Suero Rodríguez (died 23 April 1206) was the fifth grand master of the

Order of Santiago The Order of Santiago (; ) is a religious and military order founded in the 12th century. It owes its name to the patron saint of Spain, ''Santiago'' ( St. James the Greater). Its initial objective was to protect the pilgrims on the Way of S ...

from 1204 until his death. Suero was a Galician, the son of Rodrigo Velázquez. He may have been a member of the confraternity of Cáceres organized by

Pedro Fernández de Castro Pedro Fernández de Castro (Algeciras, 1342), nicknamed ''el de la Guerra'' ('of the War'), was a Galician noble and military figure of the House of Castro, descended by illegitimate lines from the kings of Castile- Leon- Galicia. Pedro Ferna ...

, which became the Order of Santiago in 1170. He served the order as '' comendador'' of

Palmela Palmela () is a town and municipality in Portugal. As of 2011, the population was 62,831, covering an area of 465.12 km². The municipality is located in the Lisboa Region and Setúbal District, about south of Lisbon. The municipal holiday ...

and its chief representative in

Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic, is a country on the Iberian Peninsula in Southwestern Europe. Featuring Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point in continental Europe, Portugal borders Spain to its north and east, with which it share ...

, where King Sancho I gave him lands in Santarém and for a new house for the order in 1193–94.Carlos de Ayala Martínez
"Rodríguez, Suero"
'' Diccionario biográfico español'' (Real Academia de la Historia, 2018). Suero succeeded Gonzalo Rodríguez upon the latter's resignation in 1204. During his two years as master, Pope

Innocent III Pope Innocent III (; born Lotario dei Conti di Segni; 22 February 1161 – 16 July 1216) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 8 January 1198 until his death on 16 July 1216. Pope Innocent was one of the most power ...

confirmed the orders rule. In 1205, 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 at Alarc ...

donated a property in the village of to the order and confirmed the donation of the castle of

Carabanchel Carabanchel is a district of Madrid, Spain. It lies on the southern (right) bank of the Manzanares, spanning southward down to the M-40 ring road. The district is made up of the neighbourhoods of Abrantes, Comillas, Opañel, Puerta Bonita, S ...

by Count

Fernando Núñez de Lara Fernando Núñez de Lara (''fl.'' 1173–1219) was a count of the House of Lara. He spent most of career in the service of the Kingdom of Castile, but at times served the neighbouring Kingdom of León as well. He was a courtier late in the reign of ...

. Alfonso also gave to the during Suero's tenure. Because Alfonso was at peace with the

Almohads The Almohad Caliphate (; or or from ) or Almohad Empire was a North African Berber Muslim empire founded in the 12th century. At its height, it controlled much of the Iberian Peninsula (Al-Andalus) and North Africa (the Maghreb). The Almohad ...

, Suero sent his knights to

Aragon Aragon ( , ; Spanish and ; ) is an autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community in Spain, coextensive with the medieval Kingdom of Aragon. In northeastern Spain, the Aragonese autonomous community comprises three provinces of Spain, ...

to fight the Almohads. Older sources sometimes have Suero resigning the mastership in 1205, but he held it until his death the following year. He was succeeded by

Fernando González de Marañón Fernando González de Marañón (died April 1219) was the sixth Grand Master of the Order of Santiago from 1206 until 1210. Fernando was born in the second half of the twelfth century. His family was of Navarrese origin, but active in the kingdom ...

References

{{reflist 12th-century births 1206 deaths Grand masters of the Order of Santiago