of bishop
Theodemar of Iria (d. 847), discoverer of the tomb attributed to apostle
Saint James the Great For several centuries after the defeat of the Goths, Galicia was united with other neighboring regions under the same monarchs, with only brief periods of separation under different kings. Along with the rest of the northwest of the Iberian Peninsula, it was free of Arab presence from the mid-8th century, being gradually incorporated into a growing Christian state. This is usually called the
Kingdom of Asturias in traditional and modern sources, although the precise historical details of these events have been obscured by the
national myths leading to the construction of modern Spanish identity. The 9th century saw this state expand southward, with Castilian and Asturian noblemen acquiring most of the northern
Meseta, while in Galicia, a similar impulse led to the conquest and re-population of the regions of Astorga, southern Galicia, and northern Portugal down to
Coimbra, by noblemen mostly proceeding from northern Galicia. Also significant was the discovery of the tomb of
Saint James the Great at what would become
Santiago de Compostela; the shrine constructed there became the religious center of the nation, as well as being the destination of a major international
pilgrimage route, the
Way of St. James. This increased the political and military relevance of Galicia, and its noble families aspired to positions of power within the kingdom through either military force or by matrimonial alliance with the royal family. To the east, this southern expansion led the capital of the Christian kingdom to be moved to the city of
León, from which time the state is usually called the
Kingdom of León. This same kingdom was known as either Gallaecia or Galicia (
Yillīqiya and
Galīsiya) in
Al-Andalus Muslim sources up to the 14th century, as well as by European Christian contemporaries.
Society , conqueror of
Porto in 868 s by the castle of Torres de Oeste,
Catoira During the
Iron Age, and later during Roman and Germanic rule, Southern Gallaecia—today north Portugal and south Galicia—was the more dynamic, urbanized, and richest area of Gallaecia. This role was assumed by the rural north during the Early and High Middle Ages, as a consequence not only of the Islamic invasion, but as the final result of a continent-wide urban crisis. The old bishoprics of Braga, Ourense, Tui, Lamego, and others, were either discontinued, or re-established in the north, under the protection of Lugo—which was now a stronghold due to its Roman walls—and
Iria Flavia.
Dumio was re-established by the
Bay of Biscay in
Mondoñedo, Lugo assumed the role of Braga, and the bishops of Lamego and Tui sought refuge in Iria, where they received generous territorial grants. During the 9th, 10th, and 11th centuries most of these bishoprics were re-established in their historical sees, but at this time the bishops of Lugo, Mondoñedo, and Iria became major political players—not just as religious figures, but also as wealthy, and sometimes mighty, secular powers. In particular, the bishops of Iria and
Compostela were notorious
warlords, due to the multiple fortresses and military resources they controlled as heads of a military
Norman mark, as well as due to the wealth that the pilgrimages and royal grants brought to their lands. Each bishopric was divided into a number of territories or counties, named , or in local charters, which in the north were true continuations of the Suebic dioceses which frequently preserved old tribal divisions and denominations, such as
Lemabos, Celticos, Postamarcos, Bregantinos, and Cavarcos. Rights to the tax collection and government of each territory was granted by the
titular ruler—usually the king—to a
count, bishopric, or large monastery, although there existed some singularities. The bishopric of Lugo was divided into counties, each one under the government of an
infanzon (a lesser nobleman) as a concession of the bishop, while in the south, large and mighty territories such as the
Portucalense became hereditary, passed down to the descendants of the 9th century's conquerors. In the
Terra de Santiago (Land of Saint James, the fief of the bishops of Iria-Compostela) each territory was administered by a bishop's vicar, while justice was administered by a council composed of representatives of the local churchmen, knights, and peasants. Each territory or county could be further divided into and . The basic territorial division was the
villa, centered on a church, and composed of one or more hamlets or villages, together with all its facilities, lands, and possessions. The
villas perpetuated ancient Roman and Suevic foundations, and they were the base for the ecclesiastical organization, and for the economic production of the country, later evolving into the modern
parroquias and
freguesias (rural parishes). The local economy was
subsistence, based mainly on the production of grain and beans, and notably in cattle breeding. Other valuable—though geographically restricted—products included fruits, salt, wine, honey,
olive oil, horses, iron for the production of weapons and tools, and exotic oriental fabrics introduced from
Spania. There were also specialized
artisans who worked on demand, such as
masons and
goldsmiths. While local commerce was common, long range interchanges—generally maintained by
Hebrew merchants—were rare and appreciated. Monetary circulation was scarce, composed mainly of old Suebi and Visigothic coinage known locally as
solidos gallicianos. War and pillaging against the thriving Al-Andalus was also an important source for the acquisition of riches, exotic items, and Muslim serfs. Later, pilgrimage of Christians from all over Europe to
Santiago de Compostela brought not only riches, but also a range of continental innovations and trends, from
shipbuilding, to new
architectural styles such as
Romanesque art. The elites were composed of counts,
dukes,
senatores, and other high noblemen, who were frequently related by marriage with the monarch, and who usually claimed the most powerful positions in society, either as governors, bishops, or as
palatine officials or companions of the king or queen. The Galician nobility, however, were also frequently found as rebels, either as supporters of a different candidate to the throne, or aspiring to it themselves, or simply as disobedient to the king's orders and will. At the service of the noblemen were
miles (
knights) and
infanzones; they were often found marching to war with their subalterns on behalf of a patron, or as vicars and administrators. A sizable section of the society were
churchmen—
presbyters, deacons, clergymen,
lectors,
confessos, monks, and nuns—who frequently lived in
religious communities, some of which were composed of both men and women living under
vows of chastity and
poverty. Most of these monasteries were directed by an
abbot or
abbess, ruled under a pactual tradition heavily influenced by Germanic legal traditions, with a bishop
sub regula as the highest authority of the community. Other monasteries used different, sometimes antagonistic rules. The
Benedictine and
Augustine rules were uncommon until the 11th century. As in most of Europe, the
chartulary and
chronicle proceedings of monasteries and bishoprics are the most important sources for the study of local history. By the 12th century the only known
bourgeois were the
multinational inhabitants of Compostela, by this stage a fortified and strong city. Meanwhile, the City Council of Santiago for centuries had struggled against their bishops for the recognition of a number of liberties. In the country, most people were
freemen, peasants, artisans, or
infantrymen, who could freely choose a patron, or buy and sell properties, although they frequently fell prey to the greed of the big owners, leading a number of them to a life of
servitude. Finally,
servos,
libertos, and
pueros (servants, freedmen, and children), either obtained in war with the
Moors or through trial, constituted a visible part of the society; they were employed as household workers ( and ),
shepherds, and
farmhands. Local charters also show that, in time, they were freed. In terms of religion, most were Roman Catholics, although the local rites—known today as
Mozarabic rites—were notably different from those used in most of Western Europe. No Arian,
Priscillianist, or
Pagan organizations are known to have survived during the High Middle Ages. However, there were still pagans and pagan shrines in the
Bierzo region during the 7th century, whilst Arian or Priscillianist
tonsure—seen as long hair, with only a partial tonsure atop the head—was in use in Galicia up to 681, when it was forbidden at a council in Toledo. There were no known Muslim communities in Galicia and northern Portugal, other than Moor serfs. Records of
Hebrew people are also uncommon in local charters until the 12th century, except as travelers and merchants. Personal names in Galicia and northern Portugal were chiefly of Germanic origin, although Christian, Roman, and Greek names were also common. Names were usually composed just of a single surname, although noblemen frequently also used a
patronymic. Muslim names and patronymics were rare amongst Galicians, as even serfs were frequently given a Germanic or Roman name, which is in contrast with the relative popularity of Muslim names amongst the Leonese. File:Cathedral of Ourense (Spain).jpg|Romanesque façade in the Cathedral of
Ourense (1160); founded in the 6th century, its construction is attributed to King
Chararic File:Absida igrexa de San Miguel de Eiré, Eiré, Pantón.jpg|Monastical church of San Miguel de Eiré,
Pantón (12th century) File:Capela de San Miguel de Celanova, Celanova.jpg|Oratory of San Miguel de
Celanova (first quarter of the 10th century) File:Apóstoles del Pórtico de la Gloria.jpg|
Pórtico da Gloria,
Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela (12th–13th centuries), summum of the local
Romanesque sculpture Interludes of independence: 10th and 11th centuries When
Alfonso III of León was forced by his sons to abdicate in 910, his lands were partitioned, bringing about the first episode of a short-lived distinct kingdom of Galicia.
García I obtained the
Terra de Fora or
León, consisting of the southeastern portion of their father's realm, while
Ordoño II held the western lands,
i.e., Galicia (including the recently acquired lands of
Coimbra) where he had already been serving as governor, and was now recognized as king in an assembly of
magnates held in Lugo. The youngest brother,
Fruela II, received the
Asturian heartland in the northeast, with
Oviedo as its capital. From Galicia, Ordoño launched several successful raids on the Islamic south, returning with riches and Muslim serfs, and confirming himself as an able commander. At the death of García in 914, Ordoño also acquired León, and on his death in 924 his younger brother, Fruela, reunited Alfonso's realm. Fruela's death a year later initiated a period of chaos, with several claimants to the crown. Fruela's son,
Alfonso Fróilaz, received support from Asturias, but was captured and blinded by
Sancho,
Alfonso IV, and
Ramiro II, sons of Ordoño, with the aid of the
Basque troops of
Jimeno Garcés of Pamplona. Vague and conflicting historical records make it uncertain whether Alfonso Fróilaz reigned briefly as king of the entire kingdom, or simply held a remote part of Asturias. In Galicia, Sancho succeeded, being crowned in Santiago de Compostela and marrying a Galician noblewoman. After reigning for just three years he died childless. Alfonso IV then took control of an again-reunited Kingdom of León in 929; however, he was forced into a monastery by their youngest brother, Ramiro, two years later. Ramiro II had ties with the Galician nobility through kinship, marriage and patronage, and he and his son,
Ordoño III, whose mother was Galician, reigned with their support. This was not the case when Ordoño was succeeded by his half-brother
Sancho I of León in 956. Sancho proved unpopular and ineffectual and the Galician nobles grew fractious, forming a coalition with
Fernán González of Castile to overthrow Sancho in favor of
Ordoño IV, who was enthroned in Santiago de Compostela in 958. However, Sancho reclaimed the crown in 960 with support from his mother's
Kingdom of Pamplona, the Leonese nobility, and Muslim assistance. His son,
Ramiro III, grew increasingly absolutist, alienating the Galician nobility who also resented the lack of Leonese help when the
Normans raided Galicia from 968 through 970. The Galician nobility again rose in rebellion, in 982 crowning and
anointing Bermudo, son of
Ordoño III, as king in
Santiago de Compostela. With their support, he first repelled the army of Ramiro in the battle of
Portela de Areas and eventually made himself undisputed ruler of the Leonese kingdom. Once in control, Bermudo lost a number of his Galician and Portuguese supporters by repudiating his Galician wife in favor of a new marriage alliance with Castile. His later reign was marked by the ascension of a strong military leader,
Almanzor, who led a brief resurgence of the Cordoban Caliphate, reconquering Coimbra or
Viseu, and even raiding Santiago de Compostela. In the 1030s, Galicia became the sole holdout to the Leonese conquests of
Sancho III of Pamplona. When the
Count of Castile—nominally a Leonese
vassal, but
de facto independent—was assassinated in León in 1029, Sancho claimed the right to name the successor, giving it to his own son
Ferdinand. Taking advantage of the youth of Leonese king
Bermudo III, Sancho seized disputed border regions, formalizing the arrangement by including the lands in the dowry of Bermudo's sister, who was married to Ferdinand in 1032. Two years later, in 1034, Sancho took Bermudo's capital, becoming
de facto ruler of most of the kingdom, whilst leaving Bermudo to rule from his refuge in Galicia. Sancho's death the next year allowed Bermudo to regain not only the entire kingdom, but to briefly become overlord of Ferdinand's Castile. However, in 1037, the Castilian count killed Bermudo in battle, and Galicia passed with the Kingdom of León into the hands of Ferdinand, who then had himself crowned king. around 1065: Ferdinand's death in 1065 led to another short-lived Galician state. In 1063 he had opted to partition his realm, giving the eastern
Kingdom of Castile to his eldest son,
Sancho II, along with the right to the
paria (tribute) from the
Taifa of Zaragoza. His second son
Alfonso VI was given the
Kingdom of León, representing the central portion of the old realm, with the
paria from
Toledo. His youngest son,
García II, who had been educated in Galicia under the tutelage of bishop Cresconius of Compostela, The death of two of his most notable supporters, bishops Cresconius of Compostela and Uistrarius of Lugo, left the young king in a weaker position, and in 1071 the
Count of Portugal,
Nuno Mendes, rose in rebellion. García defeated and killed him in the same year at the
Battle of Pedroso, and in recognition of his solidified control adopted the title King of Galicia and Portugal. However, his brothers, Alfonso and Sancho, immediately turned on the victor, forcing García to flee, first to central Portugal and later—after defeating him near
Santarém—into exile in Seville in 1072. García's realm was divided, with Alfonso joining the county of Portugal to his Kingdom of León, while Sancho held the north. This situation was inherently unstable, with Sancho's lands separated by Alfonso's León, and the two soon fought a war in which Sancho proved victorious, forcing Alfonso into exile and reuniting all of Ferdinand's kingdom except the autonomous city of
Zamora, held by his sister
Urraca. While besieging this town in 1072, Sancho was assassinated, inducing Alfonso to return and claim the entire realm. García also returned in 1073 from his exile, either with the hope of re-establishing himself in Galicia, or simply having been misled by promises of safety from Alfonso, however, he was imprisoned by Alfonso for the rest of his life, dying in 1091. As an aftermath to these events, before 1088 Alfonso deposed the bishop of Compostela,
Diego Peláez, who was charged "on trying to deliver the Kingdom of Galicia ["Galleciae Regnum"] to the king of the English and of the Normans
[William the Conqueror], while taking it away from the kings of the Spaniards". This reunion with the Kingdom of León would prove permanent, although both kingdoms maintained their separate personality.
Raymond of Burgundy In 1091 the daughter of King
Alfonso VI,
infanta Urraca, married a
Burgundian nobleman,
Raymond of Burgundy, who had participated in the
Crusades against the
Almoravids. His military victories as well as his
Anscarid lineage justified this union, and Alfonso bestowed on him the government of Galicia between
Cape Ortegal and
Coimbra, as a personal
fief. This union gave rise to the
House of Burgundy, which would rule in Galicia, León, and Castile until the death of
King Peter. Two years after Raymond's marriage, in 1093, another French crusader, his cousin
Henry, the grandson of
Duke Robert I of Burgundy and nephew of Alfonso's queen, was given the hand of the Alfonso's illegitimate daughter
Theresa, receiving lands in Castille. Both Burgundians were close allies in the affairs of the realm, ratifying a pact of friendship where Raymond promised his cousin the Kingdom of Toledo or the Kingdom of Galicia, together with a third of his treasure, in return for Henry's aid in acquiring the crown as successor of King Alfonso. However, by 1097 King Alfonso granted Henry the counties of
Portugal and
Coimbra, from the river
Minho to the
Tagus, thus limiting the powers of Raymond, who by this time was securing an important nucleus of partisans in Galicia, including
Count Pedro Fróilaz de Traba, whilst appointing his own notary,
Diego Gelmírez, as bishop of Compostela. In successive years he also obtained the government of Zamora, Salamanca, and
Ávila, King Alfonso, in a council held in León, asked the magnates of Galicia to swear an oath on the defense of the rights of his grandson, Alfonso Raimúndez, to the kingdom of Galicia, in case his mother Urraca remarried. On June 30, 1109, King Alfonso VI died. He was succeeded by Queen Urraca, who was remarried in 1109 to the king of Aragon,
Alfonso the Battler, a soldier by nature who was immediately received as king in Castille and León, but not in Galicia. As part of the marriage settlement, any children born to the union were to have priority over Raymond's son Alfonso in the succession. In Galicia this union was rejected by the old party of count Raymond, now led by count Pedro Fróilaz, tutor of young Alfonso, although the partisans of Urraca also joined forces. With Leon and Castille quiet and under control, Alfonso moved on Galicia in 1110, and while he did not suffer any major defeat, he had little success, returning three months later to León. Probably as a consequence of this development, Pedro Froila drew Diego Gelmirez to his party. In 1111, the young Alfonso Raimúndez was crowned and anointed king in Compostela.
Separation of the County of Portugal (1128) On the death of Henry in 1112, his widow Theresa succeeded him as head of the two Counties of Portugal and Coimbra, during the minority of her son,
Afonso Henriques. Two trends emerged at this time, firstly a policy of rapprochement with the new King
Alfonso VII, and secondly the maintenance of their power with the aim that the heir to the county would be proclaimed king. The increasing importance of
Santiago de Compostela—now
metropolitan church of
Lusitania, which was in open competition with Braga, metropolitan church of Galicia—and the support for Theresa's rule north of the Minho brought about by her romantic union with
Fernando Pérez de Traba altered the
status quo. The Archbishop of Braga, who had suffered the nocturnal theft of several
relics, including the body of
Saint Fructuosus of Braga, by
Diego Gelmirez in 1102, and the major Portuguese aristocrats who were pursuing a larger territorial authority, gave support to the royal pretensions of
Afonso Henriques. Given this situation, King Alfonso VII marched on Portugal, taking first Tui and other territories north of the river Minho, later besieging
Guimarães and obtaining the submission of the Portuguese. Several months later, in 1128, inspired by the shortcomings of Afonso Henriques, the Galician and Portuguese troops of Theresa and Fernando Perez de Trava entered Portugal, but the men of Afonso scored a decisive victory at the
Battle of São Mamede. The later death of Theresa, and Afonso's success against the Moors at the
Battle of Ourique, led to him being proclaimed King of the Portuguese in 1139, this independence being recognized at the
Treaty of Zamora in 1143. Still, the status of frontier lands such as
Toroño and
Limia in southern Galicia led to frequent border conflicts during most of the Lower Middle Ages.
Compostelan era (1111–1230) (left) and
Alfonso IX (right), kings of León and Galicia. Chartulary of the monastery of Toxosoutos,
Lousame, 13th century At
Santiago de Compostela on September 17, 1111 the Galician high nobility crowned
Alfonso VII, the son of Raymond and Urraca, as king of Galicia, and he was anointed by bishop
Diego Gelmírez; the
coronation was led by Pedro Fróilaz de Traba, who had been Alfonso's mentor throughout his childhood. The coronation was intended to preserve the rights of the son of Raymond of Burgundy in Galicia, at a time when Urraca effectively delivered the kingdoms of Castile and León to her new husband, Alfonso the Battler of
Aragon and
Navarre. The ceremony in Compostela was more symbolic than effective, and Diego Gelmírez, Pedro Fróilaz, and other Galician nobles headed first to Lugo, and later to the royal seat in León to enthrone Alfonso VII there. However, they were intercepted at Viadangos, near León, by the troops of Alfonso the Battler. The Galician knights charged, but they were outnumbered and surrounded by the Aragonese
infantry, who defeated the Galicians and frustrated their plans. Pedro Fróilaz was taken
prisoner, whilst other nobles were killed, but bishop Gelmírez managed to escape, delivering his protégé, the young king, to his mother, who began acting against her new husband. From then until Alfonso VII came of age and Urraca died, the entire realm lived under a constant state of civil war, experiencing frequent seizures and shifting alliances between mother and child, and between Urraca and her Aragonese husband. This same civil war was evident in the kingdom of Galicia, where partisans of Diego Gelmirez, of Pedro Fróilaz, and of other nobles and warlords, found themselves battling each other as defenders of either Queen Urraca or King Alfonso VII, or under their own agenda, whilst Alfonso of Aragón and
Theresa of Portugal also had their own supporters. With
Calixtus II, uncle of Alfonso VII, becoming Pope, Diego Gelmírez secured the elevation of Compostela into an
archdiocese in 1120 through a steady flow of generous donations sent to Rome. Bishop Diego attempted to gain recognition for Compostela by becoming
primate of Spain, but lost the title to Toledo, the old Visigoth capital. Later, however, he sought to have Compostela recognized as the metropolitan church of the Kingdom of Galicia, in opposition to the church of Braga, which had been the metropolitan since at least the days of
Martin of Dumio. Calixtus II did not grant Gelmirez's claims, but finally decided to enlarge Compostela's jurisdiction in an anomalous fashion: instead of Galicia, Compostela was granted control over the old jurisdiction of
Mérida, the former metropolitan church of Lusitania, which was then under Muslim control without a bishop. Consequently, the bishops of Coimbra, Lamego, Viseu, or Salamanca, among others, were subjected to the rule of Compostela. Braga, metropolitan of the cities of Galicia other than Compostela, found itself limited by the jurisdiction of the latter, and became the centre of the movement for the independence of
Portugal. In 1128 the leader of the Galician nobility,
Fernando Peres de Trava, together with his lover
Countess Theresa of Portugal, who were acting with absolute liberty in most of Galicia and Portugal, were defeated by Afonso Henriques, Theresa's son. This was the foundation of the future kingdom of Portugal. On his death in 1156,
Alfonso VII divided his domains under pressure from the Castilian and Galician nobles, bequeathing León and Galicia to his second son,
Ferdinand II. Ferdinand, who had been using the title of
King of Galicia at least since 1152, had been as a child ward of the influential Count Fernando Peres de Trava, heir and son of Count Pedro Fróilaz, who in turn had been tutor of Alfonso VII. In 1158 the death of his brother
Sancho III of Castile permitted him to intervene the Castilian internal affairs, which led him to use the title
Rex Hispaniarum. In his own realm, he continued his father's policies by granting
Cartas Póvoa or
Foros (constitutional charters) to towns such as
Padrón,
Ribadavia,
Noia,
Pontevedra and
Ribadeo, most of them possessing important harbors or sited in rich valleys. Thus he promoted the growth of the
bourgeoisie and improved the local economy through the expansion of commerce. He also contributed to the economic and artistic development of the
Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, at least after the death of bishop Martin in 1168, and under the rule of two of his closest subjects, bishops
Pedro Gudestéiz and
Pedro Suárez de Deza. Ferdinand died in 1188, in
Benavente, leaving two main claimants to the throne: his sons Sancho, born of a Castilian noblewoman, and
Alfonso, from Ferdinand's first marriage, to
Urraca of Portugal. Alfonso, supported by the Galician nobility and by the archbishop of Compostela Pedro Suárez de Deza, hastened to Santiago de Compostela carrying the remains of his father and proclaiming himself King there. Unlike his father, he dropped the title of "King of the Spains", preferring the use of "King of León" and "King of León and Galicia". Alfonso IX's long reign was characterized by his rivalry with Castile and Portugal, and by the promotion of the royal power at the expense of the church and nobility, whilst maintaining his father's urban development policies. He was one of the first European monarchs to call for a general council, summoning not only the nobility and the Church, but also the inhabitants of the towns and cities, presaging modern representative parliaments. The last years of his reign were also marked by the conquest of large areas of what is now
Extremadura (including the cities of
Cáceres,
Mérida and
Badajoz) then in the hands of the
Almohad Caliphate, a territory also wanted by the Portuguese. Alfonso granted constitutional charters to the towns of
Betanzos,
A Coruña,
Baiona,
Salvaterra de Miño,
Verín,
Monforte de Lemos,
O Valadouro, Milmanda, Bo Burgo de
Castro Caldelas,
Melide,
Sarria and
Triacastela, sited in good harbors along the Galician coastline, by the Miño river, or at major crossroads in the country. These new
reguengo villages (royal villages under direct royal political and economical control, and administered by their autonomous city councils), each one usually known as a
burgo due to its walled circuits, attracted peasants, who could find better living conditions under the direct protection of the king than abroad under the authority of a bishop, a monastery or a nobleman; they also attracted foreigners, most notably artisans and merchants, who brought new trends and knowledge. These burgs effected a revolution in the social structure of the time, leading to economic diversification, removing the dominant
autarky of the previous centuries, and facilitating the development of fishing and pre-industrial mass production of some resources, especially salted and dried fish, fish oil, and wine, marketed through the seaports to England and the Mediterranean. In these cities and villages the emergence of an associative movement led to the creation of permanent city councils, and the organization of artisan guilds or
confrarías, which would in time acquire a religious hue just to avoid being banned or punished in their patrimonies. These new burgs also allowed a number of minor noble houses to consolidate power by occupying the new administrative and political offices, in open competition with the new classes: mayors,
aldermen (
regedores,
alcaldes,
justiças), agents and other officials (
procuradores,
notarios,
avogados) and judges () of the town council; or
mordomos and (leader and deputies) of the diverse guilds. Throughout this century there was also a rapid growth of the rural population, resulting in a larger force of farm labor which consequently allowed the great monasteries to develop new agricultural lands. This, coupled with the improvement of farming equipment and techniques, such as the introduction of the heavy wheeled
plough, resulted in an increase in
productivity that impacted the people's lifestyles. The distribution of this increased productivity between peasants and lords was regulated by the establishment of
foros or lifelong contracts, frequently spanning several generations or
vozes. The economic and social transformations led to profound changes in mindset. In the towns, it initiated a religious and intellectual renewal under the
mendicant orders, most notably the
Franciscans, who instituted social reforms. Compostela, "capital and looking glass" of the Kingdom of Galicia, became a showcase of this thriving era, reflected in Master Matthew's work in the granite of the
Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela—especially in the
Portico da Gloria and in Prateria's façade—demonstrating a prosperity also witnessed through the surviving Romanesque buildings in Galicia. This period is also responsible for
Latin literary creations such as the
Codex Calixtinus and the
Historia Compostellana. The
Historia is an extensive chronicle of the deeds of the bishop of Compostela,
Diego Gelmirez, and, though
partisan, it is a source of great significance for the understanding of contemporary events and Galician society in the first half of the 12th century.
Union under the Crown of Castile (1230) In the early
Medieval era, a fluid pattern of union and division was observed among the states of Christian
Iberia. While marriage of royals had resulted in the union of some of these states—for example between Navarre and Aragon, and Castile and León—subsequent divisions amongst heirs created a dynamic pattern of union and separation. However, the 12th century initiated a series of unions that would prove permanent. Alfonso IX married twice. From his first marriage to
Teresa of Portugal he had a son, Ferdinand, and two daughters, Sancha and Aldonza. From his second marriage to
Berengaria of Castile, he had five children: Eleanor, who died as a child, a second
Ferdinand,
Alfonso,
Berengaria, and Constance. The death of Alfonso IX's son from his first marriage, Ferdinand, in 1214 left the younger Ferdinand, from his second marriage, as heir to his father. When the Castilian king,
Henry I, died in 1217 and Berengaria ceded her rights to her son, Ferdinand became King of Castile, against the will of his father. To preserve the independence of his realm, Alfonso IX applied Galician-Leonese inheritance customs to nominate Aldonza as future queen of Galicia and Sancha as queen of León, enlisting their uncle
Afonso II of Portugal to support their succession. Alfonso died in 1230 in Sarria, while on pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela to thank the apostle for his help in the conquest of Extremadura, and his body was taken there for burial. Most of the Leonese nobility cleaved to Ferdinand, who also gained the support of the new Portuguese king,
Sancho II. After clashes in León and Galicia, Alfonso IX's two former wives, Berengaria and Theresa, reached an agreement whereby Theresa induced Aldonza and Sancha to abandon their regal claims in exchange for an
annuity. As a result, Ferdinand III became successor to Alfonso's kingdoms of León and Galicia, bringing about a permanent union into what would come to be called the
Crown of Castile, wherein the kingdoms continued as administrative entities under the unified rule of a single monarch. File:PC190465.JPG|alt=Pedro Fróilaz de Traba|Sepulcher of count
Pedro Fróilaz de Traba (
Orbem Galletie Imperante), protector of king
Alfonso VII (d. 1128) File:Lauda de Fernando II.jpg|alt=Ferdinand II|Sepulcher of king
Ferdinand II (
Rex in Legione et Gallecia) (d. 1187) File:Fernando Afonso.jpg|alt=Ferdinand of Galicia and León|Sepulcher of
Ferdinand of Galicia and León. Son and heir of the king Afonso VIII (known as alfonso ix in the Spanish bibliography) (d. 1214) File:Berenguela of Barcelona.jpg|alt=Berengaria of Barcelona|Sepulcher of the queen
Berengaria of Barcelona wife of
Afonso VII (d. 1149) File:Tomb of Afonso VIII de Galicia León (Capela das Reliquias da catedral de Santiago de Compostela).jpg|alt=Afonso VIII|Sepulcher of king
Afonso VIII of León and Galicia (known as Afonso IX in the Spanish bibliography) (
Rex Legionis et Gallecie) (d. 1230) File:Sepulcro de la reina Juana de Castro, segunda esposa de Pedro I el Cruel, rey de Castilla y León (Catedral de Santiago de Compostela).jpg|alt=Joana de Castro|Sepulcher of queen
Joana de Castro of Castilla, León, Toledo and Galicia (d. 1374) ==Late Middle Ages==