Religion Roman Catholicism House Anscarids | Died July 1, 1180 Name Stephanie of | |
Issue Pedro Fernandez de Castro Father Alfonso VII of Leon and Castile Mother Urraca Fernandez de Castro Spouse Fernando Rodriguez de Castro (m. 1168–1180) Parents Alfonso VII of Leon and Castile Place of burial Basilica of San Isidoro, Leon, Spain Similar People Alfonso VII of Leon and Castile, Urraca of Leon and Castile, Ferdinand II of Leon, Sancho III of Castile, Raymond of Burgundy | ||
Children Pedro Fernandez de Castro | ||
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 married to Fernando Rodríguez de Castro, which earned her the soubriquet, "the Unfortunate".
Contents
Birth
Stephanie's date of birth must have occurred between 1139, when the relationship between Alfonso and her mother began, and 1148, the year in which Alfonso confers privileges in favor of Urraca and his daughter.
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. In 1170, Ferdinand II of León granted her possession of the infantazgo of León.
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.