Berengaria of Barcelona

Berengaria of Barcelona
Empress of All Spain
Queen of León, Castile and Galicia

Effigy of Queen Berengaria at the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela
Queen consort of León and Castile
Reign 11281149
Empress consort of All Spains
Reign 11351149
Born c.1116
Barcelona
Died 15 January 1149
Palencia
Burial 15 January 1149(1149-01-15)
Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela
Spouse Alfonso VII of León and Castile
House House of Barcelona
Father Ramon Berenguer III, Count of Barcelona
Mother Douce I, Countess of Provence
Religion Roman Catholicism

Berenguela or Berengaria of Barcelona (1116 – January 15, 1149) was Queen consort of Castile, León and Galicia. She was the daughter of Raimon III of Barcelona and Dulce Aldonza Milhaud.[1] Berenguela was the sister of Ramon Berenguer IV who was the ruler of the Kingdom of Aragon.[2]

On November 10/17 1128 in Saldaña, Berengaria married Alfonso VII, King of Castile, León and Galicia[3] (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 Berengaria, for which she was well known in her time.

Her niece Dulce of Aragon married Sancho I of Portugal, whilst her famous granddaughter was Queen Berengaria of England.

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

Appearance and Character

"She was a very beautiful and extremely graceful young girl who loved chastity and truth and all God-fearing people."[4]

Preceded by
Beatrice
Queen consort of León
11281149
Succeeded by
Richeza of Poland
Queen consort of Castile
11281149
None Empress consort of All Spains
11351149

Sources

  1. Marek, Miroslav. "Genealogy.Euweb.cz". Genealogy EU.
  2. Medieval Lands Project on Berenguela of Barcelona
  3. Gesta Comitum Barcinonensium
  4. Chronica Adefonsi Imperatoris, Book 1 Chapter 12, trans. Simon Barton and Richard Fletcher in The World of El Cid: Chronicles of the Reconquest, (Manchester University Press, 2000) page 168.
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