Sancha of Castile (21 September 1154/5 – 9 November 1208) was the only surviving child of King

Alfonso VII of Castile 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. ...

by his second wife, Richeza of Poland. On January 18, 1174, she married King

Alfonso II of Aragon Alfonso II (1–25 March 1157Benito Vicente de Cuéllar (1995)«Los "condes-reyes" de Barcelona y la "adquisición" del reino de Aragón por la dinastía bellónida» p. 630-631; in ''Hidalguía''. XLIII (252) pp. 619–632."Alfonso II el Casto, hi ...

Zaragoza Zaragoza, also known in English as Saragossa,''Encyclopædia Britannica'"Zaragoza (conventional Saragossa)" is the capital city of the Province of Zaragoza, Zaragoza Province and of the autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Ara ...

; they had at least eight children who survived into adulthood. A patroness of troubadours such as Giraud de Calanson and Peire Raymond, the queen became involved in a legal dispute with her husband concerning properties which formed part of her dower estates. In 1177 she entered the county of Ribagorza and took forcible possession of various castles and fortresses which had belonged to the crown there. After her husband died at Perpignan in 1196, Sancha was relegated to the background of political affairs by her son Peter II. She retired from court, withdrawing to the Hospitaller convent for noble ladies, the

Monastery of Santa María de Sigena 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 which m ...

, at

Sigena Villanueva de Sigena or Villanueva de Sijena is a town in the county of Los Monegros, in the northern province of Huesca, in Aragon (Spain). Located near the Alcanadre river, the local economy is primarily agricultural-based. The Royal Monaste ...

, which she had founded. There she assumed the cross of the Order of St John of Jerusalem which she wore until the end of her life. The queen mother entertained her widowed daughter Constance at Sigena prior to her leaving Aragon to marry

Emperor Frederick II Frederick II (German: ''Friedrich''; Italian: ''Federico''; Latin: ''Federicus''; 26 December 1194 – 13 December 1250) was King of Sicily from 1198, King of Germany from 1212, King of Italy and Holy Roman Emperor from 1220 and King of Jer ...

in 1208. She died soon afterwards, aged fifty-four, and was interred in front of the high altar of her foundation at the

; her tomb is still there to be seen.

Issue

* Peter II (1174/76 – 14 September 1213), King of Aragon and Lord of Montpellier. * Constance (1179 – 23 June 1222), married firstly King Imre of Hungary and secondly

Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II (German: ''Friedrich''; Italian: ''Federico''; Latin: ''Federicus''; 26 December 1194 – 13 December 1250) was King of Sicily from 1198, King of Germany from 1212, King of Italy and Holy Roman Emperor from 1220 and King of Jer ...

. * Alfonso II (1180 – February 1209), Count of Provence, Millau and Razès. *

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 ...

(1182 – February 1226), married Count

Raymond VI of Toulouse Raymond VI ( oc, Ramon; October 27, 1156 – August 2, 1222) was Count of Toulouse and Marquis of Provence from 1194 to 1222. He was also Count of Melgueil (as Raymond IV) from 1173 to 1190. Early life Raymond was born at Saint-Gilles, Gard, ...

. * Ramon Berenguer (ca. 1183/85 – died young). *

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 ...

(1186 – aft. 1241), married Count

Raymond VII of Toulouse Raymond VII (July 1197 – 27 September 1249) was Count of Toulouse, Duke of Narbonne and Marquis of Provence from 1222 until his death. Family and marriages Raymond was born at the Château de Beaucaire, the son of Raymond VI of Toulouse ...

, in March 1211 * Ferdinand (1190 – 1249), cistercian monk, Abbot of Montearagón. * Dulcia (1192 – ?), a nun at Sijena.

References

Sources

* * * * , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Castile, Sancha Of, Queen Of Aragon 1150s births 1208 deaths

Aragonese queen consorts Leonese infantas Castilian infantas 12th-century people from the Kingdom of Aragon 12th-century Spanish women Daughters of emperors Daughters of kings Queen mothers