Treaty Of Alcalá De Henares
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Ferdinand IV of Castile (6 December 1285 – 7 September 1312) called the Summoned (''el Emplazado''), was
King of Castile This is a list of kings regnant and queens regnant of the Kingdom of Castile, Kingdom and Crown of Castile. For their predecessors, see List of Castilian counts. Kings and Queens of Castile Jiménez dynasty House of Ivrea / Burgundy ...
and León from 1295 until his death. Ferdinand's upbringing and personal custody was entered to his mother Queen
María de Molina María Alfonso Téllez de Meneses (c. 1265 – 1321), known as María de Molina, was queen consort of Kingdom of Castile, Castile and Kingdom of León, León from 1284 to 1295 by marriage to Sancho IV of Castile, and served as regent for her min ...
, however, he was tutored by his granduncle
Henry of Castile the Senator Henry of Castile (March 1230 – 8 August 1303), called the Senator (''el Senador''), was a Castilian ''infante'', the fourth son of Ferdinand III of Castile by his first wife, Beatrice of Swabia. Youth and rebellion Henry spent his childhood ...
. Queen María attempted to placate the nobility, confronted her son's enemies, and repeated prevented her son from being dethroned. He faced the insubordination of the nobility, led at numerous times by his uncle
John of Castile, Lord of Valencia de Campos John of Castile, ''called the "el de Tarifa"'' (; 1262–25 June 1319) was an '' infante'' of Castile and León. He was engaged in a decades-long fight for control over the Lordship of Biscay with Diego López V de Haro, the uncle of his w ...
, and by
Juan Núñez II de Lara Juan Núñez II de Lara ( – 1315), nicknamed ''el Mozo'' or ''el de la Barba'' (the bearded one), was a Spanish noble, and head of the House of Lara in the service of the Kingdom of Castile. Amongst other titles, he was the Mayordomo Mayor ...
, who were sometimes supported by another royal relative,
Juan Manuel, Prince of Villena Don Juan Manuel (5 May 128213 June 1348) was a Spanish medieval writer, nephew of Alfonso X of Castile, son of Manuel of Castile and Beatrice of Savoy. He inherited from his father the great Lordship of Villena, receiving the titles of Lord, D ...
. Like his predecessors on the throne, Ferdinand IV continued the
Reconquista The ''Reconquista'' (Spanish language, Spanish and Portuguese language, Portuguese for ) or the fall of al-Andalus was a series of military and cultural campaigns that European Christian Reconquista#Northern Christian realms, kingdoms waged ag ...
and, although he failed to conquer
Algeciras Algeciras () is a city and a municipalities in Spain, municipality of Spain belonging to the province of Cádiz, Andalusia. Located in the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula, near the Strait of Gibraltar, it is the largest city on the Bay of G ...
in 1309, he captured the city of
Gibraltar Gibraltar ( , ) is a British Overseas Territories, British Overseas Territory and British overseas cities, city located at the southern tip of the Iberian Peninsula, on the Bay of Gibraltar, near the exit of the Mediterranean Sea into the A ...
that same year. In 1312 the city of
Alcaudete Alcaudete is a city located in the province of Jaén, Andalusia, Spain. As of 2018, it has a population of 10,558. It is home to a 12th-14th century Moorish castle, located on the top of the hill commanding the town. Other sights include the ''Ig ...
was also conquered. During the Cortes of Valladolid of 1312, he promoted the reform of the administration of justice, among other areas of administration. He attempted to strengthen the royal authority to the detriment of the nobility. He died in
Jaén Jaén may refer to: Places Peru *Jaén Province, Peru, a province in Cajamarca Region, Peru ** Jaén District, one of twelve districts of the province Jaén in Peru ***Jaén, Peru, a city in Peru, capital of the Jaén Province Philippines * Jaen ...
on 7 September 1312 aged 26, and his mortal remains are now in the Royal Collegiate Church of Saint Hippolytus.


Infancy (1285–1295)

Ferdinand was born in the city of
Alcazar de San Juan Alcazar or variant spellings may refer to: * Alcázar, a type of Islamic castle or palace in Spain and Portugal ** ** Arts, entertainment and literature * Alcazar (group), a Swedish europop/dance music group * ''Alcazar: The Forgotten Fortress'' ...
on 6 December 1285 as the second child and eldest son of King
Sancho IV of Castile Sancho IV of Castile (12 May 1258 – 25 April 1295) called the Brave (''el Bravo''), was the king of Castile, León and Galicia (now parts of Spain) from 1284 to his death. Following his brother Ferdinand's death, he gained the s ...
and his wife
María de Molina María Alfonso Téllez de Meneses (c. 1265 – 1321), known as María de Molina, was queen consort of Kingdom of Castile, Castile and Kingdom of León, León from 1284 to 1295 by marriage to Sancho IV of Castile, and served as regent for her min ...
. He was baptized at
Seville Cathedral The Cathedral of Saint Mary of the See (), better known as Seville Cathedral (), is a Catholic cathedral and former mosque in Seville, Andalusia, Spain. It was registered in 1987 by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site, along with the adjoining Alc ...
by Archbishop Raimundo de Losana and was immediately proclaimed heir to the Crown and received the homage of the nobles of the kingdom. King Sancho IV entrusted to Fernán Pérez Ponce de León the raising of his newborn son, since he had been first ''majordomo'' of King
Alfonso X Alfonso X (also known as the Wise, ; 23 November 1221 – 4 April 1284) was King of Castile, León and Galicia from 1 June 1252 until his death in 1284. During the election of 1257, a dissident faction chose him to be king of Germany on 1 Ap ...
. The prince and his tutor left for the city of Zamora, where the family of Fernán Pérez resided. Likewise the King appointed Isidro González and Alfonso Godínez as Chancellors of the prince, while appointing Samuel de Belorado ''almojarife'' (
Treasurer A treasurer is a person responsible for the financial operations of a government, business, or other organization. Government The treasury of a country is the department responsible for the country's economy, finance and revenue. The treasure ...
) of the prince. Fernán Pérez Ponce de León and his wife, Urraca Gutiérrez de Meneses, had a significant influence on Ferdinand's character, and he would show them, as a King, a profound gratitude. Already in his infancy the question of his marriage was raised, being the desire of Sancho IV to choose a princess from Kingdoms of France or Portugal. In the agreement signed by Sancho IV and King
Denis of Portugal Denis (, ; 9 October 1261 – 7 January 1325), called the Farmer King (''Rei Lavrador'') and the Poet King (''Rei Poeta''), was King of Portugal from 1279 until his death in 1325. Dinis was the eldest son of Afonso III of Portugal by his second ...
in September 1291, it was established the betrothal between Ferdinand and the ''Infanta''
Constance Constance may refer to: Places * Constance, Kentucky, United States, an unincorporated community * Constance, Minnesota, United States, an unincorporated community * Mount Constance, Washington State, United States * Lake Constance (disambiguat ...
, daughter of the Portuguese sovereign. Nevertheless, in spite of the commitment contracted with the Portuguese monarch, in 1294, Sancho IV thought about the possibility of marrying his son with Margaret or Blanche, daughters of King
Philip IV of France Philip IV (April–June 1268 – 29 November 1314), called Philip the Fair (), was King of France from 1285 to 1314. Jure uxoris, By virtue of his marriage with Joan I of Navarre, he was also King of Navarre and Count of Champagne as Philip&n ...
. The death of Sancho IV a year later put an end to the negotiations with the French court.


Under regency (1295–1301)

King Sancho IV of Castile died in the city of
Toledo Toledo most commonly refers to: * Toledo, Spain, a city in Spain * Province of Toledo, Spain * Toledo, Ohio, a city in the United States Toledo may also refer to: Places Belize * Toledo District * Toledo Settlement Bolivia * Toledo, Or ...
on 25 April 1295, leaving his eldest son Ferdinand as heir of the throne. After the burial of the sovereign at
Toledo Cathedral The Primatial Metropolitan Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Assumption (), is a Roman Catholic cathedral in Toledo, Spain. It is the seat of the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Toledo. Since 1088, it holds the honorific title of Primatial, granted by ...
, his widow María de Molina retired to the
Alcázar of Toledo The Alcázar of Toledo (, ) is a stone fortification located in the highest part of Toledo, Spain. It is a large quadrangular building measuring 60 meters on a side, framed by four large towers 60 meters high, each crowned by the typical Madrid ...
for a mourning of nine days. The now Dowager Queen was in charge of the regency of her 9-year-old son. Because the marriage between Sancho IV and María de Molina was without validity, all their children (including the now Ferdinand IV) were illegitimate, so the Dowager Queen had to face numerous problems to keep her son on the throne. To the incessant struggles with the Castilian nobility, led by the ''Infante''
John of Castile, Lord of Valencia de Campos John of Castile, ''called the "el de Tarifa"'' (; 1262–25 June 1319) was an '' infante'' of Castile and León. He was engaged in a decades-long fight for control over the Lordship of Biscay with Diego López V de Haro, the uncle of his w ...
(who claimed the throne of his brother Sancho IV) and by the ''Infante''
Henry of Castile the Senator Henry of Castile (March 1230 – 8 August 1303), called the Senator (''el Senador''), was a Castilian ''infante'', the fourth son of Ferdinand III of Castile by his first wife, Beatrice of Swabia. Youth and rebellion Henry spent his childhood ...
, son of Ferdinand III and great-uncle of Ferdinand IV (who demanded the guardianship of the king) were joined the claims of the ''Infantes de la Cerda'' (
Alfonso 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. I ...
and
Ferdinand Ferdinand is a Germanic name composed of the elements "journey, travel", Proto-Germanic , abstract noun from root "to fare, travel" (PIE , "to lead, pass over"), and "courage" or "ready, prepared" related to Old High German "to risk, ventu ...
, sons of the deceased first-born son of Alfonso X,
Ferdinand de la Cerda Ferdinand is a Germanic name composed of the elements "journey, travel", Proto-Germanic , abstract noun from root "to fare, travel" (PIE , "to lead, pass over"), and "courage" or "ready, prepared" related to Old High German "to risk, ventu ...
), who were supported by France and Aragon and by their grandmother Dowager Queen Violante of Aragon, widow of Alfonso X. To this were added the problems with
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, ...
,
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 ...
and
France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
, who tried to take advantage of the political instability that suffered the
Kingdom of Castile The Kingdom of Castile (; : ) was a polity in the Iberian Peninsula during the Middle Ages. It traces its origins to the 9th-century County of Castile (, ), as an eastern frontier lordship of the Kingdom of León. During the 10th century, the Ca ...
in their own benefit. At the same time,
Diego López V de Haro Diego López V de Haro, nicknamed '' el Intruso'' ( 1250 – 1310), was a Castilian noble of the House of Haro and held the title of the Lord of Biscay which he took from the pretender to the title, John of Castile. He further served in ...
,
Lord of Biscay The Lordship of Biscay (, Basque: ''Bizkaiko jaurerria'') was a region under feudal rule in the region of Biscay in the Iberian Peninsula between 1040 and 1876, ruled by a political figure known as the Lord of Biscay. One of the Basque ''señor ...
, Nuño González de Lara, and
Juan Núñez II de Lara Juan Núñez II de Lara ( – 1315), nicknamed ''el Mozo'' or ''el de la Barba'' (the bearded one), was a Spanish noble, and head of the House of Lara in the service of the Kingdom of Castile. Amongst other titles, he was the Mayordomo Mayor ...
, among many others nobles, sowed confusion and anarchy in the kingdom. In the ''Cortes'' of Valladolid in 1295, Henry of Castile the Senator was appointed guardian of the King, but the Dowager Queen María de Molina got (thanks to the support of the cities with votes in the Cortes) that the custody of her son was entrusted to her. While celebrating the Cortes of Valladolid, John of Castile, Lord of Valencia de Campos, left the city of
Granada Granada ( ; ) is the capital city of the province of Granada, in the autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Andalusia, Spain. Granada is located at the foot of the Sierra Nevada (Spain), Sierra Nevada mountains, at the confluence ...
and tried to occupy the city of
Badajoz Badajoz is the capital of the Province of Badajoz in the autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Extremadura, Spain. It is situated close to the Portugal, Portuguese Portugal–Spain border, border, on the left bank of the river ...
, but, when failing in this attempt, he seized Coria and the castle of
Alcántara Alcántara () is a municipality in the province of Cáceres, Extremadura, Spain, on the Tagus, near Portugal. The toponym is from the Arabic word ''al-Qanṭarah'' (القنطرة) meaning "the bridge". History Archaeological findings have atte ...
. He later passed to the Kingdom of Portugal, where he pressed King Denis of Portugal to declare war to Castile and, at the same time, to support his claims to the Castilian throne. In the summer of 1295, when the Cortes of Valladolid were finished, the Dowager Queen and Henry of Castile met in
Ciudad Rodrigo Ciudad Rodrigo () is a small cathedral city in the province of Salamanca (province), Salamanca, in western Spain, with a population in 2016 of 12,896. It is also the seat of a judicial district. The site of Ciudad Rodrigo, perched atop a rocky r ...
with King Denis of Portugal, to whom they delivered several localities located near the Portuguese border. In the meeting of Ciudad Rodrigo the betrothal between Ferdinand IV and Constance of Portugal (daughter of King Denis) was renewed, and in addition ''Infanta'' Beatrice of Castile, younger sister of Fernando IV, would marry
Afonso Afonso is the Portuguese and Galician form of Alphons. Middle Ages Iberian royal families ;Portugal *Afonso I of Portugal (1109–1185) *Afonso II of Portugal (1185–1223) *Afonso III of Portugal (1210–1279) *Afonso IV of Portugal (1291 ...
, heir to the Portuguese throne. At the same time, Diego López V de Haro was confirmed the possession of the
Lordship of Biscay The Lordship of Biscay (, Basque language, Basque: ''Bizkaiko jaurerria'') was a region under feudal rule in the region of Biscay in the Iberian Peninsula between 1040 and 1876, ruled by a political figure known as the Lord of Biscay. One of the ...
, and John of Castile, who recognized (but only privately) Ferdinand IV as his sovereign, was momentarily restored his property. Shortly after, King
James II of Aragon James II (Catalan: ''Jaume II''; Aragonese: ''Chaime II;'' 10 April 1267 – 2 or 5 November 1327), called the Just, was the King of Aragon and Valencia and Count of Barcelona from 1291 to 1327. He was also the King of Sicily (as James I) f ...
returned the ''Infanta''
Isabella of Castile Isabella I (; 22 April 1451 – 26 November 1504), also called Isabella the Catholic (Spanish: ''Isabel la Católica''), was Queen of Castile and León from 1474 until her death in 1504. She was also Queen of Aragon from 1479 until her deat ...
to the Castilian court without having married her, and declared the war to the Kingdom of Castile. At the beginning of 1296, John of Castile rebelled against Ferdinand IV and took Astudillo,
Paredes de Nava Paredes de Nava is a municipality located in the province of Palencia, Castile and León, Spain. It is the birthplace of Renaissance painter Pedro Berruguete. Some paintings by him can be seen in the predella of the local church of Santa Eulalia ...
and Dueñas, while his son Alfonso of Valencia seized Mansilla. In April 1296 Alfonso de la Cerda invaded the Kingdom of Castile accompanied by Aragonese troops, and went to the city of León, where John of Castile was proclaimed
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 ...
,
Seville Seville ( ; , ) is the capital and largest city of the Spain, Spanish autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Andalusia and the province of Seville. It is situated on the lower reaches of the Guadalquivir, River Guadalquivir, ...
and Galicia. Immediately afterwards, John of Castile accompanied Alfonso de la Cerda to
Sahagún Sahagún () is a town and municipality of Spain, part of the autonomous community of Castile and León and the province of León. It is the main centre of population in the Leonese part of the Tierra de Campos natural region. Sahagún contains ...
, where he was proclaimed
King of Castile This is a list of kings regnant and queens regnant of the Kingdom of Castile, Kingdom and Crown of Castile. For their predecessors, see List of Castilian counts. Kings and Queens of Castile Jiménez dynasty House of Ivrea / Burgundy ...
,
Toledo Toledo most commonly refers to: * Toledo, Spain, a city in Spain * Province of Toledo, Spain * Toledo, Ohio, a city in the United States Toledo may also refer to: Places Belize * Toledo District * Toledo Settlement Bolivia * Toledo, Or ...
,
Córdoba Córdoba most commonly refers to: * Córdoba, Spain, a major city in southern Spain and formerly the imperial capital of Islamic Spain * Córdoba, Argentina, the second largest city in Argentina and the capital of Córdoba Province Córdoba or Cord ...
,
Murcia Murcia ( , , ) is a city in south-eastern Spain, the Capital (political), capital and most populous city of the autonomous community of the Region of Murcia, and the Ranked lists of Spanish municipalities#By population, seventh largest city i ...
and
Jaén Jaén may refer to: Places Peru *Jaén Province, Peru, a province in Cajamarca Region, Peru ** Jaén District, one of twelve districts of the province Jaén in Peru ***Jaén, Peru, a city in Peru, capital of the Jaén Province Philippines * Jaen ...
. Shortly after being crowned Alfonso de la Cerda and John of Castile, both surrounded the Valladolid municipality of Mayorga, while Henry of Castile parted to the
Kingdom of Granada The Emirate of Granada, also known as the Nasrid Kingdom of Granada, was an Islamic polity in the southern Iberian Peninsula during the Late Middle Ages, ruled by the Nasrid dynasty. It was the last independent Muslim state in Western Europe. ...
to arrange the peace between the Sultan
Muhammed II al-Faqih Muhammad II () (also known by the epithet ''al-Faqih'', " the canon-lawyer", – 8 April 1302; reigned from 1273 until his death) was the second Nasrid ruler of the Emirate of Granada in Al-Andalus on the Iberian Peninsula, succeeding his fat ...
and Ferdinand IV, since the Granadian troops attacked in those moments in all Andalusia the lands of the King, that were defended, among others, by
Alonso Pérez de Guzmán Alonso Pérez de Guzmán (1256–1309), known as ''Guzmán el Bueno'' ("Guzmán the Good"), was a Spanish nobleman and hero of Spain during the Middle Ages, medieval period. Guzmán is the progenitor of the Dukes of Medina Sidonia, the oldes ...
. On 25 August 1296, the ''Infante'' Peter of Aragon died victim of the plague while he was under the command of the Aragonese army that surrounded the city of Mayorga, losing with him John of Castile one of his main supporters. Due to the mortality that extended between the besiegers of Mayorga, their commanders were forced to raise the siege. While John of Castile and Juan Núñez II de Lara waited for the arrival of the King of Portugal with his troops to join them in the siege of the city of Valladolid, where the Dowager Queen María de Molina and Ferdinand IV took refuge, the Aragonese monarch attacked Murcia and Soria, and King Denis of Portugal attacked along the line of
Douro The Douro (, , , ; ; ) is the largest river of the Iberian Peninsula by discharge. It rises near Duruelo de la Sierra in the Spanish Soria Province, province of Soria, meanders briefly south, then flows generally west through the northern par ...
river, while Diego López V de Haro sowed disorder in his Lordship of Biscay. When Henry of Castile, who was conferring with the Sultan of Granada, learned that the Aragonese and the Portuguese had left the Kingdom of Castile, and that the Dowager Queen was besieging Paredes de Nava, he decided to return to Castile, fearing that he would be deprived from his position of guardian of Ferdinand IV. However, under pressure from Alonso Pérez de Guzmán and other knights he attacked the Granadians, who at that time had again attacked the Castilians. Four leagues from Arjona, a battle was fought with the Granadians, in which Henry of Castile would have lost his life if Alonso Pérez de Guzmán had not saved him. For the Castilians the defeat was complete, and their camp was looted. After his return to Castile, Henry of Castile persuaded some knights to leave the siege of Paredes de Nava, despite the opposition of the Dowager Queen, that returned to Valladolid in January 1297 without having taken that. During the ''Cortes'' de Cuellar of 1297, summoned by the Dowager Queen María de Molina, Henry of Castile wanted that the city of
Tarifa Tarifa () is a Spanish municipality in the province of Cádiz, Andalusia. Located at the southernmost end of the Iberian Peninsula, it is primarily known as one of the world's most popular destinations for windsports. Tarifa lies on the Costa d ...
would be returned to the Sultan of Granada, but he was unable to achieve his objective due to the opposition of María de Molina. In these ''Cortes'' Henry of Castile managed to obtain for his nephew
Juan Manuel, Prince of Villena Don Juan Manuel (5 May 128213 June 1348) was a Spanish medieval writer, nephew of Alfonso X of Castile, son of Manuel of Castile and Beatrice of Savoy. He inherited from his father the great Lordship of Villena, receiving the titles of Lord, D ...
the
Castle of Alarcón A castle is a type of fortified structure built during the Middle Ages predominantly by the nobility or royalty and by military orders. Scholars usually consider a ''castle'' to be the private fortified residence of a lord or noble. This is ...
in compensation for having lose the town of
Elche Elche (, ; , , , ; officially: ''/'' ) is a city and Municipalities of Spain, municipality of Spain, belonging to the province of Alicante, in the Valencian Community. According to 2024's data, Elche has a population of 234,800 inhabitants,
after being conquered by the Aragonese, despite the opposition of the Dowager Queen, who didn't want to established such precedents between Castilian nobles and magnates. Shortly before the signing of the
Treaty of Alcañices The Treaty of Alcañices or Treaty of Alcanizes (; ) was made in Alcañices between King Denis of Portugal and King Fernando IV of Castile in 1297. Denis was the grandson of King Alfonso X of Castile and essentially an administrator and not a ...
, Juan Núñez II de Lara, who supported Alfonso de la Cerda and John of Castile, was besieged in Ampudia, although he managed to escaped from the siege.


The Treaty of Alcañices (1297)

In 1296 the Dowager Queen María de Molina had threatened the Portuguese monarch with breaking the agreements of the previous year if his attacks on the Castilian territory persisted, before which King Denis of Portugal agreed to return with his troops to his domains. Through the
Treaty of Alcañices The Treaty of Alcañices or Treaty of Alcanizes (; ) was made in Alcañices between King Denis of Portugal and King Fernando IV of Castile in 1297. Denis was the grandson of King Alfonso X of Castile and essentially an administrator and not a ...
were fixed, among other points, the borders between Castile and
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 ...
, which received a series of fortresses and towns in exchange for breaking their agreements with
James II of Aragon James II (Catalan: ''Jaume II''; Aragonese: ''Chaime II;'' 10 April 1267 – 2 or 5 November 1327), called the Just, was the King of Aragon and Valencia and Count of Barcelona from 1291 to 1327. He was also the King of Sicily (as James I) f ...
,
Alfonso de la Cerda Alfonso de la Cerda, (Valladolid 1270 - Ávila 1333), called "the Disinherited", was the elder son of Ferdinand de la Cerda and his wife Blanche of France, and was a grandson of Alfonso X of Castile. Alfonso and his brother Fernando were ca ...
, John of Castile and
Juan Núñez II de Lara Juan Núñez II de Lara ( – 1315), nicknamed ''el Mozo'' or ''el de la Barba'' (the bearded one), was a Spanish noble, and head of the House of Lara in the service of the Kingdom of Castile. Amongst other titles, he was the Mayordomo Mayor ...
. At the same time, in the Treaty of Alcañices the projected marriage between Ferdinand IV and the ''Infanta'' Constance of Portugal was confirmed as well as the betrothal of Afonso of Portugal, heir to the throne of Portugal, and ''
Infanta Infante (, ; f. ''infanta''), also anglicised as "infant" or translated as "prince", is the title and rank given in the Iberian kingdoms of Spain (including the predecessor kingdoms of Aragon, Castile, Navarre, and León) and Portugal to the ...
''
Beatrice Beatrice may refer to: * Beatrice (given name) Places In the United States * Beatrice, Alabama, a town * Beatrice, Humboldt County, California, a locality * Beatrice, Georgia, an unincorporated community * Beatrice, Indiana, an unincorporated ...
, sister of Ferdinand IV. On the other hand, the Portuguese monarch brought an army of 300 knights, placed under the orders of
João Afonso de Albuquerque João Afonso de Albuquerque, (28 September 1354), Juan Alfonso de Alburquerque in Spanish and nicknamed "o do Ataúde", 6th Lord of Alburquerque, Badajoz, Alburquerque, was a member of the highest ranks of the nobility of the Kingdom of Portugal, ...
, to help María de Molina in her fight against John of Castile who until that moment had received the support of the King Denis of Portugal. In addition, it was stipulated in the treaty that the towns and localities of Campo Maior,
Olivenza Olivenza () or Olivença () is a town in southwestern Spain, close to the Portugal–Spain border. It is a municipality belonging to the province of Badajoz, and to the wider autonomous community of Extremadura. The town of Olivença was und ...
, Ouguela and
San Felices de los Gallegos San Felices de los Gallegos is a village and large municipality in the province of Salamanca, western Spain, part of the autonomous community of Castile and León. It is located 102 kilometers from the provincial capital city of Salamanca and has a ...
would be surrendered to Denis de Portugal as compensation for the loss by Portugal during the reign of
Afonso III Alfonso III (Spanish) or Afonso III (Portuguese) may refer to: *Alfonso III of Asturias (866–910), surnamed "the Great" *Afonso III of Portugal (1210–1279) *Alfonso III of Aragon (1285–1291) *Alfonso III d'Este, Duke of Modena Alfonso III ...
for a series of towns that were taken from him by
Alfonso X of Castile Alfonso X (also known as the Wise, ; 23 November 1221 – 4 April 1284) was King of Castile, Kingdom of León, León and Kingdom of Galicia, Galicia from 1 June 1252 until his death in 1284. During the April 1257 Imperial election, election of 1 ...
. In addition, the Portuguese king also received the towns of Almeida, Castelo Bom, Castelo Melhor, Castelo Rodrigo, Monforte,
Sabugal Sabugal () is a city and a municipality in the District of Guarda, Portugal. A border municipality with Spain, the population of the municipality in 2011 was 12,544, in an area of 822.70 km2. The city proper, located along the Côa river, has ...
, Sastres and Vilar Maior. The Castilian and Portuguese monarchs renounced their future mutual territorial claims and the prelates of the two kingdoms agreed on 13 September 1297 to support each other and defend themselves against the possible pretensions of other estates to deprive them of freedoms or privileges. The treaty was ratified not only by the two monarchs of both kingdoms, but also by several representatives of the nobiliary and ecclesiastical arms of both kingdoms, as well as by the Brotherhood of the councils of Castile and by its equivalent 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 ...
. In the long term, the consequences of this treaty were long lasting, since the border between the two kingdoms was hardly modified in the course of the later centuries, becoming one of the longest frontiers of the European continent. On the other hand, the Treaty of Alcañices contributed to secure the position of Ferdinand IV in the Castilian throne, who was insecure because of internal and external discords, and allowed Dowager Queen María de Molina to extend her freedom of movement in the absence of disputes with the Portuguese sovereign, who had come to support it in her fight against John of Castile, who, at that moment, was still controlling the territory of León.


Last stage of minority (1297–1301)

At the end of 1297, the Dowager Queen sent
Alonso Pérez de Guzmán Alonso Pérez de Guzmán (1256–1309), known as ''Guzmán el Bueno'' ("Guzmán the Good"), was a Spanish nobleman and hero of Spain during the Middle Ages, medieval period. Guzmán is the progenitor of the Dukes of Medina Sidonia, the oldes ...
to the Kingdom of León to fight against John of Castile, who continued to control the territory. At the beginning of 1298, Alfonso de la Cerda and John of Castile, supported by
Juan Núñez II de Lara Juan Núñez II de Lara ( – 1315), nicknamed ''el Mozo'' or ''el de la Barba'' (the bearded one), was a Spanish noble, and head of the House of Lara in the service of the Kingdom of Castile. Amongst other titles, he was the Mayordomo Mayor ...
, began to mint fake coin, since it contained less metal than it corresponded, with the purpose of destabilizing the economy of the Kingdoms of Castile and León. In 1298, the city of
Sigüenza Sigüenza () is a city in the La Serranía, Serranía de Guadalajara Comarcas of Castile-La Mancha, comarca, Province of Guadalajara, Castile-La Mancha, Spain. History The site of the ancient ''Segontia'' ('dominating over the valley') of the C ...
fell to Juan Núñez II de Lara, but it had to be evacuated shortly afterwards by the resistance of the defenders; however soon afterwards he conquered
Almazán Almazán () is a municipality located in the province of Soria, Castile and León, Spain. As of 2013, the municipality has a population of 5,843 inhabitants. It is also the seat of the judicial district of Almazán, and ecclesiastically it belongs ...
(who became the stronghold of Alfonso de la Cerda) and Deza, being also returned to Juan Núñez II de Lara the city of
Albarracín Albarracín () is a Spanish town, in the province of Teruel, part of the autonomous community of Aragon. According to the 2007 census (INE), the municipality had a population of 1075 inhabitants. Albarracín is the capital of the mountainous Si ...
by King
James II of Aragon James II (Catalan: ''Jaume II''; Aragonese: ''Chaime II;'' 10 April 1267 – 2 or 5 November 1327), called the Just, was the King of Aragon and Valencia and Count of Barcelona from 1291 to 1327. He was also the King of Sicily (as James I) f ...
. In the ''Cortes'' de Valladolid in 1298, Henry of Castile again advised the sale of the city of
Tarifa Tarifa () is a Spanish municipality in the province of Cádiz, Andalusia. Located at the southernmost end of the Iberian Peninsula, it is primarily known as one of the world's most popular destinations for windsports. Tarifa lies on the Costa d ...
to the Muslims, but this was opposed by the Dowager Queen. The Dowager Queen met in 1298 with the King of Portugal in
Toro Toro may refer to: Places *Toro, Molise, a ''comune'' in the Province of Campobasso, Italy *Toro, Nigeria, a Local Government Area of Bauchi State, Nigeria *Toro, Shizuoka, an archaeological site in Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan *Toro, Zamora, a ''m ...
, and requested that he help her in the fight against John of Castile. However, the Portuguese sovereign refused to attack him and, in common agreement with Henry of Castile, both planned that Ferdinand IV reached a peace agreement with John of Castile, under which the latter kept the
Kingdom of Galicia The Kingdom of Galicia was a political entity located in southwestern Europe, which at its territorial zenith occupied the entire northwest of the Iberian Peninsula. In the early 10th century, the Kingdom of Galicia was formed following the div ...
, the city of León, and all the towns that he had conquered only during his lifetime, and at his death, all those territories would pass to Ferdinand IV. Nevertheless, the Dowager Queen, who opposed the project of surrender these territories to John of Castile, bribed Henry of Castile by giving him the cities of
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 popula ...
, Roa and Medellin so that the project didn't continue, while at the same time she managed to obtain from the representatives of the councils the public rejection of the project for the Portuguese sovereign. After the meeting with the Portuguese monarch in 1298, the Dowager Queen sent to her son, the 7-years-old ''Infante''
Philip of Castile Philip of Castile (; 1231 – 28 November 1274) was an Infante of Castile and son of Ferdinand III, King of Castile and León, and his first queen, Beatrice of Swabia. He was Lord of Valdecorneja, and, according to some sources, Knight of the O ...
to the
Kingdom of Galicia The Kingdom of Galicia was a political entity located in southwestern Europe, which at its territorial zenith occupied the entire northwest of the Iberian Peninsula. In the early 10th century, the Kingdom of Galicia was formed following the div ...
, with the purpose to reinforce the royal authority in that zone, where
João Afonso de Albuquerque João Afonso de Albuquerque, (28 September 1354), Juan Alfonso de Alburquerque in Spanish and nicknamed "o do Ataúde", 6th Lord of Alburquerque, Badajoz, Alburquerque, was a member of the highest ranks of the nobility of the Kingdom of Portugal, ...
and Fernando Rodríguez de Castro, Lord of Lemos and Sarria, planted the disorder. In April 1299, after the ''Cortes'' de Valladolid of that year, the Dowager Queen recovered the castles of
Monzón Monzón () is a small city and municipality in the autonomous community of Aragon, Spain. Its population was 17,176 as of 2014. It is located at the confluence of the Cinca and Sosa rivers, in the Cinca Media comarca of the province of Huesca. ...
and
Becerril de Campos Becerril de Campos is a municipality located in the province of Palencia, Castile and León, Spain. According to the 2004 census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calcu ...
, which were in the possession of the supporters of
Alfonso de la Cerda Alfonso de la Cerda, (Valladolid 1270 - Ávila 1333), called "the Disinherited", was the elder son of Ferdinand de la Cerda and his wife Blanche of France, and was a grandson of Alfonso X of Castile. Alfonso and his brother Fernando were ca ...
. In 1299 Juan Alfonso de Haro, Lord of Cameros, captured Juan Núñez II de Lara, partisan of Alfonso de la Cerda. Meanwhile, the Dowager Queen send troops to rescue Lorca, besieged by the King of Aragon, while in August of the same year, the troops of the Castilian king surrounded
Palenzuela Palenzuela is a municipality located in the province of Palencia, Castile and León, Spain. According to the 2004 census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating po ...
. Juan Núñez II de Lara was released in 1299 on condition that his sister
Juana Núñez de Lara Juana Núñez de Lara (1286 – 1351) was a daughter of Juan Núñez de Lara ''the Fat'' and his wife Teresa Díaz II de Haro of the lordship of Biscay. Juana is also known as la Palomilla or Lady of Lara. Life Juana was first married to Infant ...
married Henry of Castile, to pay tribute to Ferdinand IV and swear not to revolt against him, and return to the Crown the cities of Osma, Palenzuela, Amaya, Dueñas (which was granted to Henry of Castile), Ampudia, Tordehumos (which was given to
Diego López V de Haro Diego López V de Haro, nicknamed '' el Intruso'' ( 1250 – 1310), was a Castilian noble of the House of Haro and held the title of the Lord of Biscay which he took from the pretender to the title, John of Castile. He further served in ...
), La Mota, and Lerma. In March 1300, the Dowager Queen met again with King Denis of Portugal in
Ciudad Rodrigo Ciudad Rodrigo () is a small cathedral city in the province of Salamanca (province), Salamanca, in western Spain, with a population in 2016 of 12,896. It is also the seat of a judicial district. The site of Ciudad Rodrigo, perched atop a rocky r ...
, where the Portuguese sovereign requested funds to pay the cost of the matrimonial dispensations that the Pope should grant, so that the marriages between Fernando IV and Constance of Portugal, and Beatrice of Castile with Afonso of Portugal could be carried out. In the ''Cortes'' de Valladolid in 1300 the Dowager Queen imposed her will and managed to obtain the necessary amount of money which could persuade
Pope Boniface VIII Pope Boniface VIII (; born Benedetto Caetani; – 11 October 1303) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 24 December 1294 until his death in 1303. The Caetani, Caetani family was of baronial origin with connections t ...
to grant the dispensation that legitimized the marriage of the late
Sancho IV of Castile Sancho IV of Castile (12 May 1258 – 25 April 1295) called the Brave (''el Bravo''), was the king of Castile, León and Galicia (now parts of Spain) from 1284 to his death. Following his brother Ferdinand's death, he gained the s ...
with
María de Molina María Alfonso Téllez de Meneses (c. 1265 – 1321), known as María de Molina, was queen consort of Kingdom of Castile, Castile and Kingdom of León, León from 1284 to 1295 by marriage to Sancho IV of Castile, and served as regent for her min ...
. During the ''Cortes'' of Valladolid of 1300 John of Castile renounced to his pretensions to the throne, notwithstanding to have been proclaimed King of León in 1296, and made public his oath of fidelity to Fernando IV and his successors on 26 June 1300. In return for his resignation to the possession of the
Lordship of Biscay The Lordship of Biscay (, Basque language, Basque: ''Bizkaiko jaurerria'') was a region under feudal rule in the region of Biscay in the Iberian Peninsula between 1040 and 1876, ruled by a political figure known as the Lord of Biscay. One of the ...
, whose possession was confirmed to Diego López V de Haro, John of Castile and his wife
María I Díaz de Haro Maria may refer to: People * Mary, mother of Jesus * Maria (given name), a popular given name in many languages Place names Extraterrestrial * 170 Maria, a Main belt S-type asteroid discovered in 1877 * Lunar maria (plural of ''mare''), large, ...
(niece of Diego López V de Haro and legitimate heiress of Biscay) received the cities of Mansilla,
Paredes de Nava Paredes de Nava is a municipality located in the province of Palencia, Castile and León, Spain. It is the birthplace of Renaissance painter Pedro Berruguete. Some paintings by him can be seen in the predella of the local church of Santa Eulalia ...
,
Medina de Rioseco Medina de Rioseco is a municipality located in the province of Valladolid, in the autonomous community of Castile and León and Spain. According to a 2011 census ( INE), the municipality has a population of 4,967 inhabitants. The city also has t ...
,
Castronuño Castronuño is a municipality located in the province of Valladolid, Castile and León, Spain. According to the 2004 census ( INE), the municipality has a population of 1,049 inhabitants. See also *Cuisine of the province of Valladolid The ...
and Cabreros. Shortly after, the Dowager and Henry and John of Castile, accompanied by Diego López V de Haro, besieged the town of
Almazán Almazán () is a municipality located in the province of Soria, Castile and León, Spain. As of 2013, the municipality has a population of 5,843 inhabitants. It is also the seat of the judicial district of Almazán, and ecclesiastically it belongs ...
, but they left the siege due to the opposition of Henry of Castile. In 1301 King
James II of Aragon James II (Catalan: ''Jaume II''; Aragonese: ''Chaime II;'' 10 April 1267 – 2 or 5 November 1327), called the Just, was the King of Aragon and Valencia and Count of Barcelona from 1291 to 1327. He was also the King of Sicily (as James I) f ...
besieged the town of Lorca, who belonged to
Juan Manuel, Prince of Villena Don Juan Manuel (5 May 128213 June 1348) was a Spanish medieval writer, nephew of Alfonso X of Castile, son of Manuel of Castile and Beatrice of Savoy. He inherited from his father the great Lordship of Villena, receiving the titles of Lord, D ...
, who surrender it to the Aragonese monarch, and at the same time the Dowager Queen, with the purpose of amortizing the disbursement made to provide an army with which to release the city of the Aragonese siege, ordered the siege of the castles of Alcalá and Mula, and immediately after besieged the city of
Murcia Murcia ( , , ) is a city in south-eastern Spain, the Capital (political), capital and most populous city of the autonomous community of the Region of Murcia, and the Ranked lists of Spanish municipalities#By population, seventh largest city i ...
, where James II was; the Aragonese monarch was close to be by the Castilian troops, but he was warned by Henry and John of Castile, who were afraid of a complete defeat of James II, because both wanted to maintain good relations with him. In the ''Cortes'' de Burgos of 1301 were approved the subsidies demanded by the Crown to finance the war against the Kingdoms of Aragon and
Granada Granada ( ; ) is the capital city of the province of Granada, in the autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Andalusia, Spain. Granada is located at the foot of the Sierra Nevada (Spain), Sierra Nevada mountains, at the confluence ...
and against
Alfonso de la Cerda Alfonso de la Cerda, (Valladolid 1270 - Ávila 1333), called "the Disinherited", was the elder son of Ferdinand de la Cerda and his wife Blanche of France, and was a grandson of Alfonso X of Castile. Alfonso and his brother Fernando were ca ...
, while were granted subsidies to obtain the legitimation of marriage of the Dowager Queen with Sancho IV; for this purpose, were sent 10,000 silver marks to the Pope, despite the famine that ravaged the Kingdoms of Castile and León. In June 1301, during the ''Cortes'' de Zamora, John of Castile and the ''ricoshombres'' of Léon, Galicia and Asturias, supporters mostly of the John, approved the subsidies demanded by the Crown.


Personal rule (1301–1312)

In November 1301, when the court was in the city of
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 ...
, was made public the bull by which
Pope Boniface VIII Pope Boniface VIII (; born Benedetto Caetani; – 11 October 1303) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 24 December 1294 until his death in 1303. The Caetani, Caetani family was of baronial origin with connections t ...
legitimized the marriage of María de Molina with the late King Sancho IV, and therefore her children were legitimate from that moment. At the same time, Ferdinand IV attained his legal majority, who was officially declared on 6 December 1301. With this, John of Castile and the ''Infantes de la Cerda'' lost one of their main arguments when reclaiming the throne, not being able to use the illegitimacy of the Castilian monarch. In addition was also received the papal dispensation for the marriage of Fernando IV with Constance of Portugal. Henry of Castile, annoyed by the legitimation of Ferdinand IV by Pope Boniface VIII, allied himself with Juan Núñez II de Lara, in order to indispose and antagonize Ferdinand IV with his mother the Dowager Queen. Both were joined by John of Castile, who continued to claim the
Lordship of Biscay The Lordship of Biscay (, Basque language, Basque: ''Bizkaiko jaurerria'') was a region under feudal rule in the region of Biscay in the Iberian Peninsula between 1040 and 1876, ruled by a political figure known as the Lord of Biscay. One of the ...
on behalf of his wife, María I Díaz de Haro. In 1301, while the Dowager Queen was in
Vitoria Vitoria or Vitória may refer to: People * Francisco de Vitoria (c. 1483–1546), a Spanish Renaissance theologian * Alberto Vitoria (1956–2010), Spanish footballer * Rui Vitória (born 1970), Portuguese retired footballer * Sofia Vitória ( ...
with Henry of Castile answering the complaints presented by the
Kingdom of Navarre The Kingdom of Navarre ( ), originally the Kingdom of Pamplona, occupied lands on both sides of the western Pyrenees, with its northernmost areas originally reaching the Atlantic Ocean (Bay of Biscay), between present-day Spain and France. The me ...
in relation to the Castilian attacks to their lands, John of Castile and Juan Núñez II de Lara indisposed the King with his mother and sought his amusement in the lands of León by means of hunting, to which Ferdinand IV showed his predilection since childhood. With the Dowager Queen in Vitoria, the Aragonese nobles revolted against their monarch offered their support to obtain from James II the return to Castile of the towns from which he had taken over in the Kingdom of Murcia. That same year Henry of Castile, allied with Diego López V de Haro, demanded to Ferdinand IV, in compensation to leave his position of royal guardian (and after having previously blackmailed the Dowager Queen with declaring the war to his son if they didn't accede to his request), the possession of the towns of
Atienza Atienza () is a municipality located in the province of Guadalajara, Spain. According to the 2023 census ( INE), the municipality had a population of 434 inhabitants. The Castle of Atienza is situated here. There were ancient Celtiberian se ...
and
San Esteban de Gormaz San Esteban de Gormaz is a Municipalities of Spain, municipality in the provinces of Spain, province of Soria (province), Soria in the autonomous community of Castile-Leon, Spain. Its population is approximately 3,500. The town is located in the ...
, which were granted by the King. On 23 January 1302 Ferdinand IV married in
Valladolid Valladolid ( ; ) is a Municipalities of Spain, municipality in Spain and the primary seat of government and ''de facto'' capital of the Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Castile and León. It is also the capital of the pr ...
with
Constance Constance may refer to: Places * Constance, Kentucky, United States, an unincorporated community * Constance, Minnesota, United States, an unincorporated community * Mount Constance, Washington State, United States * Lake Constance (disambiguat ...
, daughter of King Denis of Portugal. In the ''Cortes'' de Medina del Campo of May 1302, Henry and John of Castile and Juan Núñez II de Lara tried to indispose the King with his mother, accusing her of having given away the jewels given to her by Sancho IV, and later, when the accusation was proved to be false, they accused her of having appropriated the subsidies granted to the Crown in the ''Cortes'' of previous years, an accusation that was also proved false when Nuño, Abbot of Santander and Chancellor of the Dowager Queen, reviewed and made public the accounts of María de Molina, who not only had not appropriated the Crown's funds but contributed with her own income to the support of the monarchy. While celebrating the ''Cortes'' of Medina del Campo in 1302, which was attended by a representation of the King of Castile, Sultan
Muhammed II al-Faqih Muhammad II () (also known by the epithet ''al-Faqih'', " the canon-lawyer", – 8 April 1302; reigned from 1273 until his death) was the second Nasrid ruler of the Emirate of Granada in Al-Andalus on the Iberian Peninsula, succeeding his fat ...
of Granada died and was succeeded by his son, Muhammad III, who attacked the Kingdoms of Castilla y León and conquered the municipality of Bedmar. In July 1302 Ferdinand IV went to the ''Cortes'' de Burgos along with his mother, with whom he had restored good relations, and with Henry of Castile. The King, although under the influence of his private Samuel de Belorado, of Jewish origin —who tried to indispose the King from his mother— had decided to dispense from the presence of the John of Castile and Juan Núñez II de Lara in the ''Cortes''. At the end of the ''Cortes'', Ferdinand IV went to the city of
Palencia Palencia () is a city of Spain located in the autonomous community of Castile and León. It is the capital and most populated municipality of the province of Palencia. Located in the northwest of the Iberian Peninsula, in the northern half of ...
, where was celebrated the marriage of Alfonso of Valencia (son of John of Castile) with Teresa Núñez de Lara (sister of Juan Núñez II de Lara). At that time was accentuated the rivalry existed between Henry of Castile, María de Molina and Diego López V de Haro on one side, and John of Castile and Juan Núñez II de Lara on the other side. Henry of Castile threatened the Dowager Queen with declaring the war to Ferdinand IV and herself if his demands were accepted, while the magnates sought to eliminate the influence that María de Molina exerted on her son, of whom the people began to distrust, because of the influence of the ''ricoshombres'' had over him. In the final months of 1302, the Dowager Queen, who was in
Valladolid Valladolid ( ; ) is a Municipalities of Spain, municipality in Spain and the primary seat of government and ''de facto'' capital of the Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Castile and León. It is also the capital of the pr ...
, was forced to appease the ''ricoshombres'' and members of the nobility, who planned to rise up in arms against Ferdinand IV, who spent the Christmas of 1302 in lands of the Kingdom of León, accompanied by the John of Castile and Juan Núñez II de Lara. At the beginning of 1303 there was a planned meeting between King Denis of Portugal and Ferdinand IV, where the Castilian monarch hoped that his cousin and father-in-law the Portuguese monarch would return to him some territory. For his part, Henry of Castile, Diego López V de Haro and the Dowager Queen presented their excuses for not attending the meeting. María de Molina's purpose in refusing to attend was to watch over Henry of Castile and the Lord of Biscay, whose relations with Ferdinand IV were strained because of the friendship showed by the monarch to John of Castile and Juan Núñez II de Lara. In May 1303 the meeting between Denis of Portugal and Ferdinand IV took place in the city of
Badajoz Badajoz is the capital of the Province of Badajoz in the autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Extremadura, Spain. It is situated close to the Portugal, Portuguese Portugal–Spain border, border, on the left bank of the river ...
. The infant John of Castile and Juan Núñez II de Lara predisposed Fernando IV against Henry of Castile and Diego López V de Haro, while the concessions offered by the Portuguese sovereign, who offered to help him if necessary against Henry of Castile, disappointed Ferdinand IV.


Meeting of Ariza and death of Henry of Castile (1303)

In 1303, while the King was in
Badajoz Badajoz is the capital of the Province of Badajoz in the autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Extremadura, Spain. It is situated close to the Portugal, Portuguese Portugal–Spain border, border, on the left bank of the river ...
, Henry of Castile,
Diego López V de Haro Diego López V de Haro, nicknamed '' el Intruso'' ( 1250 – 1310), was a Castilian noble of the House of Haro and held the title of the Lord of Biscay which he took from the pretender to the title, John of Castile. He further served in ...
and
Juan Manuel, Prince of Villena Don Juan Manuel (5 May 128213 June 1348) was a Spanish medieval writer, nephew of Alfonso X of Castile, son of Manuel of Castile and Beatrice of Savoy. He inherited from his father the great Lordship of Villena, receiving the titles of Lord, D ...
had a meeting in Roa, and they agreed that Juan Manuel would have a meeting with the King of Aragon, who agreed that the three magnates and himself should meet the Day of
John the Baptist John the Baptist ( – ) was a Jewish preacher active in the area of the Jordan River in the early first century AD. He is also known as Saint John the Forerunner in Eastern Orthodoxy and Oriental Orthodoxy, John the Immerser in some Baptist ...
in the municipality of Ariza. Later, Henry of Castile communicated his plans to María de Molina, who was in
Valladolid Valladolid ( ; ) is a Municipalities of Spain, municipality in Spain and the primary seat of government and ''de facto'' capital of the Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Castile and León. It is also the capital of the pr ...
, with the purpose of that she was united to them. The plan of Henry of Castile consisted in that
Alfonso de la Cerda Alfonso de la Cerda, (Valladolid 1270 - Ávila 1333), called "the Disinherited", was the elder son of Ferdinand de la Cerda and his wife Blanche of France, and was a grandson of Alfonso X of Castile. Alfonso and his brother Fernando were ca ...
became King of León and married with the ''Infanta''
Isabel Isabel is a female name of Iberian origin. Isabelle is a name that is similar, but it is of French origin. It originates as the medieval Spanish form of ''Elizabeth (given name), Elisabeth'' (ultimately Hebrew ''Elisheba''). Arising in the 12th c ...
(sister of Ferdinand IV and repudiated child-bride of the Aragonese monarch), while the ''Infante''
Peter of Castile Peter (; 30 August 133423 March 1369), called Peter the Cruel () or the Just (), was King of Castile and León from 1350 to 1369. Peter was the last ruler of the main branch of the House of Ivrea. He was excommunicated by Pope Urban V for h ...
(brother of Fernando IV) would be proclaimed King of Castile and would marry with a daughter of James II of Aragon. Henry of Castile stated that his intention was to achieve peace in the Kingdom and to eliminate the influence of the John of Castile and Juan Núñez II de Lara. This plan, which would have meant the disintegration of the Kingdom of Castile and León, as well as the forced resignation of Ferdinand IV to the throne, was rejected by the Dowager Queen, who refused to support the project and to participate in the Meeting of Ariza. In the meanwhile, Ferdinand IV begged his mother to put peace between him and the magnates who supported Henry of Castile, who again begged the Dowager Queen to support the Henry's plan, to which she refused. While still celebrating the Meeting of Ariza, the Dowager Queen reminded Henry of Castile and his companions of the loyalty they owed to her son, as well as the properties with which she had endowed them, thereby enabling some knights to leave Ariza without seconding Henry's plan. However, Henry of Castile, Juan Manuel of Villena and other knights were committed to make the war to Ferdinand IV, as well as to that the Kingdom of Murcia should be returned to Aragon and the Kingdom of Jaén given to Alfonso de la Cerda. However, while the Dowager Queen met the Councils and obstructed the intentions of Henry of Castile, he became seriously ill and had to be transferred to his village of Roa. Faced with Henry's illness, the Dowager Queen, fearing that his lordships and castles would be inherited by Juan Manuel of Villena and Lope Díaz de Haro (to those he planned to bequeath his possessions to his death), she persuaded Henry's confessor, as well as his companions, to convince him to return his properties to the Crown, to which Henry refused, since he didn't wish that his inheritance could be taken by Ferdinand IV. When Juan Manuel of Villena, nephew of Henry of Castile, arrived at Roa, he found him speechless, and taking him for dead, he took possession of all the valuable objects that were there, as referred to in the ''Chronicle of Ferdinand IV'': The Dowager Queen then sent orders to all the fortresses of the dying Henry, in which it was arranged that if he died, they would not surrender the castles but to the King's troops, to which they belonged. Henry of Castile died on 8 August 1303 and was buried in the disappeared
Monastery of San Francisco of Valladolid The Convent of St. Francis (Spanish: ''Convento de San Francisco''), in Valladolid, Spain, was founded in the 13th century and located outside the city walls, in front of the market square (which would become the future '' Plaza Mayor''). The conv ...
. His vassals gave little evidence of mourning for him, and when the Dowager Queen learned of it, she ordered that a brocade cloth be placed on the coffin, and that all the clerics and nobles present in Valladolid should attend the funerals. While Henry of Castile was agonizing, Ferdinand IV made a pact with Sultan Muhammed III of Granada, which stipulated that the sovereign of Granada would keep
Alcaudete Alcaudete is a city located in the province of Jaén, Andalusia, Spain. As of 2018, it has a population of 10,558. It is home to a 12th-14th century Moorish castle, located on the top of the hill commanding the town. Other sights include the ''Ig ...
, Quesada and Bedmar, while Ferdinand IV would keep the city of
Tarifa Tarifa () is a Spanish municipality in the province of Cádiz, Andalusia. Located at the southernmost end of the Iberian Peninsula, it is primarily known as one of the world's most popular destinations for windsports. Tarifa lies on the Costa d ...
. Muhammed III declared himself vassal of Ferdinand IV and promised to pay him the corresponding ''
parias In medieval Spain, ''parias'' (from medieval Latin ''pariāre'', "to make equal n account, i.e. pay) were a form of tribute paid by the ''taifas'' of al-Andalus to the Christian kingdoms of the north. ''Parias'' dominated relations between the ...
''. On learning that Henry of Castile had died, Ferdinand IV was pleased and granted most of his land to Juan Núñez II de Lara, who also received the position of ''Adelantado mayor'' of the
Andalusia Andalusia ( , ; , ) is the southernmost autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community in Peninsular Spain, located in the south of the Iberian Peninsula, in southwestern Europe. It is the most populous and the second-largest autonomou ...
n border, while returning
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 popula ...
to María de Molina, for having been hers before she gave it to Henry of Castile. In November 1303 the King was in Valladolid with his mother, and requested her advice, since he wished to put an end to the dispute between John of Castile and Diego López V de Haro for the possession of the
Lordship of Biscay The Lordship of Biscay (, Basque language, Basque: ''Bizkaiko jaurerria'') was a region under feudal rule in the region of Biscay in the Iberian Peninsula between 1040 and 1876, ruled by a political figure known as the Lord of Biscay. One of the ...
. The Dowager Queen told him that she would help him to resolve the matter, while the King made important donations to her, for the good relations between Ferdinand IV and his mother had been fully restored. In January 1304, when the King was in
Carrión de los Condes Carrión de los Condes () is a municipality in the province of Palencia, part of the Autonomous Community of Castile and León, Spain. Situated on the River Carrión, it is 40 kilometers upstream from the provincial capital of Palencia, on the F ...
, John of Castile claimed again, in the name of his wife, and supported by Juan Núñez II de Lara, the Lordship of Biscay, although the monarch at first resolved that John of Castile's wife be satisfied with receiving
Paredes de Nava Paredes de Nava is a municipality located in the province of Palencia, Castile and León, Spain. It is the birthplace of Renaissance painter Pedro Berruguete. Some paintings by him can be seen in the predella of the local church of Santa Eulalia ...
and
Villalón de Campos Villalón or Villalon may refer to: * Alberto Villalón (1882–1955), one of the greatest musicians in the Cuban trova style * Consuelo Villalon Aleman (1907–1998), a well-known Mexican pianist during the 20th century * Eric Villalon (bo ...
as compensation, to which John of Castile refused, arguing that his wife would not accept this for disagreeing with the previous pacts established by her husband in relation to The Lordship of Biscay. In view of the situation, the King proposed that Diego López V de Haro surrender to
María I Díaz de Haro Maria may refer to: People * Mary, mother of Jesus * Maria (given name), a popular given name in many languages Place names Extraterrestrial * 170 Maria, a Main belt S-type asteroid discovered in 1877 * Lunar maria (plural of ''mare''), large, ...
, in exchange for the Lordship of Biscay, the cities of Tordehumos,
Íscar Íscar is a municipality located in the province of Valladolid, Castile and León, Spain. According to the 2004 census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating popu ...
, Santa Olalla, as well as his possessions in
Cuéllar Cuéllar () is a municipality in the Province of Segovia, within the autonomous community of Castile and León, Spain. The municipality had a population of 9,730 inhabitants according to the municipal register of inhabitants (INE) as of 1 Janu ...
,
Córdoba Córdoba most commonly refers to: * Córdoba, Spain, a major city in southern Spain and formerly the imperial capital of Islamic Spain * Córdoba, Argentina, the second largest city in Argentina and the capital of Córdoba Province Córdoba or Cord ...
,
Murcia Murcia ( , , ) is a city in south-eastern Spain, the Capital (political), capital and most populous city of the autonomous community of the Region of Murcia, and the Ranked lists of Spanish municipalities#By population, seventh largest city i ...
, Valdetorio, and the Lordship of Valdecorneja. For his part, Diego López V de Haro would retain the Lordship of Biscay, Orduña,
Valmaseda Balmaseda (in Basque language, Basque and officially, in Spanish language, Spanish: ''Valmaseda'') is a town and municipality located in the province of Biscay, in the Basque Country (autonomous community), Basque Country. Balmaseda is the capital ...
, Las Encartaciones, and
Durango Durango, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Durango, is one of the 31 states which make up the Political divisions of Mexico, 32 Federal Entities of Mexico, situated in the northwest portion of the country. With a population of 1,832,650 ...
. John of Castile accepted the offer of the King, who called Diego López V de Haro to Carrión de los Condes. Nevertheless, the Lord of Biscay didn't accept the proposal of the sovereign and threatened him with the rebellion before leaving. The King then made his mother reconcile with Juan Núñez II de Lara, while were initiated the maneuvers for the
Treaty of Torrellas The Treaty of Torrellas (called a ''sentencia arbitral'', "sentence by arbitration," in Castilian), signed in Torrellas on 1304, settled the question of conquest of the Kingdom of Murcia, thitherto a dependency of the Crown of Castile, by Ja ...
, signed in 1304, in which Diego López V de Haro didn't take part because he was distanced from Ferdinand IV, who promised to John of Castile to give him the Lordship of Biscay, and to Juan Núñez II de Lara
La Bureba La Bureba is a ''Comarcas of Castile and León, comarca'' located in the northeast of the Province of Burgos in the autonomous community of Castile and León, Spain. It is bounded on the north by Las Merindades, east by the Comarca del Ebro, south- ...
and the possessions of Diego López V de Haro in
La Rioja La Rioja () is an autonomous communities in Spain, autonomous community and provinces of Spain, province in Spain, in the north of the Iberian Peninsula. Its capital is Logroño. Other List of municipalities in La Rioja, cities and towns in the ...
, if both resolved the diplomatic negotiations with Aragon following the desire of the monarch. In April 1304, John of Castile began negotiations with the Kingdom of Aragon, pledging Fernando IV to accept the decisions to be made by the mediators of the Kingdoms of Portugal and Aragon, who would meet in the following months, regarding the demands of
Alfonso de la Cerda Alfonso de la Cerda, (Valladolid 1270 - Ávila 1333), called "the Disinherited", was the elder son of Ferdinand de la Cerda and his wife Blanche of France, and was a grandson of Alfonso X of Castile. Alfonso and his brother Fernando were ca ...
and respect to his disputes with the King of Aragon. At the same time, the King confiscated the lands of Diego López V de Haro and Juan Alfonso de Haro, Lord of Cameros, and divided them among the ''ricoshombres''. In spite of this, both magnates didn't rebel against the King. In the meanwhile, in Galicia, the ''Infante''
Philip of Castile Philip of Castile (; 1231 – 28 November 1274) was an Infante of Castile and son of Ferdinand III, King of Castile and León, and his first queen, Beatrice of Swabia. He was Lord of Valdecorneja, and, according to some sources, Knight of the O ...
, brother of Fernando IV, defeated in a battle his brother-in-law
Fernando Rodríguez de Castro Fernando Rodríguez de Castro (1125–1185) was a Kingdom of Castile, Castilian nobleman, statesman and military leader who made his career in Kingdom of León, León. He was the leader of the House of Castro during the civil wars that followed t ...
(husband of Violante Sánchez, illegitimate daughter of
Sancho IV of Castile Sancho IV of Castile (12 May 1258 – 25 April 1295) called the Brave (''el Bravo''), was the king of Castile, León and Galicia (now parts of Spain) from 1284 to his death. Following his brother Ferdinand's death, he gained the s ...
) who lost his life in that battle.


Treaty of Torrellas (1304)

One of the most important events of the reign of Ferdinand IV once reached his majority, was the agreement of borders established with
James II of Aragon James II (Catalan: ''Jaume II''; Aragonese: ''Chaime II;'' 10 April 1267 – 2 or 5 November 1327), called the Just, was the King of Aragon and Valencia and Count of Barcelona from 1291 to 1327. He was also the King of Sicily (as James I) f ...
in 1304, and known in history as the
Treaty of Torrellas The Treaty of Torrellas (called a ''sentencia arbitral'', "sentence by arbitration," in Castilian), signed in Torrellas on 1304, settled the question of conquest of the Kingdom of Murcia, thitherto a dependency of the Crown of Castile, by Ja ...
—called a ''sentencia arbitral'', "sentence by arbitration," in Castilian—. With the agreement also tried to put an end to the claims of
Alfonso de la Cerda Alfonso de la Cerda, (Valladolid 1270 - Ávila 1333), called "the Disinherited", was the elder son of Ferdinand de la Cerda and his wife Blanche of France, and was a grandson of Alfonso X of Castile. Alfonso and his brother Fernando were ca ...
, pretender to the Castilian-Leonese throne. On 8 August 1304, in the town of Torrellas, King
Denis of Portugal Denis (, ; 9 October 1261 – 7 January 1325), called the Farmer King (''Rei Lavrador'') and the Poet King (''Rei Poeta''), was King of Portugal from 1279 until his death in 1325. Dinis was the eldest son of Afonso III of Portugal by his second ...
, the
Archbishop of Zaragoza The Archdiocese of Saragossa (; ) is a Latin diocese of the Catholic Church located in north-eastern Spain, in the province of Zaragoza (Saragossa in English), part of the autonomous community of Aragón. The archdiocese heads the ecclesiastical ...
, Jimeno de Luna (who represented the Kingdom of Aragon) and John of Castile (who represented the Kingdom of Castile), made public the clauses of the Treaty of Torrellas. The purpose of the negotiation was to put an end to the existing disputes between the Kingdoms of Castile and Aragon with respect to the possession of the Kingdom of Murcia. Sultan Muhammed III of Granada participated in the conversations at the request of Ferdinand IV, who ordered that the Granadian ruler intervene in the Treaty and alliance between the Christian Kingdoms of the peninsula, since he had an interest in preserving the friendship, submission and ''parias'' which every year Granada was obliged to pay to the King of Castile, and which constituted a precious resource. Therefore, James II of Aragon and the Denis of Portugal both agreed to maintain good relations with the Sultan of Granada. According to the terms of the Treaty, the Kingdom of Murcia, then in the hands of James II of Aragon, would be divided between the Kingdoms of Aragon and Castile, and along the
Segura river Segura (Spanish and Valencian: ; ; , or ) is a medium-sized river in southeastern Spain. It has its source in the Sierra de Segura. Course The 325-km (202 mi) long river begins at Santiago Pontones (Jaén Province, Spain, province of J ...
would be established the southern border of Aragon. The cities of
Alicante Alicante (, , ; ; ; officially: ''/'' ) is a city and municipalities of Spain, municipality in the Valencian Community, Spain. It is the capital of the province of Alicante and a historic Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean port. The population ...
,
Elche Elche (, ; , , , ; officially: ''/'' ) is a city and Municipalities of Spain, municipality of Spain, belonging to the province of Alicante, in the Valencian Community. According to 2024's data, Elche has a population of 234,800 inhabitants,
,
Orihuela Orihuela (; ''Corpus Toponímic Valencià''. Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua. 2009, València.) is a city and municipality located at the foot of the Sierra de Orihuela mountains in the province of Alicante, Valencian Community, Spain. The c ...
,
Novelda Novelda (, ; ) is a town located in the province of Alicante, Spain. , it has a total population of 27,135 inhabitants. Novelda has important quarries and mines of marble, limestone, silica, clay and gypsum. It is a major centre of the marble in ...
,
Elda Elda (; , ) is a city and municipality located in the province of Alicante, Spain. , it has a total population of 55,618 inhabitants, ranking as the 7th most populous city in the province. Elda joins together with the town of Petrer to form a ...
,
Abanilla Abanilla is a Spanish municipality located in the Comarca Oriental (composed by Fortuna and Abanilla) in the Autonomous Community of Murcia. It lies close to the border of the province of Alicante in the Autonomous Community of Valencia. Ge ...
,
Petrel Petrels are tube-nosed seabirds in the phylogenetic order Procellariiformes. Description Petrels are a monophyletic group of marine seabirds, sharing a characteristic of a nostril arrangement that results in the name "tubenoses". Petrels enco ...
,
Crevillent Crevillent (; ) is a town and municipality located in the Alicante province, part of the Valencian Community, Spain. It is situated in the ''comarca'' of Baix Vinalopó, and lies at the foot of the hill range known locally as Serra de Creville ...
e and Sax, would continue in the hands of the Aragonese monarch. In the Treaty was also recognized the possession by the Kingdom of Castile of the cities of
Murcia Murcia ( , , ) is a city in south-eastern Spain, the Capital (political), capital and most populous city of the autonomous community of the Region of Murcia, and the Ranked lists of Spanish municipalities#By population, seventh largest city i ...
, Monteagudo, Alhama, Lorca and
Molina de Segura Molina de Segura is a municipality of Spain in the autonomous community and province of Murcia. It is located 10 km from the provincial capital, Murcia. It borders the towns of Las Torres de Cotillas, Alguazas, Lorquí, Ulea, Archena, A ...
. Citizens affected by the change of sovereignty would be free to stay in their cities and towns if they wished, or they could freely leave the territory. At the same time, both Kingdoms agreed to grant freedom to prisoners of war, as well as to be enemies of their common rivals, excepting the
Holy See The Holy See (, ; ), also called the See of Rome, the Petrine See or the Apostolic See, is the central governing body of the Catholic Church and Vatican City. It encompasses the office of the pope as the Bishops in the Catholic Church, bishop ...
and the
Kingdom of France The Kingdom of France is the historiographical name or umbrella term given to various political entities of France in the Middle Ages, medieval and Early modern France, early modern period. It was one of the most powerful states in Europe from th ...
. The
Seigneury of Villena The Lordship of Villena () was a feudal state located in southern Spain, in the kingdom of Castile. It bordered to the north with Cuenca and to south with the city of Murcia. Territory Initially, the lordship included the towns and cities fr ...
continued in the hands of Prince Juan Manuel, but the lands in which it was settled would remain under Aragonese sovereignty. On 8 August 1304, the Kings of Portugal and Aragon pronounced, in the presence of John of Castile, about the claims of the ''Infantes de la Cerda''.
Alfonso de la Cerda Alfonso de la Cerda, (Valladolid 1270 - Ávila 1333), called "the Disinherited", was the elder son of Ferdinand de la Cerda and his wife Blanche of France, and was a grandson of Alfonso X of Castile. Alfonso and his brother Fernando were ca ...
, supported by James II of Aragon, was granted as compensation for his resignation to the throne of Castile several lordships and possessions (although dispersed throughout the Castilian-Leonese territory in order to avoid the formation of a microstate), who included
Alba de Tormes Alba de Tormes is a municipality in the province of Salamanca, western Spain, part of the autonomous community of Castile and León. The town is on the River Tormes upstream from the city of Salamanca. Alba gave its name to one of Spain's most ...
, Valdecorneja,
Gibraleón Gibraleón is a town and municipality located in the province of Huelva, Spain. According to the 2005 census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population info ...
,
Béjar Béjar () is a town and municipality of Spain located in the province of Salamanca, autonomous community of Castile and León. As of 2018, it had a population of 12,961. The historical development of the town has been linked to its once thriving ...
and Real de Manzanares, in addition to the castle of
Monzón de Campos Monzón () is a small city and municipality in the autonomous community of Aragon, Spain. Its population was 17,176 as of 2014. It is located at the confluence of the Cinca and Sosa rivers, in the Cinca Media comarca of the province of Huesca. ...
, Gatón de Campos,
La Algaba La Algaba is a Spanish municipality in the province of Seville, Seville, Andalusia, with a population of around 16,000. It is part of the region of La Vega and is located 11 km from the province's capital, Seville. The town dates back to the B ...
, and
Lemos Lemos is a Portuguese-language surname. It can be also Greek (). Notable people by that name include: Portuguese surname * Álvaro Lemos (born 1993), Spanish footballer * Amanda Lemos (born 1987), Brazilian mixed martial artist * Ana Cláudia ...
. In addition, Alfonso de la Cerda received numerous rents and possessions in
Medina del Campo Medina del Campo is a town and municipality of Spain located in the autonomous community of Castile and León. Part of the Province of Valladolid, it is the centre of a farming area. It lies on the banks of the Zapardiel river, in the centre of t ...
,
Córdoba Córdoba most commonly refers to: * Córdoba, Spain, a major city in southern Spain and formerly the imperial capital of Islamic Spain * Córdoba, Argentina, the second largest city in Argentina and the capital of Córdoba Province Córdoba or Cord ...
,
Toledo Toledo most commonly refers to: * Toledo, Spain, a city in Spain * Province of Toledo, Spain * Toledo, Ohio, a city in the United States Toledo may also refer to: Places Belize * Toledo District * Toledo Settlement Bolivia * Toledo, Or ...
, Bonilla and
Madrid Madrid ( ; ) is the capital and List of largest cities in Spain, most populous municipality of Spain. It has almost 3.5 million inhabitants and a Madrid metropolitan area, metropolitan area population of approximately 7 million. It i ...
. Ferdinand IV, who wished that his cousin Alfonso de la Cerda enjoyed an annual income of 400,000 ''maravedíes'', ordered that if the income of the possessions that had been granted to him didn't reach that amount he would give him other territories until the incomes reached the expected amount. At the same time it was arranged that, as a proof that the Castilian monarch would gave these lands to Alfonso de la Cerda, the castles of Alfaro,
Cervera Cervera () is the capital of the '' comarca'' of Segarra, in the province of Lleida, Autonomous Community of Catalonia, Spain. The title Comte de Cervera is a courtesy title, formerly part of the Crown of Aragon, that has been revived for Leonor ...
, Curiel de los Ajos and Gumiel would be granted to four ''ricoshombres'' for thirty years. For his part, Alfonso de la Cerda renounced his rights to the Castilian-Leonese throne, to use the royal titles, and to use the royal seal. At the same time, he promise to return to the King the cities of Almazan,
Soria Soria () is a municipality and a Spanish city, located on the Douro river in the east of the autonomous community of Castile and León and capital of the province of Soria. Its population is 38,881 ( INE, 2017), 43.7% of the provincial populatio ...
, Deza,
Serón Serón is a municipality of Almería province, in the autonomous community of Andalusia, Spain. Demographics See also *List of municipalities in Almería Almería (province), Almería is a provinces of Spain, province in the Autonomous co ...
, Alcalá, and Almenara. However, he soon used the royal symbols again, contrary to what was agreed in Torrellas. The question of the rights to the throne of Alfonso de la Cerda was finally settled during the reign of the son and successor of Ferdinand IV,
Alfonso XI Alfonso XI (11 August 131126 March 1350), called the Avenger (''el Justiciero''), was King of Castile and León. He was the son of Ferdinand IV of Castile and his wife Constance of Portugal. Upon his father's death in 1312, several disputes en ...
, when in 1331 at
Burguillos Burguillos is a municipality in the province of Seville, in the region of Andalusia, southern Spain. In 2023, it had 7,098 inhabitants. The town of Burguillos lies at an elevation of 80 meters on the plain of the Guadalquivir river, north of the ...
, Alfonso de la Cerda finally paid homage to the King of Castile and León. Ferdinand IV promised that the clauses of the Treaty of Torrellas should be sworn in and honored by the ''ricoshombres'', magnates, the Masters of the Military Orders of
Santiago Santiago (, ; ), also known as Santiago de Chile (), is the capital and largest city of Chile and one of the largest cities in the Americas. It is located in the country's central valley and is the center of the Santiago Metropolitan Regi ...
, Calatrava,
Templars The Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ and of the Temple of Solomon, mainly known as the Knights Templar, was a military order of the Catholic faith, and one of the most important military orders in Western Christianity. They were founded in 11 ...
and
Hospitallers The Order of Knights of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem, commonly known as the Knights Hospitaller (), is a Catholic military order. It was founded in the crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem in the 12th century and had headquarters there ...
, and by the councils of his Kingdoms. In the winter of 1305, during the visit of Ferdinand IV in the city of
Guadalajara Guadalajara ( ; ) is the capital and the most populous city in the western Mexican List of states of Mexico, state of Jalisco, as well as the most densely populated municipality in Jalisco. According to the 2020 census, the city has a population ...
, the monarch received the homage of his cousin
Ferdinand de la Cerda Ferdinand is a Germanic name composed of the elements "journey, travel", Proto-Germanic , abstract noun from root "to fare, travel" (PIE , "to lead, pass over"), and "courage" or "ready, prepared" related to Old High German "to risk, ventu ...
, who acted on behalf of his older brother, Alfonso de la Cerda, who stated through his brother that he had received the castles and lordships that were awarded to him in the Treaty of Torrellas, and paid homage to Ferdinand IV for the first time. In January 1305, Ferdinand IV —still in Guadalajara but with the Dowager Queen, John of Castile, Juan Manuel of Villena, Juan Núñez II de Lara, Diego López V de Haro and Juan Alfonso de Haro—, requested again to Diego López V de Haro the return of the Lordship of Biscay to his niece María I Díaz de Haro, but he refused.


Treaty of Elche (1305)

In order to solve the inconveniences derived from the distribution of the Murcia territory, and to other minor questions, was agreed a meeting between Ferdinand IV and James II of Aragon in the
Monastery of Santa María de Huerta The Monastery of Santa María de Huerta (Spanish language, Spanish: ''Monasterio de Santa María de Huerta'') is a Cistercians, Cistercian monastery located in Santa María de Huerta, a town of the Spain, Spanish Province of Soria, within the aut ...
, located in the
Province of Soria Soria is a Province (Spain), province of central Spain, in the eastern part of the Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Castile-Leon, Castile and León. Most of the province is in the mountainous Sistema Ibérico area. Demo ...
. This meeting took place on 26 February 1305, and was attended by the Kings of Castile and Aragon, John of Castile,
Juan Núñez II de Lara Juan Núñez II de Lara ( – 1315), nicknamed ''el Mozo'' or ''el de la Barba'' (the bearded one), was a Spanish noble, and head of the House of Lara in the service of the Kingdom of Castile. Amongst other titles, he was the Mayordomo Mayor ...
, Juan Manuel of Villena,
Violante Manuel Violante Manuel of Castile (c. 1265 – 1314 in Lisbon) was a Castilian noble, daughter of Manuel of Castile and his first wife Constance of Aragon. She was Lady of Elche, Elda, Novelda, Medellín and half of Peñafiel in her own right. Tom ...
and her husband the ''Infante'' Afonso of Portugal, the Archbishop of Toledo and the Bishops of Sigüenza and Oporto, among others. In exchange for her renunciation of the Lordships of
Elda Elda (; , ) is a city and municipality located in the province of Alicante, Spain. , it has a total population of 55,618 inhabitants, ranking as the 7th most populous city in the province. Elda joins together with the town of Petrer to form a ...
and
Novelda Novelda (, ; ) is a town located in the province of Alicante, Spain. , it has a total population of 27,135 inhabitants. Novelda has important quarries and mines of marble, limestone, silica, clay and gypsum. It is a major centre of the marble in ...
, which would become part of the Kingdom of Aragon, Violante Manuel (sister of Juan Manuel), received the Lordships of Arroyo del Puerco and
Medellín Medellín ( ; or ), officially the Special District of Science, Technology and Innovation of Medellín (), is the List of cities in Colombia, second-largest city in Colombia after Bogotá, and the capital of the department of Antioquia Departme ...
from Ferdinand IV, who at the same time gave to Juan Manuel the Lordship and
Castle of Alarcón A castle is a type of fortified structure built during the Middle Ages predominantly by the nobility or royalty and by military orders. Scholars usually consider a ''castle'' to be the private fortified residence of a lord or noble. This is ...
as compensation for his resignation to the possession of Elche. Juan Manuel took possession of the town of Alarcón on 25 March 1305. On the other hand, James II of Aragon, in spite of the insistence of Ferdinand IV, refused to hand over the
Lordship of Albarracín A lordship is a territory held by a lord. It was a landed estate that served as the lowest administrative and judicial unit in rural areas. It originated as a unit under the feudal system during the Middle Ages. In a lordship, the functions of eco ...
to Juan Núñez II de Lara, who blamed his hitherto ally John of Castile for the low influence exerted on his behalf, and in consequence began to distance from him. On the other hand, Fernando IV and James II granted powers to Diego García de Toledo, Chancellor of the seal of the Puridad, and to Gonzalo García, advisor of the Aragonese monarch, respectively, so that both personages concluded the distribution of Kingdom of Murcia between both Kingdoms, following the terms of the Treaty of Torrellas. Finally, the delegates of both monarchs reached an agreement that was expressed in the
Treaty of Elche The Treaty of Elche was an agreement between the Crowns of Castile and Aragon signed on 19 May 1305. The treaty revised the borders put down by the Treaty of Torrellas in the previous year. The borders under dispute were those created by the conq ...
, signed on 19 May 1305, and which definitively established the border of the Kingdom of Murcia, which had been divided between Castile and Aragon. The dividing line between the two Kingdoms was established between Pechín and
Almansa Almansa () is a Spanish town and municipality in the province of Albacete, part of the autonomous community of Castile-La Mancha. The name "Almansa" stems from the Arabic (al-manṣaf), "half way of the road". The municipality borders with Al ...
(who belonged to Ferdinand IV) and
Caudete Caudete () is a municipality of Spain located in the province of Albacete, Castilla–La Mancha. It has a population of 10.163 (From INE 2015). It is part of the Altiplanicie de Almansa ''comarca''. History Following its Christian conquest in ...
(who passed to James II). The dividing line established between the two kingdoms in the territory of Murcia would follow the course of the
Segura river Segura (Spanish and Valencian: ; ; , or ) is a medium-sized river in southeastern Spain. It has its source in the Sierra de Segura. Course The 325-km (202 mi) long river begins at Santiago Pontones (Jaén Province, Spain, province of J ...
from Cieza, corresponding to Castile the possession of
Murcia Murcia ( , , ) is a city in south-eastern Spain, the Capital (political), capital and most populous city of the autonomous community of the Region of Murcia, and the Ranked lists of Spanish municipalities#By population, seventh largest city i ...
,
Molina de Segura Molina de Segura is a municipality of Spain in the autonomous community and province of Murcia. It is located 10 km from the provincial capital, Murcia. It borders the towns of Las Torres de Cotillas, Alguazas, Lorquí, Ulea, Archena, A ...
and Blanca, as well as the city of Cartagena, which James II resigned because was located in the inner south of the Segura river, and that belong definitively to the Kingdom of Castile and León. Nevertheless, the transfer of the city of Cartagena to Castile was made on condition that Ferdinand IV respected the property of Juan Manuel of Villena on the Lordship de
Alarcón Alarcón is a Municipalities of Spain, municipality in the province of Province of Cuenca, Cuenca, in the Autonomous communities in Spain, autonomous community of Castilla-La Mancha, Spain. Geography Located 87 kilometers (54 miles) south of the ...
, to which the Castilian monarch didn't oppose. At the same time, in the Treaty of Elche was arranged that the municipality of
Yecla Yecla () is a town and municipality in eastern Spain with 35243 people registered, in the extreme north of the autonomous community of Murcia, located 96 km from the capital of the region, Murcia. Toponymy The origin of the term Yecla comes fr ...
would continue in the possession of Juan Manuel, and his jurisdiction would correspond to Castile. The partition of the Kingdom of Murcia, which didn't take into account the historical ties of the region, meant that the northern part would correspond to the Kingdom of Aragon, which sought to assimilate it immediately to the rest of his dominions, while the southern part, including Cartagena and the city of Murcia, passed definitely to Castilian hands.


Conflicts over the possession of the Lordship of Biscay (1305–1307)

In 1305
Diego López V de Haro Diego López V de Haro, nicknamed '' el Intruso'' ( 1250 – 1310), was a Castilian noble of the House of Haro and held the title of the Lord of Biscay which he took from the pretender to the title, John of Castile. He further served in ...
was called to appear in the ''Cortes'' of Medina del Campo, although he didn't come but after being summoned several times, to respond to the demands of his niece
María I Díaz de Haro Maria may refer to: People * Mary, mother of Jesus * Maria (given name), a popular given name in many languages Place names Extraterrestrial * 170 Maria, a Main belt S-type asteroid discovered in 1877 * Lunar maria (plural of ''mare''), large, ...
, who claimed, using the influence of her husband John of Castile, the possession of the
Lordship of Biscay The Lordship of Biscay (, Basque language, Basque: ''Bizkaiko jaurerria'') was a region under feudal rule in the region of Biscay in the Iberian Peninsula between 1040 and 1876, ruled by a political figure known as the Lord of Biscay. One of the ...
. In the absence of the Lord of Biscay, John of Castile filed a lawsuit against him before Ferdinand IV, and alleged that he can prove that the Lordship of Biscay was illegally occupied by Sancho IV of Castile, which is why it was now in the hands of Diego López V de Haro, uncle of his wife. However, while John of Castile presented the evidence to the King's representatives, Diego López V de Haro arrived, accompanied by 300 knights. The Lord of Biscay refused to renounce to his domains, arguing that John of Castile and his wife had renounced to their rights in a solemn oath in 1300. Failing to reach an agreement, due to the arguments presented by both parties, Diego López V de Haro returned to Biscay, although the ''Cortes'' de Medina del Campo had not yet finished until mid-June 1305. In mid-1305, the court was in the city of
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 ...
, and while Diego López V de Haro proposed to appeal to the Pope, due to the solemn oath of resignation to the Lordship of Biscay made John of Castile and his wife in 1300, Ferdinand IV offered to María I Díaz de Haro the possession of several cities of the Lordship of Biscay, among them
San Sebastián San Sebastián, officially known by the bilingual name Donostia / San Sebastián (, ), is a city and municipality located in the Basque Autonomous Community, Spain. It lies on the coast of the Bay of Biscay, from the France–Spain border ...
, Salvatierra,
Fuenterrabia Hondarribia (; ; ) is a Spanish town situated on the west shore of the Bidasoa river's estuary, in Gipuzkoa, in the Basque Autonomous Community. The border town is situated on a little promontory facing Hendaye (France) over the Txingudi bay. A s ...
and
Guipúzcoa Gipuzkoa ( , ; ; ) is a province of Spain and a historical territory of the autonomous community of the Basque Country. Its capital city is Donostia-San Sebastián. Gipuzkoa shares borders with the French department of Pyrénées-Atlantique ...
, but she refused, advised by Juan Núñez II de Lara (who was distanced from with her husband) and despite the pressures of John of Castile. Shortly thereafter, John of Castile and Diego López V de Haro signed a truce, valid for two years, during which the King was confident that the Lord of Biscay would break his alliance with Juan Núñez II de Lara. Later, during Christmas of 1305, Ferdinand IV met with Diego López V de Haro in
Valladolid Valladolid ( ; ) is a Municipalities of Spain, municipality in Spain and the primary seat of government and ''de facto'' capital of the Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Castile and León. It is also the capital of the pr ...
, but the Lord of Biscay was accompanied by Juan Núñez II de Lara, who was forced by the King (because he was estranged from him) to leave the city, because he wished to break the alliance between him and Diego López V de Haro, although the monarch did not succeed, since the Lord of Biscay was convinced that John of Castile would not cease in his claims. At the beginning of 1306, Lope Díaz de Haro, son and heir of Diego López V de Haro, was also estranged from Juan Núñez II de Lara and tried to persuade his father to accept the solution proposed by Ferdinand IV. That same year, the King gave the position of First ''Majordomo'' to Lope Díaz de Haro; shortly after, the Lord of Biscay had a meeting with the King, but again caused his anger because arrived accompanied by Juan Núñez II de Lara. During the meeting, Diego López V de Haro tried to reconcile Juan Núñez II de Lara with the sovereign, while the latter tried that the Lord of Biscay broke his relations with his ally. Persuaded by Juan Núñez II de Lara, Diego López V de Haro left without the King's consent, while ambassadors arrived from the
Kingdom of France The Kingdom of France is the historiographical name or umbrella term given to various political entities of France in the Middle Ages, medieval and Early modern France, early modern period. It was one of the most powerful states in Europe from th ...
, requesting an alliance between both countries, and also asking the hand of ''Infanta''
Isabella of Castile Isabella I (; 22 April 1451 – 26 November 1504), also called Isabella the Catholic (Spanish: ''Isabel la Católica''), was Queen of Castile and León from 1474 until her death in 1504. She was also Queen of Aragon from 1479 until her deat ...
, sister of Fernando IV. In April 1306, John of Castile, despite the opposition of the Dowager Queen, induced Ferdinand IV to declare war to
Juan Núñez II de Lara Juan Núñez II de Lara ( – 1315), nicknamed ''el Mozo'' or ''el de la Barba'' (the bearded one), was a Spanish noble, and head of the House of Lara in the service of the Kingdom of Castile. Amongst other titles, he was the Mayordomo Mayor ...
, knowing that Diego López V de Haro would defend him, and advised the monarch besiege
Aranda de Duero Aranda de Duero is a city and municipality, capital of the Ribera del Duero comarca, in the south of the province of Burgos, in Castile and León, Spain. It has a population of roughly 33,000 people and lies on the River Duero. Description T ...
, where Juan Núñez II de Lara was, who, in view of the situation, broke his oath of vassalage to the King. After a camp battle, Juan Núñez II de Lara managed to escape from the siege to which Aranda de Duero was intended to be subjected, and met Diego López V de Haro and his son, and agreed to declare the war on Ferdinand IV separately in their respective domains. The royal troops demanded concessions from Ferdinand IV, who had to grant them even though they were not diligent in making war, and so the King ordered John of Castile to enter into negotiations with Diego López V de Haro and his supporters, to which he agreed, because his vassals didn't supported the war. Negotiations didn't begin, and the war continued, although John of Castile advised the monarch to sign the peace if this was viable. Ferdinand IV asked the intervention of his mother, who, after negotiations with the rebels through
Alonso Pérez de Guzmán Alonso Pérez de Guzmán (1256–1309), known as ''Guzmán el Bueno'' ("Guzmán the Good"), was a Spanish nobleman and hero of Spain during the Middle Ages, medieval period. Guzmán is the progenitor of the Dukes of Medina Sidonia, the oldes ...
, succeeded in arrange a meeting with them in
Pancorbo Pancorbo is a municipality and town located in the province of Burgos, Castile and León, Spain. According to the 2004 census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculatin ...
. In the meeting was agreed that the three rebellious magnates granted castles as hostages to the King, who in exchange from their homage as vassals, promised to respect their properties and pay their troops; however, the agreement didn't satisfy John of Castile, who renewed his claim over the Lordship of Biscay in the name of his wife, while Ferdinand IV, with the purpose of pleasing John of Castile, took the
merindad () is a mediaeval Spanish administrative term for a country subdivision smaller than a province but larger than a municipality. The officer in charge of a ''merindad'' was called a ''merino'', roughly equivalent to the English count or bailif ...
of Galicia from his brother the ''Infante''
Philip of Castile Philip of Castile (; 1231 – 28 November 1274) was an Infante of Castile and son of Ferdinand III, King of Castile and León, and his first queen, Beatrice of Swabia. He was Lord of Valdecorneja, and, according to some sources, Knight of the O ...
, and granted to Diego García de Toledo, private of John of Castile. Ferdinand IV, still anxious to please John of Castile, sent Alonso Pérez de Guzmán and Juan Núñez II de Lara to talk with Diego López V de Haro, who refused to cede the Lordship of Biscay to John of Castile and his wife,
María I Díaz de Haro Maria may refer to: People * Mary, mother of Jesus * Maria (given name), a popular given name in many languages Place names Extraterrestrial * 170 Maria, a Main belt S-type asteroid discovered in 1877 * Lunar maria (plural of ''mare''), large, ...
. When John of Castile learned of this, he summoned Juan Manuel of Villena and his vassals to support him in his pretensions, while the King and his mother talk with Juan Núñez II de Lara to persuade Diego López V de Haro to return the Lordship of Biscay. In September 1306 the King had a meeting with Diego López V de Haro in
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 ...
. Ferdinand IV proposed that Diego López V de Haro could retain the Lordship of Biscay during his lifetime, but after his death the succession should pass to María I Díaz de Haro, with the exception of the cities of Orduña and
Valmaseda Balmaseda (in Basque language, Basque and officially, in Spanish language, Spanish: ''Valmaseda'') is a town and municipality located in the province of Biscay, in the Basque Country (autonomous community), Basque Country. Balmaseda is the capital ...
, which should be granted to Lope Díaz de Haro, son of Diego López V de Haro. However, the proposal wasn't accepted by Diego López V de Haro, and in view of his obstinacy, the monarch again tried to end his alliance with Juan Núñez II de Lara. Shortly afterwards, the Lord of Biscay again appealed to the Pope. At the beginning of 1307, while the King, his mother, and John of Castile were going to
Valladolid Valladolid ( ; ) is a Municipalities of Spain, municipality in Spain and the primary seat of government and ''de facto'' capital of the Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Castile and León. It is also the capital of the pr ...
, they learned that
Pope Clement V Pope Clement V (; – 20 April 1314), born Raymond Bertrand de Got (also occasionally spelled ''de Guoth'' and ''de Goth''), was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 5 June 1305 to his death, in April 1314. He is reme ...
recognized the validity of the oath taken by John of Castile and his wife in 1300 about their resignation over the Lordship of Biscay; in consequence, John of Castile was forced to accept it or respond to the lawsuit brought against him by Diego López V de Haro. In February 1307, another attempt was made to resolve the dispute over the Lordship of Biscay, who repeat the terms of the meeting of Burgos in September 1306, but with the addition that, besides Orduña and Valmaseda, Lope Díaz de Haro would also receive the cities Miranda and Villalba de Losa from the King. However, again the agreement wasn't accepted by the Lord of Biscay. Soon after, the ''Cortes'' were summoned in the city of Valladolid. In the ''Cortes'' de Valladolid in 1307, when María de Molina saw that the ''ricoshombres'', led by John of Castile, protested against the measures taken by the King's privates, she tried, in order to please John of Castile, to put a definitive end over the possession of the Lordship of Biscay. For this, the Dowager Queen counted on the collaboration of her half-sister Juana Alfonso de Molina, who persuaded her daughter María I Díaz de Haro to accept the agreement proposed by the King in February 1307. Diego López V de Haro and his son Lope Díaz de Haro agreed to sign the agreement, who followed the terms of the previous meetings of September 1306 and February 1307: María I Díaz de Haro should succeed her uncle after his death and Lope Díaz de Haro received the cities of Orduña, Valmaseda, Miranda and Villalba de Losa. Once the agreement about the possession of the Lordship of Biscay became known, Juan Núñez II de Lara felt despised by both the King and his mother, and he suddenly left the ''Cortes'' before they had finalized. For this reason, Ferdinand IV granted the position of First ''Majordomo'' to Diego López V de Haro, which caused that John of Castile left the court, warning the King that he wouldn't count with his help until the governors of the castles of Diego López V de Haro paid homage to his wife María I Díaz de Haro. However, shortly afterwards they met in Lerma, where are already stay María I Díaz de Haro, John of Castile, Juan Núñez II de Lara, Diego López V de Haro, and Lope Díaz de Haro, and was agreed that the Biscay nobility would pay homage to María I Díaz de Haro as heiress and future Lady of Biscay, and the same oath was done in the cities and castle that would receive Lope Díaz de Haro.


Internal conflicts in Castile and meeting of Grijota (1307–1308)

In 1307, on the advice of the now reconciled John of Castile and Diego López V de Haro, the King ordered
Juan Núñez II de Lara Juan Núñez II de Lara ( – 1315), nicknamed ''el Mozo'' or ''el de la Barba'' (the bearded one), was a Spanish noble, and head of the House of Lara in the service of the Kingdom of Castile. Amongst other titles, he was the Mayordomo Mayor ...
to leave the Kingdom of Castile and to return the castles of Moya and Cañete, located in the
Province of Cuenca Cuenca () is one of the five provinces of the Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Castilla-La Mancha. It is located in the eastern part of this autonomous community and covers 17,141 square km. It has a population of 203,841 ...
, and that Ferdinand IV had granted him previously. The King went to Palencia, where his mother was, who advised him that, since he had expelled Juan Núñez II de Lara from the Kingdom, if he wished to preserve the respect of the ''ricoshombres'' and the nobility, he should be inflexible. Ferdinand IV then went to Tordehumos, where the rebellious magnate was, and surrounded the town at the end of October 1307, being accompanied by numerous ''ricoshombres'' and the 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 ...
with their troops. Shortly after they were joined by the John of Castile (recently recovered from an illness) and his son, Alfonso de Valencia, with their troops. During the siege of Tordehumos, Ferdinand IV received the order of
Pope Clement V Pope Clement V (; – 20 April 1314), born Raymond Bertrand de Got (also occasionally spelled ''de Guoth'' and ''de Goth''), was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 5 June 1305 to his death, in April 1314. He is reme ...
to seize the castles and possessions of the
Knights Templar The Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ and of the Temple of Solomon, mainly known as the Knights Templar, was a Military order (religious society), military order of the Catholic Church, Catholic faith, and one of the most important military ord ...
, and to keep them in his possession until the pontiff arranged what was to be done with them. At the same time, John of Castile presented to the King a proposal of peace, coming from the besieged ones in Tordehumos, that Ferdinand IV didn't accept. During the siege, the King, having difficulty in paying his troops, sent his wife Queen Constance and their newborn daughter, ''Infanta''
Eleanor of Castile Eleanor of Castile (1241 – 28 November 1290) was Queen of England as the first wife of Edward I. She was educated at the Castilian court and also ruled as Countess of Ponthieu in her own right () from 1279. After diplomatic efforts to s ...
to request a loan in his name to King
Denis of Portugal Denis (, ; 9 October 1261 – 7 January 1325), called the Farmer King (''Rei Lavrador'') and the Poet King (''Rei Poeta''), was King of Portugal from 1279 until his death in 1325. Dinis was the eldest son of Afonso III of Portugal by his second ...
, his father-in-law. At the same time, John of Castile, resentful, advised the monarch to abandon the siege and that he would either finish it or take Íscar, or else he would attend the meeting that Ferdinand IV was to keep with the King of Aragon in
Tarazona Tarazona is a town and municipality in the Tarazona y el Moncayo comarca, province of Zaragoza (province), Zaragoza, in Aragon, Spain. It is the capital of the Tarazona y el Moncayo Aragonese comarca. It is also the seat of the Roman Catholic Dio ...
in his place. However, the King, suspicious of John of Castile, disavowed his proposals and sought to satisfy him by other means. Because of the desertions of some ''ricoshombres'', including Alfonso de Valencia, Rodrigo Álvarez de las Asturias and García Fernández de Villamayor, and also because of the illness of the Dowager Queen, who couldn't advise him, Ferdinand IV decided to negotiate with Juan Núñez II de Lara the surrender of the latter. After the capitulation of the town of Tordehumos at the beginning of 1308, Juan Núñez II de Lara promised to surrender all his lands to the King, except those he had in
La Bureba La Bureba is a ''Comarcas of Castile and León, comarca'' located in the northeast of the Province of Burgos in the autonomous community of Castile and León, Spain. It is bounded on the north by Las Merindades, east by the Comarca del Ebro, south- ...
and
La Rioja La Rioja () is an autonomous communities in Spain, autonomous community and provinces of Spain, province in Spain, in the north of the Iberian Peninsula. Its capital is Logroño. Other List of municipalities in La Rioja, cities and towns in the ...
, for having them Diego López V de Haro, while paid homage to Ferdinand IV, who signed this agreement without the knowledge of his mother, seriously ill in those moments. After the siege of Tordehumos, numerous magnates and knights tried to indispose the King with Juan Núñez II de Lara and with John of Castile, telling each of them separately that Ferdinand IV desired the death of both; for this, both allied themselves, fearing that the King desired their deaths, although without the support of Diego López V de Haro. Nevertheless, they were persuaded by María de Molina that Ferdinand IV didn't wish them any bad, something that later was confirmed to them by the own sovereign. However, John of Castile and his companions requested to present their petitions to the Dowager Queen and not to him, to which the sovereign acceded. The claims (presented by the plaintiffs in the called Meeting of
Grijota Grijota is a municipality located in the province of Palencia, Castile and León, Spain. According to the 2019 census ( INE), the municipality has a population of 2,319 inhabitants. It is 7km away from the capital of the province, Palencia, and ...
) were that the sovereign granted the
merindad () is a mediaeval Spanish administrative term for a country subdivision smaller than a province but larger than a municipality. The officer in charge of a ''merindad'' was called a ''merino'', roughly equivalent to the English count or bailif ...
of Galicia to Rodrigo Álvarez de las Asturias and the merindad of Castile to Fernán Ruiz de Saldaña and the expel from the court of his privates Sancho Sánchez de Velasco, Diego García and Fernán Gómez de Toledo. The demands presented by the magnates were accepted by the monarch. In 1308, Rodrigo Yáñez, Master of the
Knights Templar The Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ and of the Temple of Solomon, mainly known as the Knights Templar, was a Military order (religious society), military order of the Catholic Church, Catholic faith, and one of the most important military ord ...
in the Kingdom of Castile, surrender to María de Molina the fortresses of the Order in the Kingdom, but the Dowager Queen didn't agree to take them without the consent of her son, which the latter granted. However, the Master didn't deliver the castles to the Dowager Queen, but offered them to the ''Infante''
Philip of Castile Philip of Castile (; 1231 – 28 November 1274) was an Infante of Castile and son of Ferdinand III, King of Castile and León, and his first queen, Beatrice of Swabia. He was Lord of Valdecorneja, and, according to some sources, Knight of the O ...
, brother of Ferdinand IV, to give them to him, with the condition that he asked the King in his name that he could attend the demands of the Templars to the prelates of his Kingdom. In the Cortes de Burgos in 1308 were also present, besides the King, the Dowager Queen, John of Castile, the ''Infante''
Peter of Castile Peter (; 30 August 133423 March 1369), called Peter the Cruel () or the Just (), was King of Castile and León from 1350 to 1369. Peter was the last ruler of the main branch of the House of Ivrea. He was excommunicated by Pope Urban V for h ...
, Juan Manuel of Villena and most of the ''ricoshombres'' and magnates. Ferdinand IV tried to put order in the affairs of his domains, as well as to reach a budgetary balance and to reorganize the administration of the Court, while trying to reduce the attributions of John of Castile, aspect this last who proved to be impossible for the monarch. John of Castile filed suit with ''Infante'' Philip of Castile for the possession of the Templar castles of
Ponferrada Ponferrada () is a city of Spain, located in the autonomous community of Castile and León. Ponferrada, the second most populated municipality of the Province of León, is also the capital city of El Bierzo, the only Comarcas of Spain, ''comarca'' ...
,
Alcañices Alcañices () is a small town in the province of Zamora, Spain. It is very close to the Portugal-Spain border, not far from the Portuguese town of Bragança. In fact, the Village is especially remembered for being the seat of the Treaty of Alca ...
,
San Pedro de Latarce San Pedro de Latarce is a municipality located in the province of Valladolid, Castile and León, Spain. According to the 2004 census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and cal ...
and Haro, of which he had appropriated, and which he was forced to hand over to the King, while the Master of the Knights Templar was committed to deliver to Ferdinand IV the castles that still had in his power.


Treaty of Alcalá de Henares (1308)

In March 1306 Ferdinand IV had requested to meet with
James II of Aragon James II (Catalan: ''Jaume II''; Aragonese: ''Chaime II;'' 10 April 1267 – 2 or 5 November 1327), called the Just, was the King of Aragon and Valencia and Count of Barcelona from 1291 to 1327. He was also the King of Sicily (as James I) f ...
, and from that moment the ambassadors of the Kingdoms of Castile and Aragon tried to set a date for the meeting between the two sovereigns, that had to be postponed several times due to the existing internal conflicts in both Kingdoms. The clauses of the Treaty of Alcalá de Henares, signed on 19 December 1308, had their origins in the meetings held by the Kings of Castile and Aragon in the
Monastery of Santa María de Huerta The Monastery of Santa María de Huerta (Spanish language, Spanish: ''Monasterio de Santa María de Huerta'') is a Cistercians, Cistercian monastery located in Santa María de Huerta, a town of the Spain, Spanish Province of Soria, within the aut ...
and in
Monreal de Ariza Monreal de Ariza is a municipality located in the province of Zaragoza, Aragon, Spain. According to the 2004 census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating populat ...
in December 1308. The themes discussed in the meetings were the relaunch of the ''
Reconquista The ''Reconquista'' (Spanish language, Spanish and Portuguese language, Portuguese for ) or the fall of al-Andalus was a series of military and cultural campaigns that European Christian Reconquista#Northern Christian realms, kingdoms waged ag ...
'' wars, desired by both sovereigns, and the marriage of the ''Infanta''
Eleanor of Castile Eleanor of Castile (1241 – 28 November 1290) was Queen of England as the first wife of Edward I. She was educated at the Castilian court and also ruled as Countess of Ponthieu in her own right () from 1279. After diplomatic efforts to s ...
, eldest daughter and heiress of Ferdinand IV, with the ''Infante'' James of Aragon, eldest son and heir of James II and, finally, the satisfaction of the commitments made with
Alfonso de la Cerda Alfonso de la Cerda, (Valladolid 1270 - Ávila 1333), called "the Disinherited", was the elder son of Ferdinand de la Cerda and his wife Blanche of France, and was a grandson of Alfonso X of Castile. Alfonso and his brother Fernando were ca ...
, which had not yet been fully fulfilled. Regarding the marriage between Eleanor of Castile and James of Aragon, although it was celebrated in October 1319 was never
consummated The consummation of a marriage, or simply consummation, is the first officially credited act of sexual intercourse following marriage. In many traditions and statutes of civil or religious law, the definition usually refers to penile–vaginal p ...
, since the ''Infante'' James escaped after the wedding ceremony, resigned soon after to his rights to the Aragonese throne, and entered in the
Knights Hospitaller The Order of Knights of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem, commonly known as the Knights Hospitaller (), is a Catholic military order. It was founded in the crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem in the 12th century and had headquarters there ...
Order. The ''Infanta'' Eleanor, years later (1329), marry with
Alfonso IV of Aragon Alfonso IV (2 November 1299 – 24 January 1336), called the Kind (also ''the Gentle'' or ''the Nice'', ), was King of Aragon and Count of Barcelona (as Alfons III) from 1327 to his death. His reign saw the incorporation of the County of Urgell ...
, second son and successor of James II. Regarding the second subject discussed in the meetings of the sovereigns, Ferdinand IV gave to Alfonso de la Cerda 220,000 ''maravedíes'' that had not yet been received by him and in exchange he surrender to the king the cities of Deza,
Serón Serón is a municipality of Almería province, in the autonomous community of Andalusia, Spain. Demographics See also *List of municipalities in Almería Almería (province), Almería is a provinces of Spain, province in the Autonomous co ...
and Alcalá. The idea of re-launching the struggle against the
Kingdom of Granada The Emirate of Granada, also known as the Nasrid Kingdom of Granada, was an Islamic polity in the southern Iberian Peninsula during the Late Middle Ages, ruled by the Nasrid dynasty. It was the last independent Muslim state in Western Europe. ...
was enthusiastically received by both sovereigns, who had the support of King
Abu al-Rabi Sulayman Abu ar-Rabi Sulayman ( abū ar-rabīʿ sulaymān) (March 1289 – 23 November 1310, reigned 28 July 1308 – 23 November 1310) was a Marinid ruler. He was the son or grandson of Abu Yaqub Yusuf and brother of Abu Thabit Amir, whom he succeeded ...
of
Morocco Morocco, officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It has coastlines on the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria to Algeria–Morocc ...
, who was at war against Sultan Muhammed III of Granada. After the meetings held between the two sovereigns, Ferdinand IV met in the town of
Almazán Almazán () is a municipality located in the province of Soria, Castile and León, Spain. As of 2013, the municipality has a population of 5,843 inhabitants. It is also the seat of the judicial district of Almazán, and ecclesiastically it belongs ...
with his mother and both agreed to clean up the area between Almazán and Atienza from criminals and destroy the fortresses that served them as a refuge, work which was made by ''Infante'' Philip of Castile, brother of Ferdinand IV. For her part, the Dowager Queen was pleased with the agreements between her son and the King of Aragon. Immediately after, the King went to
Alcalá de Henares Alcalá de Henares () is a Spanish municipality of the Community of Madrid. Housing is primarily located on the right (north) bank of the Henares River, Henares. , it has a population of 193,751, making it the region's third-most populated Municip ...
. On 19 December 1308, in Alcala de Henares, Ferdinand IV and the Aragonese ambassadors Bernaldo de Sarriá and Gonzalo García signed the Treaty of Alcalá de Henares. The Castilian sovereign, who had the support of his brother, the ''Infante'' Peter, Diego López V de Haro, the Archbishop of Toledo and the Bishop of Zamora, agreed to start the war against the
Kingdom of Granada The Emirate of Granada, also known as the Nasrid Kingdom of Granada, was an Islamic polity in the southern Iberian Peninsula during the Late Middle Ages, ruled by the Nasrid dynasty. It was the last independent Muslim state in Western Europe. ...
on 24 June 1309 and promised, like the Aragonese monarch, not to sign a separate peace with the Granadine ruler. Ferdinand IV and James II both agree to contribute with ten galleys each for the expedition. It was approved with the consent of both parties that the troops of the Kingdom of Castile and León would attack the cities of
Algeciras Algeciras () is a city and a municipalities in Spain, municipality of Spain belonging to the province of Cádiz, Andalusia. Located in the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula, near the Strait of Gibraltar, it is the largest city on the Bay of G ...
and
Gibraltar Gibraltar ( , ) is a British Overseas Territories, British Overseas Territory and British overseas cities, city located at the southern tip of the Iberian Peninsula, on the Bay of Gibraltar, near the exit of the Mediterranean Sea into the A ...
, while the troops of the Kingdom of Aragon would conquer the city of
Almería Almería (, , ) is a city and municipalities in Spain, municipality of Spain, located in Andalusia. It is the capital of the province of Almería, province of the same name. It lies in southeastern Iberian Peninsula, Iberia on the Mediterranean S ...
. Ferdinand IV promised to give up one-sixth of the Kingdom of Granada to the Aragonese king, and granted him the Kingdom of Almería in its entirety as advance, except for the cities of Bedmar, Locubin,
Alcaudete Alcaudete is a city located in the province of Jaén, Andalusia, Spain. As of 2018, it has a population of 10,558. It is home to a 12th-14th century Moorish castle, located on the top of the hill commanding the town. Other sights include the ''Ig ...
, Quesada, and Arenas, who previously belonged to the Kingdom of Castile and León. Ferdinand IV established that if the situation occurred that the Kingdom of Almería didn't correspond to the sixth part of the Kingdom of Granada, the Archbishop of Toledo (on the part of Castile) and the Bishop of Valencia (on the part of the Aragon) would be the ones in charge to solve the possible deficiencies of the calculation. The granting to the kingdom of Aragon of such a large part of the Kingdom of Granada caused that John of Castile and Juan Manuel of Villena protested against the ratification of the Treaty, although their protests had no consequences. The entry into force of the clauses of the Alcalá de Henares treaty meant a significant expansion of the future boundaries of the Kingdom of Aragon, which reached a higher limit than those foreseen in the Treaties of Cazola and Almizra, in which future areas of expansion of the Kingdoms of Castile and Aragon would be previously established. In addition, Ferdinand IV gave his consent for James II of Aragon to negotiate an alliance with the King of Morocco, in order to combat the Kingdom of Granada. After the signing of the Treaty of Alcalá de Henares, the Kings of Castile and Aragon sent ambassadors to the Court of
Avignon Avignon (, , ; or , ; ) is the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Vaucluse department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region of southeastern France. Located on the left bank of the river Rhône, the Communes of France, commune had a ...
, in order to request
Pope Clement V Pope Clement V (; – 20 April 1314), born Raymond Bertrand de Got (also occasionally spelled ''de Guoth'' and ''de Goth''), was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 5 June 1305 to his death, in April 1314. He is reme ...
to grant the condition of Crusade to the fight against the Muslims in the south of the
Iberian Peninsula The Iberian Peninsula ( ), also known as Iberia, is a peninsula in south-western Europe. Mostly separated from the rest of the European landmass by the Pyrenees, it includes the territories of peninsular Spain and Continental Portugal, comprisin ...
, and to grant the necessary dispensation for the marriage between Eleanor of Castile and James of Aragon, to which the Pope acceded, because such necessary dispensation was granted before the arrival of the ambassadors to Avignon. On 24 April 1309, Pope Clement V, through the bull "''Indesinentis cure''", authorized the preaching of the Crusade in the dominions of King James II of Aragon, and granted to this fight the
tithes A tithe (; from Old English: ''teogoþa'' "tenth") is a one-tenth part of something, paid as a contribution to a religious organization or compulsory tax to government. Modern tithes are normally voluntary and paid in cash, cheques or via onli ...
that had been destined for conquest of
Corsica Corsica ( , , ; ; ) is an island in the Mediterranean Sea and one of the Regions of France, 18 regions of France. It is the List of islands in the Mediterranean#By area, fourth-largest island in the Mediterranean and lies southeast of the Metro ...
and
Sardinia Sardinia ( ; ; ) is the Mediterranean islands#By area, second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, after Sicily, and one of the Regions of Italy, twenty regions of Italy. It is located west of the Italian Peninsula, north of Tunisia an ...
. In the ''Cortes'' of Madrid in 1309 —the first celebrated in the present capital of
Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...
—, the king manifested his desire to go to war against the Kingdom of Granada, while demanding subsidies to this enterprise. In these Cortes were present King Ferdinand IV and his wife Queen Constance, Dowager Queen María de Molina, ''Infantes'' Peter and Philip, John of Castile, Juan Manuel of Villena, Juan Núñez II de Lara, Diego López V de Haro, Alfonso Téllez de Molina (maternal uncle of the King), the Archbishop of Toledo, the Masters of the Military Orders of
Santiago Santiago (, ; ), also known as Santiago de Chile (), is the capital and largest city of Chile and one of the largest cities in the Americas. It is located in the country's central valley and is the center of the Santiago Metropolitan Regi ...
and Calatrava, representatives of cities and councils, and other nobles and prelates. The ''Cortes'' approved the concession of five services, destined to pay the soldiers of the ''ricoshombres'' and ''hidalgos''. Numerous magnates of the Kingdom, headed by John of Castile and Juan Manuel of Villena, opposed to the project of taking the city of
Algeciras Algeciras () is a city and a municipalities in Spain, municipality of Spain belonging to the province of Cádiz, Andalusia. Located in the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula, near the Strait of Gibraltar, it is the largest city on the Bay of G ...
, preferring to carry out a campaign of plunder and devastation in Vega de Granada. In addition, John of Castile was resentful to the King because of the latter's refusal to hand him the municipality of
Ponferrada Ponferrada () is a city of Spain, located in the autonomous community of Castile and León. Ponferrada, the second most populated municipality of the Province of León, is also the capital city of El Bierzo, the only Comarcas of Spain, ''comarca'' ...
, and Juan Manuel of Villena, although he wished to wage war against the Kingdom of Granada from his lands in Murcia, was forced by Ferdinand IV to participate together with his troops at the siege of Algeciras. At that time, the Master of the Order of Calatrava made a raid on the border and obtained considerable booty, and on 13 March 1309 the
Bishop of Cartagena The Diocese of Cartagena () is a Latin Church diocese of the Catholic Church in the city of Cartagena in the ecclesiastical province of Granada in Spain.Lubrín Lubrín is a municipality of Almería province, in the autonomous community of Andalusia, Spain. It is located in the eastern foothills of the Sierra de los Filabres. The main settlements in the municipality are Lubrín, La Rambla Aljibe, El Mar ...
, that later would be donated to him by Ferdinand IV. After the ''Cortes'' of Madrid, the King went to
Toledo Toledo most commonly refers to: * Toledo, Spain, a city in Spain * Province of Toledo, Spain * Toledo, Ohio, a city in the United States Toledo may also refer to: Places Belize * Toledo District * Toledo Settlement Bolivia * Toledo, Or ...
, where he waited for his troops to join him, while leaving his mother María de Molina in charge of the Kingdom's government, entrusting her with the custody of the royal seals.


The conquest of Gibraltar and the siege of Algeciras (1309)

In the campaign participated John of Castile, Juan Manuel of Villena,
Diego López V de Haro Diego López V de Haro, nicknamed '' el Intruso'' ( 1250 – 1310), was a Castilian noble of the House of Haro and held the title of the Lord of Biscay which he took from the pretender to the title, John of Castile. He further served in ...
,
Juan Núñez II de Lara Juan Núñez II de Lara ( – 1315), nicknamed ''el Mozo'' or ''el de la Barba'' (the bearded one), was a Spanish noble, and head of the House of Lara in the service of the Kingdom of Castile. Amongst other titles, he was the Mayordomo Mayor ...
,
Alonso Pérez de Guzmán Alonso Pérez de Guzmán (1256–1309), known as ''Guzmán el Bueno'' ("Guzmán the Good"), was a Spanish nobleman and hero of Spain during the Middle Ages, medieval period. Guzmán is the progenitor of the Dukes of Medina Sidonia, the oldes ...
, Fernán Ruiz de Saldaña, and other Castilian magnates and ''ricoshombres''. Also took part in the enterprise the council militias of
Salamanca Salamanca () is a Municipality of Spain, municipality and city in Spain, capital of the Province of Salamanca, province of the same name, located in the autonomous community of Castile and León. It is located in the Campo Charro comarca, in the ...
,
Segovia Segovia ( , , ) is a city in the autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Castile and León, Spain. It is the capital and most populated municipality of the Province of Segovia. Segovia is located in the Meseta central, Inner Pl ...
,
Seville Seville ( ; , ) is the capital and largest city of the Spain, Spanish autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Andalusia and the province of Seville. It is situated on the lower reaches of the Guadalquivir, River Guadalquivir, ...
and other cities. For its part, King
Denis of Portugal Denis (, ; 9 October 1261 – 7 January 1325), called the Farmer King (''Rei Lavrador'') and the Poet King (''Rei Poeta''), was King of Portugal from 1279 until his death in 1325. Dinis was the eldest son of Afonso III of Portugal by his second ...
, father-in-law of Ferdinand IV, sent a contingent of 700 knights under the command of Martín Gil de Sousa, and
James II of Aragon James II (Catalan: ''Jaume II''; Aragonese: ''Chaime II;'' 10 April 1267 – 2 or 5 November 1327), called the Just, was the King of Aragon and Valencia and Count of Barcelona from 1291 to 1327. He was also the King of Sicily (as James I) f ...
contributed to the expedition against Algeciras with 10 galleys.
Pope Clement V Pope Clement V (; – 20 April 1314), born Raymond Bertrand de Got (also occasionally spelled ''de Guoth'' and ''de Goth''), was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 5 June 1305 to his death, in April 1314. He is reme ...
, by the bull "''Prioribus, decanis''" issued on 29 April 1309 in the city of Avignon, granted Ferdinand IV a tenth of all the ecclesiastical revenues of his Kingdoms for three years, in order to contribute to the maintenance of the war against the
Kingdom of Granada The Emirate of Granada, also known as the Nasrid Kingdom of Granada, was an Islamic polity in the southern Iberian Peninsula during the Late Middle Ages, ruled by the Nasrid dynasty. It was the last independent Muslim state in Western Europe. ...
. From the city of Toledo, Ferdinand IV went to
Córdoba Córdoba most commonly refers to: * Córdoba, Spain, a major city in southern Spain and formerly the imperial capital of Islamic Spain * Córdoba, Argentina, the second largest city in Argentina and the capital of Córdoba Province Córdoba or Cord ...
, where the emissaries of James II of Aragon announced that he was ready to begin the siege of
Almería Almería (, , ) is a city and municipalities in Spain, municipality of Spain, located in Andalusia. It is the capital of the province of Almería, province of the same name. It lies in southeastern Iberian Peninsula, Iberia on the Mediterranean S ...
. In the city of Córdoba Ferdinand IV again discussed the campaign plan, because his brother the ''Infante''
Peter of Castile Peter (; 30 August 133423 March 1369), called Peter the Cruel () or the Just (), was King of Castile and León from 1350 to 1369. Peter was the last ruler of the main branch of the House of Ivrea. He was excommunicated by Pope Urban V for h ...
, John of Castile, Juan Manuel of Villena and Diego López V de Haro, among others, were opposed to the project of besiege the city of Algeciras, since all of them preferred to plunder and devastate the
Vega de Granada The Vega de Granada is a ''comarca'' (county, but with no administrative role) in the province of Granada, in Andalusia, Spain. The name refers to the basin near the city of Granada. This comarca was established in 2003 by the Government of Anda ...
through a series of successive attacks that would demoralize the Granada Muslims. Nevertheless, the will of Ferdinand IV prevailed and the Castilian-Leonese troops prepared to besiege Algeciras. The last preparations of the campaign were made in the city of
Seville Seville ( ; , ) is the capital and largest city of the Spain, Spanish autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Andalusia and the province of Seville. It is situated on the lower reaches of the Guadalquivir, River Guadalquivir, ...
, to which Ferdinand IV arrived in early July 1309. The provisions and supplies accumulated in the city of Seville by the Castilian-Leonese army were transferred by 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 Seville ...
river, and then by sea to Algeciras. On 27 July 1309, a part of the Castilian-Leonese army was found before the walls of the city of Algeciras, and three days later, on 30 July, arrived Ferdinand IV and John of Castile accompanied by numerous ''ricoshombres''. James II of Aragon began to besiege the city of Almería on 15 August, and the siege lasted until 26 January 1310. A few days after the start of the siege of Algeciras, Ferdinand IV sent Juan Núñez II de Lara, Alonso Pérez de Guzmán, the Archbishop of Seville, the council of the city of Seville and the Master of the Order of Calatrava to besiege
Gibraltar Gibraltar ( , ) is a British Overseas Territories, British Overseas Territory and British overseas cities, city located at the southern tip of the Iberian Peninsula, on the Bay of Gibraltar, near the exit of the Mediterranean Sea into the A ...
, who capitulated before the Castilian troops on 12 September 1309 after a brief and hard siege. In mid-October 1309, John of Castile, his son Alfonso de Valencia, Juan Manuel of Villena and Fernán Ruiz de Saldaña, deserted and left the Christian camp located before Algeciras, being accompanied in their flight by others 500 knights. This action, motivated by the fact that Ferdinand IV owed them certain sums of money for the payment of their soldiers, provoked the indignation of the European courts and the protest of James II of Aragon, who tried to persuade the deserters, though unsuccessfully, to return to the siege of Algeciras. However, Ferdinand IV, who had the support of his brother, the ''Infante'' Peter, Juan Núñez II de Lara and Diego López V de Haro, persisted in his attempt to conquer Algeciras. The scarcity and poverty of means in the Christian camp became so alarming that Ferdinand IV was obliged to pawn the jewels and crowns of his wife Queen
Constance Constance may refer to: Places * Constance, Kentucky, United States, an unincorporated community * Constance, Minnesota, United States, an unincorporated community * Mount Constance, Washington State, United States * Lake Constance (disambiguat ...
in order to be able to pay the soldiers and the crews of the galleys. Shortly afterwards arrived at the Christian camp the troops of the ''Infante''
Philip of Castile Philip of Castile (; 1231 – 28 November 1274) was an Infante of Castile and son of Ferdinand III, King of Castile and León, and his first queen, Beatrice of Swabia. He was Lord of Valdecorneja, and, according to some sources, Knight of the O ...
and the
Archbishop of Santiago de Compostela The Archdiocese of Santiago de Compostela () is a Latin Church archdiocese of the Catholic Church in Spain. It is the most senior of the five districts into which the church divides the region of Galicia.Andarax The Andarax ()—also, in its lower reaches, Almería River or River Almería ()—is a river in the province of Almería, Andalusia, Spain. It arises in the easternmost part of the Sierra Nevada.dobla The dobla (plural: doblas), including ''dobla castellana'' (''excelente''), ''gran dobla'', ''dobla de la Banda'', ''dobla cruzada'', ''dobla alfonsi'' and ''dobla almohade'', was the name of various Iberian Peninsula, Iberian gold coins betwee ...
s'', Ferdinand IV ordered to lift the siege at the end of January 1310. After the signing of the preliminary agreement Diego López V de Haro died, and María I Díaz de Haro, wife of John of Castile, took possession of the Lordship of Biscay. After this, John of Castile returned to the King the towns of
Paredes de Nava Paredes de Nava is a municipality located in the province of Palencia, Castile and León, Spain. It is the birthplace of Renaissance painter Pedro Berruguete. Some paintings by him can be seen in the predella of the local church of Santa Eulalia ...
, Cabreros,
Medina de Rioseco Medina de Rioseco is a municipality located in the province of Valladolid, in the autonomous community of Castile and León and Spain. According to a 2011 census ( INE), the municipality has a population of 4,967 inhabitants. The city also has t ...
,
Castronuño Castronuño is a municipality located in the province of Valladolid, Castile and León, Spain. According to the 2004 census ( INE), the municipality has a population of 1,049 inhabitants. See also *Cuisine of the province of Valladolid The ...
and Mansilla. At the same time as Ferdinand IV ordered to abandon the siege of Algeciras, James II of Aragon ordered the siege of
Almería Almería (, , ) is a city and municipalities in Spain, municipality of Spain, located in Andalusia. It is the capital of the province of Almería, province of the same name. It lies in southeastern Iberian Peninsula, Iberia on the Mediterranean S ...
to be lifted, without having managed to seize the city. On the whole, the campaign of the year 1309 proved more profitable for the arms of the Kingdom of Castile and León than for the Kingdom of Aragon, since Ferdinand IV was able to incorporate Gibraltar into their dominions. The betrayal and desertion of the two relatives of the king, Juan Manuel of Villena and John of Castile was badly considered by all the European courts, that didn't save qualifiers to criticize the two Castilian magnates.


Last years and death (1310–1312)


Conflicts with John of Castile and Juan Manuel of Villena (1310–1311)

In 1310, after the siege of Algeciras, Ferdinand IV sent
Juan Núñez II de Lara Juan Núñez II de Lara ( – 1315), nicknamed ''el Mozo'' or ''el de la Barba'' (the bearded one), was a Spanish noble, and head of the House of Lara in the service of the Kingdom of Castile. Amongst other titles, he was the Mayordomo Mayor ...
to confer with
Pope Clement V Pope Clement V (; – 20 April 1314), born Raymond Bertrand de Got (also occasionally spelled ''de Guoth'' and ''de Goth''), was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 5 June 1305 to his death, in April 1314. He is reme ...
, to implore him not to permit the process against his predecessor
Pope Boniface VIII Pope Boniface VIII (; born Benedetto Caetani; – 11 October 1303) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 24 December 1294 until his death in 1303. The Caetani, Caetani family was of baronial origin with connections t ...
, who had legitimized the marriage of the parents of Ferdinand IV in 1301, thereby legitimizing the Castilian King himself. Juan Núñez II de Lara was to inform the Pope about the causes that had motivated the lifting of the siege of Algeciras, and also had to petitioned, on behalf of Ferdinand IV, funds for the continuation of the war against the
Kingdom of Granada The Emirate of Granada, also known as the Nasrid Kingdom of Granada, was an Islamic polity in the southern Iberian Peninsula during the Late Middle Ages, ruled by the Nasrid dynasty. It was the last independent Muslim state in Western Europe. ...
. Pope Clement V tried to soften the animosity that King
Philip IV of France Philip IV (April–June 1268 – 29 November 1314), called Philip the Fair (), was King of France from 1285 to 1314. Jure uxoris, By virtue of his marriage with Joan I of Navarre, he was also King of Navarre and Count of Champagne as Philip&n ...
felt towards the late Pope Boniface VIII, condemn the behavior of John of Castile and Juan Manuel of Villena during the siege of Algeciras, granted the Castilian monarch the ''
tithes A tithe (; from Old English: ''teogoþa'' "tenth") is a one-tenth part of something, paid as a contribution to a religious organization or compulsory tax to government. Modern tithes are normally voluntary and paid in cash, cheques or via onli ...
'' collected In his domains for a year, and sent various letters to the prelates of the Kingdom of Castile and León in which they were ordered to severely reprimand those who didn't collaborate with Ferdinand IV in the enterprise of the ''
Reconquista The ''Reconquista'' (Spanish language, Spanish and Portuguese language, Portuguese for ) or the fall of al-Andalus was a series of military and cultural campaigns that European Christian Reconquista#Northern Christian realms, kingdoms waged ag ...
''. In the meanwhile, Ferdinand IV undertook again the war against the Kingdom of Granada. His brother the ''Infante'' Peter conquered the castle of Tempul and later went to
Seville Seville ( ; , ) is the capital and largest city of the Spain, Spanish autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Andalusia and the province of Seville. It is situated on the lower reaches of the Guadalquivir, River Guadalquivir, ...
, where the King was. In November 1310, both brothers went to
Córdoba Córdoba most commonly refers to: * Córdoba, Spain, a major city in southern Spain and formerly the imperial capital of Islamic Spain * Córdoba, Argentina, the second largest city in Argentina and the capital of Córdoba Province Córdoba or Cord ...
, where a popular uprising had taken place against several knights of the city. Meanwhile, Dowager Queen
María de Molina María Alfonso Téllez de Meneses (c. 1265 – 1321), known as María de Molina, was queen consort of Kingdom of Castile, Castile and Kingdom of León, León from 1284 to 1295 by marriage to Sancho IV of Castile, and served as regent for her min ...
, who was in
Valladolid Valladolid ( ; ) is a Municipalities of Spain, municipality in Spain and the primary seat of government and ''de facto'' capital of the Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Castile and León. It is also the capital of the pr ...
, begged her son to join her there, so that the monarch might be present at the wedding of his sister, the ''Infanta''
Isabella Isabella may refer to: People and fictional characters * Isabella (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters * Isabella (surname), including a list of people Places United States * Isabella, Alabama, an unincorpo ...
with John, Viscount of Limoges and heir of the
Duchy of Brittany The Duchy of Brittany (, ; ) was a medieval feudal state that existed between approximately 939 and 1547. Its territory covered the northwestern peninsula of France, bordered by the Bay of Biscay to the west, and the English Channel to the north. ...
. On the way to
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 ...
, Ferdinand IV stopped in the city of Toledo and confessed to Juan Núñez II de Lara that he planned to arrest or assassinate John of Castile, because he thought that if he still live, he would harm and hinder him in all his purposes. However, Juan Núñez II de Lara, in spite of his hatred for John of Castile, realized that the King didn't do it out of affection for him, and that if he helped Ferdinand IV to get rid of John of Castile, this would mean his own ruin. Ferdinand IV arrived in Burgos in January 1311, and after the marriage of his sister, he planned to assassinate John of Castile, as a revenge for his desertion during the siege of Algeciras and, at the same time, to subdue the nobility, who again rebelled against the royal authority. However, the Dowager Queen advised John of Castile of the purposes of her son and he was able to escape. Ferdinand IV, accompanied by his brother ''Infante'' Peter, Lope Díaz de Haro, and by the troops of the council of Burgos persecuted John of Castile and his supporters, who took refuge in the city of Saldaña. The King then deprived John of Castile of his title of ''Adelantado Mayor'' (who was granted to Juan Núñez II de Lara) and ordered the confiscation of lands and lordships that he had given to him and his sons Alfonso de Valencia and Juan ''The one-eyed'', and the same luck was suffered by Sancho of Castile, cousin of Ferdinand IV and supporter of John of Castile. At the same time, Juan Manuel of Villena reconciled with the monarch and asked him to grant him the position of First ''Majordomo''; Ferdinand IV, who wished that Juan Manuel would break his friendship with John of Castile, stripped ''Infante'' Peter of the position of First ''Majordomo'' and gave it to Juan Manuel of Villena, and in as a compensation for the loss of the title the King gave his brother the cities of
Almazán Almazán () is a municipality located in the province of Soria, Castile and León, Spain. As of 2013, the municipality has a population of 5,843 inhabitants. It is also the seat of the judicial district of Almazán, and ecclesiastically it belongs ...
and
Berlanga de Duero Berlanga de Duero is a municipality located in the province of Soria, in the autonomous region of Castile and León, Spain. According to the 2017 census (conducted by the INE), the municipality has a population of 902 inhabitants. Geography Berla ...
, which he had previously promised to him. At the beginning of February 1311, and although he had reconciled with Ferdinand IV, Juan Manuel of Villena left the city of Burgos and went to Peñafiel, reuniting shortly afterwards with John of Castile in Dueñas. The supporters and vassals of John of Castile, fearing the wrath of the King, prepared to defend him, among them Sancho of Castile and Juan Alfonso de Haro. In view of the situation, Ferdinand IV, who didn't want an open revolt of the supporters of John of Castile, in addition to wanting to dedicate himself exclusively to the war against the Kingdom of Granada, sent his mother to confer with John of Castile, his children, and supporters in
Villamuriel de Cerrato Villamuriel de Cerrato is a municipality located in the province of Palencia, Castile and León, Spain. According to the 2024 census ( INE), the municipality had a population of 6,502 inhabitants. Every year on May 1st, there is a pilgrimage from ...
. The conversations lasted fifteen days and the Dowager Queen was accompanied by the Archbishop of Santiago de Compostela and by the Bishops of León,
Lugo Lugo (, ) is a city in northwestern Spain in the autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Galicia (Spain), Galicia. It is the capital of the Lugo (province), province of Lugo. The municipality had a population of 100,060 in 2024, ...
,
Mondoñedo Mondoñedo () is a small town and municipality in the Galician province of Lugo, Spain. , the town has a population of 4,508. Mondoñedo occupies a sheltered valley among the northern outliers of the Cantabrian Mountains. Despite being the core ...
and
Palencia Palencia () is a city of Spain located in the autonomous community of Castile and León. It is the capital and most populated municipality of the province of Palencia. Located in the northwest of the Iberian Peninsula, in the northern half of ...
. The meeting concluded with the peace between John of Castile (who was worried about his personal security) and Ferdinand IV. This concord was opposed by both Queen Constance and Juan Núñez II de Lara, who still was distanced from John of Castile. Shortly afterwards, Ferdinand IV met with John of Castile in the municipality of
Grijota Grijota is a municipality located in the province of Palencia, Castile and León, Spain. According to the 2019 census ( INE), the municipality has a population of 2,319 inhabitants. It is 7km away from the capital of the province, Palencia, and ...
, and both ratified the previous agreement orchestrated by the Dowager Queen in Villamuriel de Cerrato. On 20 March 1311, during an assembly of prelates in the city of
Palencia Palencia () is a city of Spain located in the autonomous community of Castile and León. It is the capital and most populated municipality of the province of Palencia. Located in the northwest of the Iberian Peninsula, in the northern half of ...
, Ferdinand IV confirmed and granted new privileges to the churches and prelates of his Kingdoms, and responded to their demands. In April 1311, being in Palencia, Ferdinand IV became seriously ill and had to be transferred to
Valladolid Valladolid ( ; ) is a Municipalities of Spain, municipality in Spain and the primary seat of government and ''de facto'' capital of the Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Castile and León. It is also the capital of the pr ...
, despite the opposition of his wife Queen Constance, who wished to transfer him to
Carrión de los Condes Carrión de los Condes () is a municipality in the province of Palencia, part of the Autonomous Community of Castile and León, Spain. Situated on the River Carrión, it is 40 kilometers upstream from the provincial capital of Palencia, on the F ...
, in order to be able to control the sovereign along with her ally Juan Núñez II de Lara. During the illness of Ferdinand IV discrepancies arose between the ''Infante'' Peter, Juan Núñez II de Lara, John of Castile and don Juan Manuel. While the King was in
Toro Toro may refer to: Places *Toro, Molise, a ''comune'' in the Province of Campobasso, Italy *Toro, Nigeria, a Local Government Area of Bauchi State, Nigeria *Toro, Shizuoka, an archaeological site in Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan *Toro, Zamora, a ''m ...
, the Queen gave birth in
Salamanca Salamanca () is a Municipality of Spain, municipality and city in Spain, capital of the Province of Salamanca, province of the same name, located in the autonomous community of Castile and León. It is located in the Campo Charro comarca, in the ...
on 13 August 1311 to a son, the future
Alfonso XI of Castile Alfonso XI (11 August 131126 March 1350), called the Avenger (''el Justiciero''), was King of Castile and León. He was the son of Ferdinand IV of Castile and his wife Constance of Portugal. Upon his father's death in 1312, several disputes ...
. The newborn heir of the Castilian throne was baptized in the
Old Cathedral of Salamanca The Cathedral of Santa María (Spanish: ''Catedral Vieja de Santa María''), known as the Old Cathedral, is one of the two cathedrals in Salamanca, Castile and León, Spain. Founded by Bishop Jerome of Périgord, its construction began in the fir ...
, and despite the King's wishes to entrust the guardianship of his son to his mother the Dowager Queen, the will of Queen Constance prevailed, who wanted (with the support of Juan Núñez II de Lara and Lope Díaz de Haro), that the custody of her son should be entrusted to the ''Infante'' Peter. In the fall of 1311 a conspiracy arose which sought the overthrow of Ferdinand IV in favor of his brother ''Infante'' Peter. The conspiracy was carried out by John of Castile, Juan Núñez II de Lara and by Lope Díaz de Haro, son of the late Diego López V de Haro. However, the project failed due to the contundent refusal of the Dowager Queen.


Concord of Palencia and meeting of Calatayud (1311–1312)

In mid-1311, John of Castile and the principal magnates of the Kingdom threatened Ferdinand IV by ceasing to serve him, if the monarch didn't satisfy their requests. John of Castile and his followers demanded that the King replace his advisers and privates for John of Castile himself, the Dowager Queen, ''Infante'' Peter, Juan Manuel of Villena, Juan Núñez II de Lara and the Bishops of Astorga, Zamora, Orense and
Palencia Palencia () is a city of Spain located in the autonomous community of Castile and León. It is the capital and most populated municipality of the province of Palencia. Located in the northwest of the Iberian Peninsula, in the northern half of ...
. Juan Manuel of Villena remained loyal to Ferdinand IV, because on 15 October the King had given him all the royal ''pechos'' (tributes) and rights of Valdemoro and Rabrido, except for the ''moneda forera'' of both places and the ''martiniega'' (another tribute) de Rabrido, which had been granted to
Alfonso de la Cerda Alfonso de la Cerda, (Valladolid 1270 - Ávila 1333), called "the Disinherited", was the elder son of Ferdinand de la Cerda and his wife Blanche of France, and was a grandson of Alfonso X of Castile. Alfonso and his brother Fernando were ca ...
. With the desire to achieve peace in order to continue with the ''
Reconquista The ''Reconquista'' (Spanish language, Spanish and Portuguese language, Portuguese for ) or the fall of al-Andalus was a series of military and cultural campaigns that European Christian Reconquista#Northern Christian realms, kingdoms waged ag ...
'', Ferdinand IV agreed to sign the Concord of Palencia on 28 October 1311 with John of Castile and the rest of the magnates, and whose clauses were ratified in the ''Cortes'' of Valladolid in 1312. The King promised to respect the customs, ''
fuero (), (), (), () or () is a Spanish legal term and concept. The word comes from Latin , an open space used as a market, tribunal and meeting place. The same Latin root is the origin of the French terms and , and the Portuguese terms and ...
s'' and privileges of the nobles, prelates, and subjects of the towns, and not to try to deprive the nobles of the rents and lands that belonged to the Crown. Ferdinand IV ratified that the custody of his son, the ''Infante''
Alfonso 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. I ...
, would be entrusted to his brother, ''Infante'' Peter, to whom was also ceded the city of Santander. The King ceded to John of Castile the municipality of
Ponferrada Ponferrada () is a city of Spain, located in the autonomous community of Castile and León. Ponferrada, the second most populated municipality of the Province of León, is also the capital city of El Bierzo, the only Comarcas of Spain, ''comarca'' ...
, on the condition that John would not establish any type of alliance with Juan Núñez II de Lara; John violated his word on 5 November, eight days after signing of the Concord. In December 1311 Ferdinand IV meet in
Calatayud Calatayud (; 2014 pop. 20,658) is a Municipalities of Spain, municipality in the Province of Zaragoza, within Aragón, Spain, lying on the river Jalón (river), Jalón, in the midst of the Sistema Ibérico mountain range. It is the second-largest ...
with James II of Aragon. At that moment was celebrated the marriage of ''Infante'' Peter of Castile and the ''Infanta'' Maria of Aragon, daughter of James II, although some authors indicate that the marriage was celebrated in January 1312. At the same time, Ferdinand IV gave to James II his eldest daughter, the ''Infanta'' Eleanor of Castille, to be raised in the Aragonese court until she had the proper age to marry the ''Infante'' James of Aragon, firstborn son and heir of James II. In the meeting of Calatayud of 1311 it was also agreed to resume the war against the
Kingdom of Granada The Emirate of Granada, also known as the Nasrid Kingdom of Granada, was an Islamic polity in the southern Iberian Peninsula during the Late Middle Ages, ruled by the Nasrid dynasty. It was the last independent Muslim state in Western Europe. ...
, but it was decided that each Kingdom should do it separately, while James II promised to mediate between Ferdinand IV and his father-in-law in the conflict that both maintained about the possession of some cities of which
Denis of Portugal Denis (, ; 9 October 1261 – 7 January 1325), called the Farmer King (''Rei Lavrador'') and the Poet King (''Rei Poeta''), was King of Portugal from 1279 until his death in 1325. Dinis was the eldest son of Afonso III of Portugal by his second ...
had taken over during Ferdinand IV's minority. However, the death of Ferdinand IV in September 1312 put an end to such negotiations between the sovereigns of Aragon and Portugal. On 3 April 1312, shortly after the meeting of Calatayud, Juan Manuel of Villena married in the city of
Xàtiva Xàtiva (; ) is a town in eastern Spain, in the province of Valencia, on the right (western) bank of the river Albaida and at the junction of the Valencia, Spain, Valencia–Murcia and Valencia Albacete railways. It is located 25 km ...
with the ''Infanta'' Constance of Aragon, another daughter of James II.


Last period of the Ferdinand IV's life (1312)

After his stay in the city of Calatayud, Ferdinand IV went to the city of
Valladolid Valladolid ( ; ) is a Municipalities of Spain, municipality in Spain and the primary seat of government and ''de facto'' capital of the Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Castile and León. It is also the capital of the pr ...
, where the ''Cortes'' were to meet. In the ''Cortes'' of Valladolid in 1312, the last of the reign of Ferdinand IV, funds were raised to maintain the army to be used in the next campaign against the Kingdom of Granada, were reorganized the administration of justice, the territorial administration and the local administration, thus showing the King's desire to make profound reforms in all areas of administration, while attempting to strengthen the royal authority against the nobility. The ''Cortes'' approved the concession of five services and one ''moneda forera'', for the payment of the soldiers of the King's vassals, except for Juan Núñez II de Lara, who had become the vassal of King Denis of Portugal. As early as October 1311, Ferdinand IV had requested a loan from King
Edward II of England Edward II (25 April 1284 – 21 September 1327), also known as Edward of Caernarfon or Caernarvon, was King of England from 1307 until he was deposed in January 1327. The fourth son of Edward I, Edward became the heir to the throne follo ...
, in order to continue the war against the Kingdom of Granada, although the English sovereign refused to grant it, arguing that he had many expenses due to his war against Scotland. In July 1312, Ferdinand IV pledge the Templar castles of
Burguillos del Cerro Burguillos del Cerro is a municipality in the province of Badajoz, Extremadura, Spain. It has a population of 3,284 and an area of 187.5 km². See also * List of municipalities in Badajoz This is a list of the municipalities in the province ...
and Alconchel for 3,600 marks to King Denis of Portugal, which he needed to continue the war against the Kingdom of Granada. At the end of April 1312, after the ''Cortes'' had been end, the King left the city of Valladolid. In 1312 Sancho of Castile, Lord of Ledesma first-cousin of Ferdinand IV died; immediately the King went to Ledesma, that acted as a capital of the dominions of his cousin, and incorporated the dominions to the royal patrimony, after it had been proved that the deceased had no legitimate children. Ferdinand IV then went to
Salamanca Salamanca () is a Municipality of Spain, municipality and city in Spain, capital of the Province of Salamanca, province of the same name, located in the autonomous community of Castile and León. It is located in the Campo Charro comarca, in the ...
, and deprived his cousin Alfonso de la Cerda (who had rebelled again against him) of the municipalities of
Béjar Béjar () is a town and municipality of Spain located in the province of Salamanca, autonomous community of Castile and León. As of 2018, it had a population of 12,961. The historical development of the town has been linked to its once thriving ...
and
Alba de Tormes Alba de Tormes is a municipality in the province of Salamanca, western Spain, part of the autonomous community of Castile and León. The town is on the River Tormes upstream from the city of Salamanca. Alba gave its name to one of Spain's most ...
. On 13 July 1312, the King arrived in
Toledo Toledo most commonly refers to: * Toledo, Spain, a city in Spain * Province of Toledo, Spain * Toledo, Ohio, a city in the United States Toledo may also refer to: Places Belize * Toledo District * Toledo Settlement Bolivia * Toledo, Or ...
, after leaving the ''Infante''
Alfonso 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. I ...
, heir to the throne, in the city of
Ávila Ávila ( , , ) is a Spanish city located in the autonomous community of Castile and León. It is the capital and most populated municipality of the Province of Ávila. It lies on the right bank of the Adaja river. Located more than 1,130 m a ...
, and went to the province of Jaén, where his brother ''Infante'' Peter of Castile was besieging the town of
Alcaudete Alcaudete is a city located in the province of Jaén, Andalusia, Spain. As of 2018, it has a population of 10,558. It is home to a 12th-14th century Moorish castle, located on the top of the hill commanding the town. Other sights include the ''Ig ...
. The King, after a short stay in the city of Jaén, went to the town of
Martos Martos is a city and municipality of Spain belonging to the province of Jaén in the autonomous community of Andalusia. With a population of over 24,000 people, Martos is the fifth largest municipality in the province and the second in Jaén ...
, where he ordered the execution of the Carvajal brothers, accused of having murdered Juan Alonso de Benavides, private of Ferdinand IV, in Palencia. According to legend, since this is not included in the ''Chronicle of Ferdinand IV'', the brothers were condemned to be introduced into an iron cage with sharp points inside and later to be thrown from top of the Rock of Martos, still inside the iron cage. The ''Chronicle of Ferdinand IV'' states that before dying, the brothers summoned the King to appear before the Court of God within thirty days. After his stay in Martos, the King went to Alcaudete, where he awaited John of Castile, that should be united with his troops to the siege of the locality. However, John of Castile didn't appear for fear that Ferdinand IV would order his death. Sick of gravity, Ferdinand IV left the siege of Alcaudete and went to the city of Jaén at the end of August 1312. On 5 September 1312, the garrison of Alcaudete was surrendered after three months of siege, and the ''Infante'' Peter went to the city of Jaén, where his brother the King was waiting for him. On 7 September, the day of Ferdinand IV's death, both brothers agreed to help
Nasr, Sultan of Granada Nasr (1 November 1287 – 16 November 1322), full name Abu al-Juyush Nasr ibn Muhammad (), was the fourth Nasrid ruler of the Emirate of Granada from 14 March 1309 until his abdication on 8 February 1314. He was the son of Muhammad II al-Faqih ...
, with whom a truce had been agreed, and to help him in his fight against his brother-in-law Ferrachén, ''arráez'' de
Málaga Málaga (; ) is a Municipalities in Spain, municipality of Spain, capital of the Province of Málaga, in the Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Andalusia. With a population of 591,637 in 2024, it is the second-most populo ...
, who had rebel against him.


Different versions of the king's death

Ferdinand IV died on 7 September 1312 in the city of Jaén, without anyone seeing him die. History and legend have intertwined indissolubly in what concerns the death of the monarch, who received at his death the nickname of "the Summoned", because of the mysterious circumstances in which it occurred. Ferdinand IV died aged 26, and when he died he left an only 1-year-old son, who would reign as
Alfonso XI of Castile Alfonso XI (11 August 131126 March 1350), called the Avenger (''el Justiciero''), was King of Castile and León. He was the son of Ferdinand IV of Castile and his wife Constance of Portugal. Upon his father's death in 1312, several disputes ...
. The ''Chronicle of Fernando IV'', written around 1340, almost thirty years after the death of the king, describes the death of the Castilian-Leonese monarch in Chapter XVIII of the work, and the Carvajal brothers, thirty days Before that of Ferdinand IV, although it does not specify how the latter died: In the chapter III of the ''Chronicle of Alfonso XI'', the death of Ferdinand IV is described in the same way as described in the ''Chronicle of Ferdinand IV''. The historian Diego Rodríguez de Almela, in his work ''Valerio de las historias escolásticas y de los hechos de España,'' which was written around the year 1472, related as follows the death of the monarch: Martín Ximena Jurado, a historian and chronicler of the 17th century in his work ''Catálogo de los Obispos de las Iglesias Catedrales de Jaén y Anales eclesiásticos de este Obispado'', described the Royal Church of Santa Marta in the city of Martos, where the remains of the Carvajal brothers, executed by order of Ferdinand IV, are buried. While describing the grave of the two brothers, he provided some information on the death of the monarch:
Juan de Mariana Juan de Mariana (2 April 1536 – 17 February 1624), was a Spanish Jesuit priest, Scholastic, historian, and member of the Monarchomachs. Life Juan de Mariana was born in Talavera, Kingdom of Toledo. He studied at the Complutense University ...
, writer and historian of the 17th century, described the conviction and execution of the Carvajal brothers in the city of Martos, and for the first time established the possible relationship between the legend of the emplacement before the Court of God of Ferdinand IV, and the emplacements suffered by
Pope Clement V Pope Clement V (; – 20 April 1314), born Raymond Bertrand de Got (also occasionally spelled ''de Guoth'' and ''de Goth''), was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 5 June 1305 to his death, in April 1314. He is reme ...
and King
Philip IV of France Philip IV (April–June 1268 – 29 November 1314), called Philip the Fair (), was King of France from 1285 to 1314. Jure uxoris, By virtue of his marriage with Joan I of Navarre, he was also King of Navarre and Count of Champagne as Philip&n ...
, both in 1314, two years after the death of the Castilian sovereign. The last Grand Master of the
Knights Templar The Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ and of the Temple of Solomon, mainly known as the Knights Templar, was a Military order (religious society), military order of the Catholic Church, Catholic faith, and one of the most important military ord ...
,
Jacques de Molay Jacques de Molay (; 1240–1250 – 11 or 18 March 1314), also spelled "Molai",Demurger, pp. 1–4. "So no conclusive decision can be reached, and we must stay in the realm of approximations, confining ourselves to placing Molay's date of birth ...
, was burned at the stake in Paris in March 1314, and before his death, according to tradition, he ordered to appear before God within a year, Pope Clement V, King Philip IV of France and
Guillaume de Nogaret Guillaume de Nogaret (c. 1260 April 1313) was a French statesman, councilor and keeper of the seal to Philip IV of France. Early life Nogaret was born in Saint-Félix-Lauragais, Haute-Garonne. The family held a small ancestral property o ...
, responsible for the suppression of the Order of the Temple and the death of many of its members: Historian and archaeologist Francisco Simón y Nieto, in his book ''Una página del reinado de Fernando IV. Pleito seguido en Valladolid ante el rey y su corte en una sesión, por los personeros de Palencia contra el Obispo D. Álvaro Carrillo, 28 de mayo de 1298'', published in 1912, noted that the ultimate cause of the death of Ferdinand IV may have been due to a coronary
Thrombosis Thrombosis () is the formation of a Thrombus, blood clot inside a blood vessel, obstructing the flow of blood through the circulatory system. When a blood vessel (a vein or an artery) is injured, the body uses platelets (thrombocytes) and fib ...
, but without discard others, such as
Intracerebral hemorrhage Intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH), also known as hemorrhagic stroke, is a sudden bleeding into Intraparenchymal hemorrhage, the tissues of the brain (i.e. the parenchyma), into its Intraventricular hemorrhage, ventricles, or into both. An ICH is ...
, acute
Pulmonary edema Pulmonary edema (British English: oedema), also known as pulmonary congestion, is excessive fluid accumulation in the tissue or air spaces (usually alveoli) of the lungs. This leads to impaired gas exchange, most often leading to shortness ...
,
Angina pectoris Angina, also known as angina pectoris, is chest pain or pressure, usually caused by insufficient blood flow to the heart muscle (myocardium). It is most commonly a symptom of coronary artery disease. Angina is typically the result of part ...
,
Myocardial infarction A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when Ischemia, blood flow decreases or stops in one of the coronary arteries of the heart, causing infarction (tissue death) to the heart muscle. The most common symptom ...
,
Embolism An embolism is the lodging of an embolus, a blockage-causing piece of material, inside a blood vessel. The embolus may be a blood clot (thrombus), a fat globule (fat embolism), a bubble of air or other gas (air embolism, gas embolism), amniotic ...
, Syncope or others.


Burial

In September 1312, shortly after his death, the mortal remains of Ferdinand IV were transferred to the city of
Córdoba Córdoba most commonly refers to: * Córdoba, Spain, a major city in southern Spain and formerly the imperial capital of Islamic Spain * Córdoba, Argentina, the second largest city in Argentina and the capital of Córdoba Province Córdoba or Cord ...
, and on 13 September they were buried in a chapel of the
Mosque–Cathedral of Córdoba The Mosque–Cathedral of Córdoba ( ), officially known by its ecclesiastical name of Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption (), is the cathedral of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Córdoba, Diocese of Córdoba dedicated to the Assumption of Ma ...
, although his corpse should have been buried in the
Toledo Cathedral The Primatial Metropolitan Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Assumption (), is a Roman Catholic cathedral in Toledo, Spain. It is the seat of the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Toledo. Since 1088, it holds the honorific title of Primatial, granted by ...
next to his father Sancho IV or in
Seville Cathedral The Cathedral of Saint Mary of the See (), better known as Seville Cathedral (), is a Catholic cathedral and former mosque in Seville, Andalusia, Spain. It was registered in 1987 by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site, along with the adjoining Alc ...
with his paternal grandfather
Alfonso X Alfonso X (also known as the Wise, ; 23 November 1221 – 4 April 1284) was King of Castile, León and Galicia from 1 June 1252 until his death in 1284. During the election of 1257, a dissident faction chose him to be king of Germany on 1 Ap ...
and his paternal great-grandfather Ferdinand III. However, due to the high temperatures that occurred in September 1312, Queen
Constance of Portugal Constance of Portugal (pt: ''Constança''; 3 January 1290 – Sahagún, 18 November 1313; ), was Queen of Castile by her marriage to Ferdinand IV. She was the eldest child and only daughter of King Denis of Portugal and his wife Elizab ...
, widow of Ferdinand IV, and the ''Infante'' Peter of Castile, brother of the late King, decided the burial of the mortal remains Of Fernando IV in the Mosque–Cathedral of Córdoba. Queen Constance also founded six chaplaincies and ordered that in September was celebrated the perpetual anniversary in memory of the late King. Within a year of the monarch's death, four candles burned permanently in his grave, and daily, during that year, the bishop of the city and the cathedral chapter sang once a day prays for the soul of the King. In 1371, the mortal remains of Ferdinand IV and those of his son
Alfonso XI Alfonso XI (11 August 131126 March 1350), called the Avenger (''el Justiciero''), was King of Castile and León. He was the son of Ferdinand IV of Castile and his wife Constance of Portugal. Upon his father's death in 1312, several disputes en ...
were deposited in the Royal Chapel of the Mosque–Cathedral of Córdoba, whose construction had ended that same year. In 1728,
Pope Benedict XIII Pope Benedict XIII (; ; 2 February 1649 – 21 February 1730), born Pietro Francesco (or Pierfrancesco) Orsini and later called Vincenzo Maria Orsini, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 29 May 1724 to his death in ...
issued a bull for which the Royal Chapel of the Mosque–Cathedral of Córdoba was attached to the Church of Saint Hippolytus of Córdoba, and that same year, after several requests on the part of the canons of Saint Hippolytus, who had requested
Philip V Philip V may refer to: * Philip V of Macedon (221–179 BC) * Philip V of France (1293–1322) * Philip II of Spain, also Philip V, Duke of Burgundy (1526–1598) * Philip V of Spain Philip V (; 19 December 1683 – 9 July 1746) was List of Sp ...
to have the remains of Ferdinand IV and Alfonso XI transferred to his Collegiate Church, the King authorized the transfer of the remains of the two monarchs. In 1729 works for the completion of the Church of Saint Hippolytus were begun, which were terminated in 1736, and on the night of 8 August 1736, with all honors, the mortal remains of Ferdinand IV and Alfonso XI were transferred to the Royal Collegiate Church of Saint Hippolytus, where they rest since then. At the same time, the canons of Saint Hippolytus transferred to their Collegiate Church all the furniture of the Royal Chapel of the Mosque–Cathedral of Córdoba. In the first section of the presbytery of the Royal Collegiate Church of Saint Hippolytus, housed in two
arcosolium An arcosolium, plural arcosolia, is an arched recess used as a place of entombment. The word is from Latin , "arch", and , "throne" (literally "place of state") or post-classical "sarcophagus". Early arcosolia were cut from the living rock, carve ...
, are the tombs that contain the mortal remains of Ferdinand IV (located on the side of the Epistle) and the one containing the remains of his son Alfonso XI (which is on the side of the Gospel). The remains of both monarchs are deposited inside red marble urns, built with marble from the disappeared Monastery of San Jerónimo of Córdoba, and both were made in 1846, commissioned by the Monuments Commission. Until that moment, the remains of both monarchs were placed in two wooden coffins in the presbytery of the church, where they were shown to distinguished visitors. On the roofs of both sepulchres are placed pillows on which are deposited a crown and a scepter, symbols of royalty.


Marriage and issue

In
Valladolid Valladolid ( ; ) is a Municipalities of Spain, municipality in Spain and the primary seat of government and ''de facto'' capital of the Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Castile and León. It is also the capital of the pr ...
on 23 January 1302, Ferdinand IV married with
Constance Constance may refer to: Places * Constance, Kentucky, United States, an unincorporated community * Constance, Minnesota, United States, an unincorporated community * Mount Constance, Washington State, United States * Lake Constance (disambiguat ...
, daughter of King
Denis of Portugal Denis (, ; 9 October 1261 – 7 January 1325), called the Farmer King (''Rei Lavrador'') and the Poet King (''Rei Poeta''), was King of Portugal from 1279 until his death in 1325. Dinis was the eldest son of Afonso III of Portugal by his second ...
. They had: *
Eleanor Eleanor () is a feminine given name, originally from an Old French adaptation of the Old Provençal name ''Aliénor''. It was the name of a number of women of royalty and nobility in western Europe during the High Middle Ages">Provençal dialect ...
(1307–1359), married firstly in 1319 with James of Aragon (the union was never consummated and annulled) and secondly in 1329 with King
Alfonso IV of Aragon Alfonso IV (2 November 1299 – 24 January 1336), called the Kind (also ''the Gentle'' or ''the Nice'', ), was King of Aragon and Count of Barcelona (as Alfons III) from 1327 to his death. His reign saw the incorporation of the County of Urgell ...
, brother of her first husband. She was killed in
Castrojeriz Castrojeriz or Castrogeriz is a locality and municipality located in the province of Burgos, in the autonomous community of Castile and León (Spain), the comarca of Odra-Pisuerga, the judicial district of Burgos, head of the town council of the ...
by orders of her nephew, King
Peter of Castile Peter (; 30 August 133423 March 1369), called Peter the Cruel () or the Just (), was King of Castile and León from 1350 to 1369. Peter was the last ruler of the main branch of the House of Ivrea. He was excommunicated by Pope Urban V for h ...
. *Constance (1308–1310), who died in infancy. She was initially buried in the lost Convent of Santo Domingo el Real in Madrid, and in 1869 her remains were found and transferred to the crypt of the Church of San Antonio de los Alemanes, where they still remain. *
Alfonso XI Alfonso XI (11 August 131126 March 1350), called the Avenger (''el Justiciero''), was King of Castile and León. He was the son of Ferdinand IV of Castile and his wife Constance of Portugal. Upon his father's death in 1312, several disputes en ...
(1311–1350), successor of his father in the Castilian-Leonese throne. He died a victim of the
Black Death The Black Death was a bubonic plague pandemic that occurred in Europe from 1346 to 1353. It was one of the list of epidemics, most fatal pandemics in human history; as many as people perished, perhaps 50% of Europe's 14th century population. ...
during the Fifth Siege of Gibraltar.


References


Sources

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Further reading


General consultation works

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Specific works about Ferdinand IV and his time

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Specific articles appeared in books and publications about Ferdinand IV and his time

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Historical novels

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Plays

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Ferdinand 04 of Castile Castilian House of Burgundy Castilian infantes 13th-century Leonese monarchs Medieval child monarchs 1285 births 1312 deaths 13th-century Castilian monarchs 14th-century Castilian monarchs