Alfonso XI of Castile
Alfonso XI. el Justiciero, the avenger, was from 1312 to 1350 King of Castile and Leon ( born September 27, 1311 Salamanca † March 26 1350 in Gibraltar ).
At the death of his father Ferdinand IV Alfons was only a year old, but was crowned immediately. To the guardianship of the young king fought several relatives, including his uncle Peter and his great-uncle Johann. However, de facto continued his grandmother Maria de Molina as the main bearer of the guardianship. During this phase, the Moors invaded the kingdom, and there were numerous uprisings nobility. Peter and John fell at the Battle of Tiscar 1319th
1325 Alfons reached the age of majority and initially focused on the internal stabilization of his kingdom. He went hard against against rebellious nobles and was based on the cities. From this phase dates back to his nickname " The Avengers ". In addition, Alfons stabilized his kingdom, by imposing the set up by his great-grandfather Alfonso X of legislation Las Siete Partidas final.
During the Reconquista Alfons had to deal mainly with the Berber dynasty of Marinids, which had been founded by Mohammed IV of Granada for help. After Alfons Granada had in 1330 struck quickly at the Battle of Teba and made tributary to, the Marinids under Abu l -Hasan to his main opponents were. The Muslim siege of Tarifa broke on Alfons by the merinidische army struck devastating at the Battle of Salado on 30 October 1340. This dynasty then played no role in Spain. He relied on extensive military aid of his father Alfonso the Bold of Portugal.
After two victories of the Castilian fleet on the African coast were several fixed places of Granada, including Algeciras, which represented since then the main base of operations of the Christians against Africa. In the middle of his armor for further action against the Moors Alfons died at the siege of Gibraltar in 1350 of the plague. Was succeeded by his son as Peter I of Castile.
Marriages and descendants
Alfons was first with Constanza Manuel, daughter of the Infante Don Juan Manuel, married. The marriage was terminated, however, and Alfonso married Maria of Portugal, daughter of the Portuguese king Alfonso IV, with whom he had two sons:
- Ferdinand (* 1332, † 1333)
- Peter I of Castile (1334-1369), King of Castile and León
Alfonso also had several illegitimate children with Leonor de Guzman, including
- Henry of Trastamara (1334-1379), King of Castile and León
- Tello Alfonso of Castile (1337-1370)
- Sancho Alfonso (1342-1374), Count of Alburquerque