Rahel la Fermosa

Rahel la Fermosa (German Rahel Beautiful, actually Rachel Ezra, * about 1165 in Toledo, † 1195 ibid ) was the mistress of King Alfonso VIII of Castile.

Rachel was the daughter of a Jewish merchant Yehuda Ibn Ezra. Her father sat in the Privy Council and was a fundraiser for the King of Castile. In 1183 Rachel was named Rahel la Fermosa, the mistress of King Alfonso VIII ( 1155-1214 ). To escape from the revenge of his wife, Queen Eleanor (1162-1214), the two lovers lived withdrawn in Galiana. Under her influence, a number of Spanish Jews was appointed in important positions at court, this has led to unrest among the clergy and the nobility. After the king was lured away by a pretext, murdered henchmen of Queen Rachel and her father.

Others

  • Some historians argue that the love story between the Jewess Rachel and the King was a mythical story of the Marquis de Mondejar.
Toledo, Spain Eleanor of England, Queen of Castile Lion Feuchtwanger Encyclopaedia Judaica
669966
de