Stephanie Alfonso of Castile
Stephanie Alfonso of Castile (Spanish: Estefanía Alfonso de Castilla) (1139/1148 – 1 July 1180), also known as Stephanie the Unfortunate (Estefanía la Desdichada), was an illegitimate daughter of Alfonso VII of León and Castile and Urraca Fernández de Castro, widow of Count Rodrigo Martínez. She was murdered by her husband Fernando Rodríguez de Castro, which earned her the sobriquet, "the Unfortunate".
| Stephanie Alfonso of Castile | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1139 or 1148 |
| Died | 1 July 1180 |
| Burial | Basilica of San Isidoro |
| Spouse | Fernando Rodríguez de Castro |
| Issue | Pedro Fernández de Castro |
| House | Castilian House of Ivrea |
| Father | Alfonso VII of León and Castile |
| Mother | Urraca Fernández de Castro |
| Religion | Roman Catholicism |
Birth
Stephanie's date of birth must have occurred between 1139, when the relationship between Alfonso and her mother began,[1] and 1148, the year in which Alfonso confers privileges in favor of Urraca and his daughter.[1][2]
Marriage
In 1157, Stephanie's father died while returning from an expedition and was succeeded in Castile by his sons, Sancho III of Castile and Fernando II of León.
Stephanie married Fernando Rodríguez de Castro, head of the House of Castro, governor of Cuéllar, Dueñas, Valladolid, Toro and Asturias at different times. He had divorced his first wife, Constanza Osorio, daughter of Count Osorio Martinez, the latter having been killed at the Battle of Lobregal.
Although her husband was a native of Castile, thus being dubbed "the Castilian", while in the kingdom of Castile, he was nicknamed "the Lion", he left the kingdom of Castile with his brothers, and achieved the rank of mayordomo mayor from Stephanie's half-brother Ferdinand II of Leon, who granted him the hand of his sister.[3] In 1170, Ferdinand II of León granted her possession of the infantazgo of León.[3]
Mi esposa Estefanía, que está en gloria,
fue del Séptimo Alfonso hija querida;
desde hoy sabréis, al escuchar su historia,
que hay desgracias sin fin en nuestra vida.
Yo la maté celoso; y si, remiso,
no me maté también la noche aquella,
fue por matar después, si era preciso,
a todo el que, cual yo, dudase de ella.
My wife Estefanía, who is in glory, / was of Alfonso VII a dear daughter; / after today you will know, upon listening to this story, / that there are disgraces without end in our life. // Jealous, I killed her; and if, reluctant, / I did not kill myself also that night, / it was to kill later, if it was necessary, / all who, like me, doubted her.
She bore her husband two sons, among them Pedro Fernández de Castro.
Death
On 1 July 1180, Stephanie was murdered by her husband, Fernando, who according to some sources listed, while others have left no record of the event, it is assumed that his wife had been unfaithful and murdered. When Fernando first heard about his wife's affair with an unknown man, he watched the lovers. He then later stabbed the man to death. Later, he entered the chambers of his wife and stabbed her to death. When Fernando realized what the situation had turned to, he begged for forgiveness from his brother-in-law the King. The King did not punish his brother-in-law for the murder.
Stephanie was buried in the basilica of San Isidoro de León. She left two young children.
Notes
- Torres Sevilla-Quiñones de León (1999), p. 84
- Salazar y Acha (2006), p.42
- Castile Nobility, Medieval Lands