García Fernández Of Castile
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García Fernández, called of the White Hands () (
Burgos Burgos () is a city in Spain located in the autonomous community of Castile and León. It is the capital and most populous municipality of the province of Burgos. Burgos is situated in the north of the Iberian Peninsula, on the confluence of th ...
, Córdoba, 995), was the count of Castile and Alava from 970 to 995. In May 995, he was captured by a raiding party while out hunting. Wounded in the encounter, he was sent to Cordoba as a trophy, but died at Medinaceli in June 995.


Family

The son of Count Fernán González and Queen Sancha Sánchez of
Pamplona Pamplona (; ), historically also known as Pampeluna in English, is the capital city of the Navarre, Chartered Community of Navarre, in Spain. Lying at near above sea level, the city (and the wider Cuenca de Pamplona) is located on the flood pl ...
, in 970 he succeeded his father as Count of Castile. He continued to recognise the
suzerainty A suzerain (, from Old French "above" + "supreme, chief") is a person, state (polity)">state or polity who has supremacy and dominant influence over the foreign policy">polity.html" ;"title="state (polity)">state or polity">state (polity)">st ...
of the
Kingdom of León The Kingdom of León was an independent kingdom situated in the northwest region of the Iberian Peninsula. It was founded in 910 when the Christian princes of Kingdom of Asturias, Asturias along the Bay of Biscay, northern coast of the peninsula ...
, even though he was practically autonomous. In order to expand his frontiers at the expense of the
Moors The term Moor is an Endonym and exonym, exonym used in European languages to designate the Muslims, Muslim populations of North Africa (the Maghreb) and the Iberian Peninsula (particularly al-Andalus) during the Middle Ages. Moors are not a s ...
, in 974 he expanded the social base of the nobility by promulgating decrees stating that any
villein A villein is a class of serfdom, serf tied to the land under the feudal system. As part of the contract with the lord of the manor, they were expected to spend some of their time working on the lord's fields in return for land. Villeins existe ...
of Castrojeriz who equipped a knight for battle would enter the ranks of the nobility. He was succeeded by his son, Sancho I of Castile.


Marriage and issue

Around 960, Garcia married Ava de Ribagorza, daughter of Raymond II, count of Ribagorza. They had seven children: *Mayor García, married to Raymond III, count of
Pallars Jussà Pallars Jussà () is a comarca (county) in Alt Pirineu, Catalonia, Spain. It was established as a ''comarca'' in 1936, out of the old county of Pallars. The name is an archaism meaning "Lower Pallars"; to the northeast and into the mountains i ...
. Repudiated by her husband, she returned to Castile where she was the abbess of the Monastery of San Miguel de Pedroso. With the help of her brother Sancho, she governed the County of Ribagorza which would eventually pass to her niece,
Muniadona of Castile Muniadona of Castile (1066), also called Mayor or Munia, was Queen of Pamplona (10111035) by her marriage with King Sancho Garcés III, who later added to his domains the Counties of Ribagorza (1017) and Castile (1028) using her dynastic rights ...
, the wife of King
Sancho III of Pamplona Sancho Garcés III ( 992–996 – 18 October 1035), also known as Sancho the Great (, ), was the Kingdom of Pamplona, King of Pamplona from 1004 until his death in 1035. He also ruled the County of Aragon and by marriage the counties of County o ...
. * Sancho García, count of Castile. * Urraca García, the first abbess of the Colegiata de San Cosme y San Damián in Covarrubias. * Gonzalo García (died 979), speculated to have been ancestor of the Salvadórez and the
House of Lara The House of Lara (Spanish: ''Casa de Lara'') is a noble family from the medieval Kingdom of Castile. Two of its branches, one of the Dukes of Nájera and one of the Marquises of Aguilar de Campoo were considered Grandees of Spain. The Lara fami ...
* Elvira García, married in 991 to
Bermudo II of León Bermudo (or Vermudo) II (c. 953 – September 999), called the Gouty (), was first a rival king in Galicia (982–984) and then king of the entire Kingdom of León (984–999). His reign is summed up by Justo Pérez de Urbel's description of h ...
* Toda García, married Sancho Gómez, son of Count Gómez Díaz of Saldaña * Oneca García, the first abbess of the Monastery of San Juan in Cillaperlata and later abess at the Monastery of Monastery of San Salvador de Oña.


In legend

García plays a role in two legends regarding medieval Castile. These are set during his rule and incorporate aspects of authentic history, but are mostly fictional in nature. In the '' Cantar de los Siete Infantes de Lara'', Count García plays a minor role, trying unsuccessfully to impose a rapprochement between the two antagonistic families, those of Ruy Velázquez and his wife Doña Lambra, said to be a cousin of García, and Gonzalo Gustoz and his wife Sancha. This proves unsuccessful when a further provocation leads to cycles of escalating retribution. His role in a second legend is more substantial. '' La condesa traidora'' (The treasonous countess) tells of García's wife who is enticed by
Almanzor Abu ʿĀmir Muḥammad ibn ʿAbdullāh ibn Abi ʿĀmir al-Maʿafiri (), nicknamed al-Manṣūr (, "the Victorious"), which is often Latinized as Almanzor in Spanish, Almansor in Catalan language, Catalan and Almançor in Portuguese ( 938 – 8 A ...
, ruler of Córdoba, to aspire to become his wife rather than that of a less powerful count. She plots her husband's death, by providing his horse poor feed. When the animal collapses in battle, García is severely injured, and dies days later. After Almanzor forces her son, count Sancho García, to flee to Lantarón, his mother plots his death as well. She has a poisoned draught prepared for him, but Sancho is forewarned and insists that his mother drink it instead. She does so and dies, and Sancho then defeats Almanzor in battle.


References


Bibliography

* * * * * * {{Authority control 930s births 995 deaths 10th-century people from the Kingdom of León 10th-century counts in Europe House of Beni Mamaduna Counts of Castile Sons of emperors