Alfonso VII of León and Castile

     Alfonso VII of León and Castile was born on 1 March 1105 at Caldas de Reis, Spain.¹ He married Berengaria of Barcelona, daughter of Ramon Berenguer III and Douce I Countess of Provence, on 10 November 1128 at Saldaña, Spain.² Alfonso VII of León and Castile died on 21 August 1157 at Sierra Morena at age 52.¹ He was buried at Cathedral of Toledo, Spain.¹
     Alfonso was a dignified and somewhat enigmatic figure. His rule was characterised by the renewed supremacy of the western kingdoms of Christian Iberia over the eastern (Navarre and Aragón) after the reign of Alfonso the Battler. He also sought to make the imperial title meaningful in practice, though his attempts to rule over both Christian and Muslim populations was even less successful. His hegemonic intentions never saw fruition, however. During his tenure, Portugal became de facto independent, in 1128, and was recognized as de jure independent, in 1143.
Alfonso was at once a patron of the church and a protector, though not a supporter of, the Muslims, who were a minority of his subjects. His reign ended in an unsuccessful campaign against the rising power of the Almohads. Though he was not actually defeated, his death in the pass, while on his way back to Toledo, occurred in circumstances which showed that no man could be what he claimed to be — "king of the men of the two religions." Furthermore, by dividing his realm between his sons, he ensured that Christendom would not present the new Almohad threat with a united front.¹