plateau and pro ...
to the north, which Ferdinand had not at the time subjugated. Only in 1236 did Ferdinand arrive with a royal army to take the Medina, the religious and administrative centre of the city. Ferdinand set up a council of ''partidores'' to divide the conquests and between 1237 and 1244 a great deal of land was parcelled out to private individuals and members of the royal family as well as to the Church. On 10 March 1241, Ferdinand established seven outposts to define the boundary of the province of Córdoba.
Domestic policy
On the domestic front, Ferdinand strengthened the
University of Salamanca and erected the current
Cathedral of Burgos
The Cathedral of Saint Mary of Burgos ( es, Santa Iglesia Basílica Catedral Metropolitana de Santa María de Burgos) is a Catholic church dedicated to the Virgin Mary located in the historical center of the Spanish city of Burgos. Its official n ...
. He was a patron of the newest movement in the Church, that of the
mendicant Orders. Whereas the
Benedictine
, image = Medalla San Benito.PNG
, caption = Design on the obverse side of the Saint Benedict Medal
, abbreviation = OSB
, formation =
, motto = (English: 'Pray and Work')
, foun ...
monk
A monk (, from el, μοναχός, ''monachos'', "single, solitary" via Latin ) is a person who practices religious asceticism by monastic living, either alone or with any number of other monks. A monk may be a person who decides to dedic ...
s, and then the
Cistercian
The Cistercians, () officially the Order of Cistercians ( la, (Sacer) Ordo Cisterciensis, abbreviated as OCist or SOCist), are a Catholic religious order of monks and nuns that branched off from the Benedictines and follow the Rule of Saint B ...
s and
Cluniac
The Cluniac Reforms (also called the Benedictine Reform) were a series of changes within medieval monasticism of the Western Church focused on restoring the traditional monastic life, encouraging art, and caring for the poor. The movement began ...
s, had taken a major part in the ''Reconquista'' up until then, Ferdinand founded houses for
friar
A friar is a member of one of the mendicant orders founded in the twelfth or thirteenth century; the term distinguishes the mendicants' itinerant apostolic character, exercised broadly under the jurisdiction of a superior general, from the ...
s of the
Dominican,
Franciscan
, image = FrancescoCoA PioM.svg
, image_size = 200px
, caption = A cross, Christ's arm and Saint Francis's arm, a universal symbol of the Franciscans
, abbreviation = OFM
, predecessor =
, ...
,
Trinitarian, and
Mercedarian
The Royal, Celestial and Military Order of Our Lady of Mercy and the Redemption of the Captives ( la, Ordo Beatae Mariae de Mercede Redemptionis Captivorum, abbreviated O. de M.), also known as the Mercedarians, is a Catholic mendicant order es ...
Orders throughout Andalusia, thus determining the future religious character of that region. Ferdinand has also been credited with sustaining the ''
convivencia'' in Andalusia. He himself joined the
Third Order of St. Francis
The Third Order of Saint Francis is a third order in the Franciscan tradition of Christianity, founded by the medieval Italian Catholic friar Francis of Assisi.
The preaching of Francis and his disciples caused many married men and women to w ...
, and is honored in that Order.
He took care not to overburden his subjects with taxation, fearing, as he said, the curse of one poor woman more than a whole army of Saracens.
Death
Ferdinand III had started out as a contested king of Castile. By the time of his death he had delivered to his son and heir,
Alfonso X
Alfonso X (also known as the Wise, es, el Sabio; 23 November 1221 – 4 April 1284) was King of Castile, León and Galicia from 30 May 1252 until his death in 1284. During the election of 1257, a dissident faction chose him to be king of Ger ...
, a massively expanded kingdom. The boundaries of the new Castilian state established by Ferdinand III remained nearly unchanged until the late 15th century. His biographer, Sister María del Carmen Fernández de Castro Cabeza,
A.C.J., asserts that, on his deathbed, Ferdinand said to his son "you will be rich in land and in many good vassals, more than any other king in Christendom."
Ferdinand's death was attributed to a
dropsy
Edema, also spelled oedema, and also known as fluid retention, dropsy, hydropsy and swelling, is the build-up of fluid in the body's tissue. Most commonly, the legs or arms are affected. Symptoms may include skin which feels tight, the area ma ...
he contracted in the winter of 1251. His death took place on 30 May 1252, and he was buried in the
Cathedral of Seville
The Cathedral of Saint Mary of the See ( es, Catedral de Santa María de la Sede), better known as Seville Cathedral, is a Roman Catholic cathedral in Seville, Andalusia, Spain. It was registered in 1987 by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site, alon ...
by his son, Alfonso X. The funeral took place on 1 June 1252 and was officiated by Remondo, Bishop of Segovia, in the cathedral. In the city there were royal vassals, bishops, abbots and wealthy men of the kingdom, who had come to show their lament. His tomb was inscribed in four languages:
Arabic
Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C. E.Watson; Walter ...
,
Hebrew
Hebrew (; ; ) is a Northwest Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Historically, it is one of the spoken languages of the Israelites and their longest-surviving descendants, the Jews and Samaritans. It was largely preserved ...
,
Latin
Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through ...
, and an early version of
Castilian.
He was
canonized as Saint Ferdinand by
Pope Clement X in 1671. Today, the
incorrupt body of Saint Ferdinand can still be seen in the Cathedral of Seville, for he rests enclosed in a gold and crystal casket worthy of the king. His golden crown still encircles his head as he reclines beneath the statue of the Virgin of the Kings. Several places named
San Fernando were founded across the
Spanish Empire
The Spanish Empire ( es, link=no, Imperio español), also known as the Hispanic Monarchy ( es, link=no, Monarquía Hispánica) or the Catholic Monarchy ( es, link=no, Monarquía Católica) was a colonial empire governed by Spain and its prede ...
in his honor.
The symbol of his power as a king was his sword
Lobera
Lobera or La Lobera is the Spanish word for "wolves' lair", “wolf trap”, "wolf pack" or "wolf woman." It is equivalent to Portuguese Lobeira and Italian Luparia.
It may refer to:
Places
* Lobera de Onsella
* Lobera de la Vega
* Lobera de ...
.
Patronage
Saint Ferdinand is the
patron saint
A patron saint, patroness saint, patron hallow or heavenly protector is a saint who in Catholicism, Anglicanism, or Eastern Orthodoxy is regarded as the heavenly advocate of a nation, place, craft, activity, class, clan, family, or perso ...
of Seville,
Aranjuez
Aranjuez () is a city and municipality of Spain, part of the Community of Madrid.
Located in the southern end of the region, the main urban nucleus lies on the left bank of Tagus, a bit upstream the discharge of the Jarama. , the municipality h ...
,
San Fernando de Henares,
Maspalomas
Maspalomas () is a tourist resort in the south of the island of Gran Canaria, Canary Islands, stretching from Bahía Feliz in the east to Meloneras in the west, including the resort towns of San Agustín and Playa del Inglés and San Fernan ...
,
Pivijay, and of several other localities. He is also the patron of the
Spanish Army
The Spanish Army ( es, Ejército de Tierra, lit=Land Army) is the terrestrial army of the Spanish Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is one of the oldest active armies — dating back to the late 15th century.
The ...
's Corps of Engineers,
and engineers generally.
Since the establishment in 1819 of the
Diocese of San Cristóbal de La Laguna, also called "Diocese of Tenerife" (
Canary Islands
The Canary Islands (; es, :es:Canarias, Canarias, ), also known informally as the Canaries, are a Spanish Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community and archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean, in Macaronesia. At their closest point to ...
), Saint Ferdinand is the co-patron of the diocese and of its
Cathedral
A cathedral is a church that contains the ''cathedra'' () of a bishop, thus serving as the central church of a diocese, conference, or episcopate. Churches with the function of "cathedral" are usually specific to those Christian denominations ...
pursuant to the
papal bull issued by
Pope Pius VII
Pope Pius VII ( it, Pio VII; born Barnaba Niccolò Maria Luigi Chiaramonti; 14 August 1742 – 20 August 1823), was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 14 March 1800 to his death in August 1823. Chiaramonti was also a m ...
. This is because La Laguna is a
suffragan diocese
A suffragan diocese is one of the dioceses other than the metropolitan archdiocese that constitute an ecclesiastical province. It exists in some Christian denominations, in particular the Catholic Church, the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandri ...
of the
Archdiocese of Seville
The Archdiocese of Seville is part of the Catholic Church in Seville, Spain. The Diocese of Seville was founded in the 3rd century. It was raised to the level of an archdiocese in the 4th century. The current archbishop is José Ángel Saiz Me ...
whose capital city has Saint Ferdinand as one of its co-patrons, together with the ''Virgen de los Reyes''. Saint Ferdinand is also the patron of the
University of La Laguna, since this institution was founded under the name of ''Universidad Literaria de San Fernando'' (Literary University of Saint Ferdinand).
Family
First marriage
In 1219, Ferdinand married
Elisabeth of Swabia
Elisabeth of Swabia (renamed Beatrice; March/May 1205 – 5 November 1235), was a member of the House of Hohenstaufen who became Queen of Castile and Leon by marriage to Ferdinand III.
Born in Nürnberg, Elisabeth was the fourth daughter of Phili ...
(1203–1235). She was the fourth daughter of
Philip
Philip, also Phillip, is a male given name, derived from the Greek (''Philippos'', lit. "horse-loving" or "fond of horses"), from a compound of (''philos'', "dear", "loved", "loving") and (''hippos'', "horse"). Prominent Philips who populariz ...
, Duke of Swabia, and
Irene Angelina. Their children were:
#
Alfonso X
Alfonso X (also known as the Wise, es, el Sabio; 23 November 1221 – 4 April 1284) was King of Castile, León and Galicia from 30 May 1252 until his death in 1284. During the election of 1257, a dissident faction chose him to be king of Ger ...
(1221–1284), his successor
#
Frederick (1223–1277)
#
Ferdinand (1225–1243/1248)
# Eleanor (born 1227), died young
#
Berengaria (1228–1288/89), a nun at
Las Huelgas
#
Henry (1230–1303)
#
Philip
Philip, also Phillip, is a male given name, derived from the Greek (''Philippos'', lit. "horse-loving" or "fond of horses"), from a compound of (''philos'', "dear", "loved", "loving") and (''hippos'', "horse"). Prominent Philips who populariz ...
(1231–1274). He was promised to the Church, but was so taken by the beauty of
Christina of Norway, daughter of
Haakon IV of Norway
Haakon IV Haakonsson ( – 16 December 1263; Old Norse: ''Hákon Hákonarson'' ; Norwegian: ''Håkon Håkonsson''), sometimes called Haakon the Old in contrast to his namesake son, was King of Norway from 1217 to 1263. His reign lasted for 46 ...
, who had been intended as a bride for one of his brothers, that he abandoned his holy vows and married her. She died in 1262, childless.
#
Sancho, Archbishop of Toledo and Seville (1233–1261)
#
Manuel of Castile (1234–1283)
# Maria, died an infant in November 1235
Second marriage
After he was widowed, he married
Joan, Countess of Ponthieu, before August 1237. They had four sons and one daughter:
#
Ferdinand (1238–1264/1269),
Count of Aumale
The County of Aumale, later elevated to a duchy, was a medieval fief in Normandy. It was disputed between England and France during parts of the Hundred Years' War.
Aumale in Norman nobility
Aumale was a medieval fief in the Duchy of Normandy and ...
#
Eleanor
Eleanor () is a feminine given name, originally from an Old French adaptation of the Old Provençal name ''Aliénor''. It is the name of a number of women of royalty and nobility in western Europe during the High Middle Ages.
The name was intro ...
(c. 1241–1290), married
Edward I of England
Edward I (17/18 June 1239 – 7 July 1307), also known as Edward Longshanks and the Hammer of the Scots, was King of England and Lord of Ireland from 1272 to 1307. Concurrently, he ruled the duchies of Aquitaine and Gascony as a va ...
.
#
Louis (1243–1269)
# Simon (1244), died young and buried in a monastery in
Toledo
# John (1245), died young and buried at the cathedral in
Córdoba
See also
*
San Fernando (disambiguation)
Notes
References
Sources
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*González, Julio. ''Reinado y Diplomas de Fernando III, i: Estudio''. 1980.
*
*
*
*
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Saint Ferdinandat th
Christian Iconographyweb site
External links
Novena to St. Ferdinand III of Castileby
Diego José de Cádiz
Diego José de Cádiz (1743–1801) was a Spanish Capuchin friar who was a noted and popular preacher throughout the region of Andalusia during the 18th century. He was beatified by the Catholic Church in 1894.
Life
Early life
José Francisco ...
Ferdinand at ''Patron Saints Index''The death of Saint Ferdinand III, the very noble King of Castile and Leon
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ferdinand 03 Of Castile
1199 births
1201 births
1252 deaths
13th-century Castilian monarchs
People from the Province of Zamora
Castilian House of Burgundy
Leonese infantes
13th-century Leonese monarchs
13th-century Galician monarchs
Spanish Roman Catholic saints
People of the Reconquista
13th-century Christian saints
Burials at Seville Cathedral
Franciscan saints
Members of the Third Order of Saint Francis
Roman Catholic royal saints
Year of birth uncertain
Canonizations by Pope Clement X
Beatifications by Pope Alexander VII