432:. Fruela captured the Asturian capital of Oviedo and was made king. Alfonso was overthrown and took refuge in Castile. Count Rodrigo quickly raised an army and entered the Kingdom of Asturias to support the young monarch, who was crowned in Oviedo on Christmas Day. Rodrigo was present for the coronation and, like every other lord of the realm, took an oath of loyalty. For his service to the king, Rodrigo was made one of Alfonso's closest advisers.
295:
404:, the Moors returned to Cordoba. These defeats so undermined Castile and Álava, that when Abd ar-Rahman attacked Rodrigo's lands again in 866, the Christians showed no signs of resistance, according to the historian al-Alatira they were not even able to collect the necessary troops. The Moorish sacking of Rodrigo's castles and those of other noblemen in Castile, halted the process of reconquest and repopulation in the area.
476:) and Diego. He is remembered as a shield of Christendom, who took advantage of the weakness of his enemies and reorganised his own defences. He formed the County of Castile and then expanded it, adding a number of fortresses and the city of Amaya. He also secured rights for his county which were passed on to his son Diego and his successors, ensuring the importance of Castile in future generations.
326:
243:, to the south. The earliest documentation of Rodrigo as count was the foundation charter of San Martín de Ferrand (in Herrán, Burgos) dating from 852, although this is now believed to be a forgery. There are a number of charters under his name claiming to be from 853–862, but the earliest one that can be dated with certainty is from 862:
383:
In 865, a
Moorish army of 20,000 soldiers, again led by Abd ar-Rahman and Abd al-Malik, invaded Rodrigo's realm. The Moors captured the Castilian border fortresses that survived after the campaign of 863, including Bordjia belonging to the Count Gundisalvo (or Gonzalo), which some historians identify
302:
When Musa died, his son Lubb (who had inherited Toledo) swore fealty to Ordoño. This allowed the
Christians to expand to the south peacefully, both by repopulating the area known as the Desert of the Duero and by being welcomed by Christian-majority cities formerly under Muslim rule. The repopulation
286:
defeated the army of Musa ibn Musa, who owned vast territories bordering
Asturias and Pamplona. The number of Muslim casualties, according to various sources, ranged from 10,000 to 20,000 soldiers. Musa himself was seriously wounded and until his death in 862 did not campaign against the Christians.
407:
In 867, another son of Emir
Muhammad I, al-Hakam, led another raid against Count Rodrigo's lands without ever entering the battle. In the same year, the Cordobans faced serious internal difficulties that lasted a decade and a half. This allowed the Castilians under Rodrigo to regain control of the
150:
by his second wife, Paterna. Were this true, Rodrigo would have become Count of
Castile and when still a child, since Ramiro and Paterna did not marry until around 842, making a number of historians consider this unlikely. Barrau-Dihago dismissed this interpretation due to the lack of support from
376:. That year, on Muhammad's orders, his son Abd ar-Rahman and commander Abd al-Malik ibn Abbas went to Álava and Castile and ravaged the border lands of the Kingdom of Asturias, destroying several fortresses and killing many civilians. Count Rodrigo tried to stop the Moors, blocking the gorge near
443:
magnate Eglyón. Historical sources do not report how
Rodrigo did this, but testify that by the end of 868 the rebels were reconciled with the king without Rodrigo ever having to draw his sword. For this service Rodrigo was made count of Álava. Rodrigo appointed a man called Sarrasin Muñez as his
467:
Rodrigo's role as probable founding count of
Castile has led to an amplification of his actual activities, with forged charters pushing his rule in the county a decade earlier than it can reliably be traced. This process has also led to the duplication of himself and his son, in the form of an
176:
were managed, as they were crucial outposts against the Moors. It was also important for Ordoño to leave these possessions under the control of his relatives and preferably members of his immediate family. In return for their loyalty, these new counts were granted great amounts of freedom.
380:, but Abd ar-Rahman and Abd al-Malik managed to inflict a heavy defeat on the Castilians. According to the Spanish Muslim historian Ibn Idariboth, in battle and during the retreat, the Christians suffered heavy losses, including 19 counts. Only a few Castilians, including Rodrigo.
145:
without stating a relationship, and the references have been interpreted as referring to the same man. It seems that due to the missions entrusted to him, it is probable that he was close to the royal house. Fernández de Béthencourt placed him as brother of Ordoño I and son of
219:
in 853. The Emir's forces continued to fight back, suppressing rebellions and seizing the Ebro valley. By appointing
Rodrigo as Count of Castile, Ordoño may have been hoping that Rodrigo could achieve in La Rioja and the Ebro valley what Gatón did in Calatrava.
172:, to defend the region. Rodrigo is traditionally believed to have been made governor in 850, possibly upon Ordoño's assumption of the crown. The primary reason for the introduction of these comital powers was to improve how the eastern regions of
167:
by the Arabs, which later became the county of
Castile. The area is believed to have earned this name due to the fact that there are few naturally occurring defensible positions, which lead to the creation of castles, or
392:. Despite the fact that the Christian soldiers were the first to attack the Muslims, they retreated and mostly died during the retreat. After leaving Muslim garrisons in the fortresses of Pancorbo,
337:. Having settled Amaya, Rodrigo prepared for the expansion of Castile to the south. Rodrigo constructed fortresses along the new border. These became the basis for the modern municipalities of
208:
455:
Rodrigo last appears in a document dated 18 April 873, and is said to have died either on 4 October or 5 November of the same year, and was succeeded by his son
435:
Rodrigo remained at Oviedo for the winter of 866/867, but had to return to
Castile to repel Moorish raiders. Between 867 and 868, he led the suppression of the
424:
who at that time was about 18 years old. At the time Alfonso was in Santiago de Compostela. Almost immediately, a rebellion broke out against him, led by Count
251:
From the very beginning of his reign, Rodrigo took an active part in the Reconquista. In the year 854, Castillan soldiers participated in the capture of
215:
took control of their castle and petitioned Ordoño for assistance. It was Count Gatón of El Bierzo who responded by defeating the Moorish forces at
494:
Facta carta in era DCCCCª, regnante Roderico comite in Castella. (Charter dated in the 900th era, Rodrigo governing, count in Castile).
384:
with Burgos. After this, Abd ar-Rahman and Abd al-Malik inflicted a new defeat to the Count of Castile in the bloody battle at the
613:
983:
311:
in 860. Amaya was known as the "patrician city" because at one time it had been the capital of eight of the provinces of the
267:. Meanwhile, Ordoño I and Rodrigo conducted extensive construction of new fortresses on the Muslim border, among which were
773:
572:
459:. This happened with the approval of the king, and is the first example of a count inheriting his possessions in Asturias.
823:
278:
The first evidence of Count Rodrigo's personal participation in the Reconquista is as one of the participants in the 859
988:
744:
452:
is recorded as count. Even when he was not Count of Álava, Rodrigo retained control of many possessions in the county.
125:, kings of Asturias. By conquering land from the Moors, Rodrigo began the southern expansion of the County of Castile.
499:
283:
877:
192:
820:"Historia del Condado de Castilla. Capítulo IV. El Condado de Castilla bajo Diego Rodrígues (873 – c. 885)"
408:
fortresses of La Bureba, Pancorbo (in 870) and Cerezo de Rio Tiron, while the Alavians took possession of
268:
978:
794:
696:
662:
968:
931:
456:
59:
973:
333:
A significant part of Rodrigo's re-settlers were Mozarabs who fled to Asturias from persecution in the
315:
360:
and captured, but soon released, the local Wali Murzuk and his wife. At the same time, Ordoño ravaged
151:
primary sources. An alternative reconstruction would make Rodrigo the brother of Ordoño's wife Munia.
770:"Historia del Condado de Castilla. Capítulo III. Rodrigo, el primer conde de Castilla (850—873) (II)"
346:
921:
637:
256:
373:
569:"Historia del Condado de Castilla. Capítulo III. Rodrigo, el primer conde Castilla (850—873) (I)"
421:
279:
196:
181:
122:
138:
118:
385:
734:
666:
473:
291:, one of the main Moorish fortifications in the Muslim-Christian borderlands, was destroyed.
338:
469:
236:
147:
78:
239:
to the north and a line of fortifications, the largest of which were Merindad de Losa and
8:
993:
806:
393:
357:
173:
106:
117:(867/868–870). He was an active participant in the Reconquista and a faithful vassal of
670:
334:
212:
609:
873:
860:
Barrau-Dihigo, L. Recherches sur l'histoire politique du royaume Asturien (718-910).
740:
240:
940:
769:
568:
361:
819:
425:
342:
200:
110:
886:
Pérez de Urbel, Justo. "Los Primeros Siglos de la Reconquista (Años 711-1038)" in
319:
950:
449:
364:. One chronicle says that in 863, the 'brother of Ordoño' fought Muslim troops.
252:
304:
303:
efforts were mostly led by the clergy, but Rodrigo also took part in Ordoño's
962:
440:
308:
180:
These appointments also coincided with a rebellion against the Emir led by
232:
401:
264:
272:
101:; died on 4 October – 5 November 873), better known by his Spanish name
353:
228:
134:
282:. In it, the combined Asturian-Pamplonan army commanded by Ordoño and
216:
409:
188:
294:
680:
678:
397:
377:
312:
224:
204:
185:
870:
El Condado de Castilla (711-1038). La historia frente a la leyenda
592:
590:
436:
389:
114:
445:
288:
260:
714:
702:
675:
587:
356:
owned by the Cordobans. The Castilians seized the fortress of
325:
199:. The Asturians lost not only the battle, but also control of
838:
732:
420:
King Ordoño, was succeeded on May 27, 866 by his eldest son
643:
518:
429:
195:, but the Asturians and Gascons fought against them at the
141:
active in Castile, while others assign the same role to a
133:
Rodrigo's parentage is not historically documented. Some
468:
invention of earlier counts Rodrigo (supposed brother of
888:
España Christiana: Comienzo de la Reconquista (711-1038)
255:, and a little later captured Muslim fortifications in
298:
Peña Amaya, ancient capital of the duchy of Cantábria.
872:(in Spanish). Valladolid: Junta de Castilla y León.
448:for Álava. He governed that county until 870, when
159:
Rodrigo was created governor of the eastern march (
960:
633:
631:
322:. It had been left empty since Tariq's conquest.
227:) was limited to a small territory bordered the
137:writers refer to a brother or brother-in-law of
551:, par Marie-Claude Gerbet, Armand Collin, p.14.
539:, par Marie-Claude Gerbet, Armand Collin, p.12.
372:Rodrigo's victories warranted a response from
867:
844:
720:
708:
684:
649:
628:
596:
524:
352:In 863, Count Rodrigo captured and plundered
764:
762:
760:
758:
756:
563:
561:
559:
557:
753:
602:
554:
324:
293:
318:which had been conquered in 711-712 by
223:At this point, Rodrigo's realm (called
961:
736:La corona de Castilla en la Edad Media
345:, Moradillo de Senado (in Burgos) and
733:Rodrígues-Picavea Matilla E. (2000).
549:Les noblesses espagnoles au Moyen Âge
537:Les noblesses espagnoles au Moyen Âge
415:
163:) of the realm, the territory called
367:
154:
13:
826:from the original on 16 April 2012
776:from the original on 16 April 2012
616:from the original on 17 April 2012
575:from the original on 16 April 2012
105:, was an influential noble of the
14:
1005:
329:Rodrigo's reconstruction of Amaya
246:
203:. Muwallad rebels were joined by
868:Martínez Díez, Gonzalo (2004).
812:
800:
788:
726:
690:
655:
542:
530:
498:. Collection of charters from
486:
1:
984:9th-century Asturian nobility
511:
109:, and was probably the first
7:
795:Anales castellanos primeros
697:Anales castellanos primeros
663:Anales castellanos segundos
211:as vizier. The Mozarabs of
10:
1010:
854:
661:Listed as the year 860 in
284:García Íñiguez of Pamplona
128:
989:People of the Reconquista
947:
938:
928:
919:
914:
900:
462:
347:Villafranca Montes de Oca
207:after the Emir appointed
84:
73:
65:
55:
45:
37:
30:
23:
932:Diego Rodríguez Porcelos
822:(in Spanish). Bardulia.
772:(in Spanish). Bardulia.
638:Chronicle of Alfonso III
612:(in Spanish). Bardulia.
571:(in Spanish). Bardulia.
500:San Millán de la Cogolla
479:
193:Íñigo Arista of Pamplona
191:tribe. Musa allied with
69:Diego Rodríguez Porcelos
60:Diego Rodríguez Porcelos
809:places it on 5 October.
422:Alfonso III of Asturias
280:Battle of Monte Laturce
209:Hashim ibn 'Abd al-Aziz
182:Musa ibn Musa al-Qasawi
503:
386:Battle of the Morcuera
330:
299:
667:Annales Compostellani
492:
374:Muhammad I of Córdoba
328:
297:
739:. AKAL. p. 10.
237:Cantabrian Mountains
148:Ramiro I of Asturias
79:Ramiro I of Asturias
50:Position Established
902:Rodrigo of Castile
892:Historia de España
864:. 52: 1-360 (1921).
807:Chronica Naierensis
394:Cerezo de Rio Tiron
358:Talamanca de Jarama
257:Cerezo de Río Tirón
107:Kingdom of Asturias
979:9th-century births
845:Martínez Díez 2004
723:, p. 152-156.
721:Martínez Díez 2004
711:, p. 148-149.
709:Martínez Díez 2004
687:, p. 147-148.
685:Martínez Díez 2004
671:Chronicon Burgense
650:Martínez Díez 2004
599:, p. 158-159.
597:Martínez Díez 2004
525:Martínez Díez 2004
416:Internal Conflicts
339:Úrbel del Castillo
335:Emirate of Cordoba
331:
300:
113:(850/862–873) and
974:Counts of Castile
957:
956:
948:Succeeded by
929:Succeeded by
439:rebellion of the
316:Kingdom of Toledo
241:Valle de Tobalina
235:to the west, the
123:Alfonso the Great
92:
91:
1001:
922:Count of Castile
910:
898:
897:
894:(1964), 204–210.
883:
862:Revue Hispanique
848:
842:
836:
835:
833:
831:
816:
810:
804:
798:
792:
786:
785:
783:
781:
766:
751:
750:
730:
724:
718:
712:
706:
700:
694:
688:
682:
673:
659:
653:
647:
641:
635:
626:
625:
623:
621:
606:
600:
594:
585:
584:
582:
580:
565:
552:
546:
540:
534:
528:
522:
505:
490:
368:Military Defeats
343:Castil de Peones
197:Battle of Albeda
155:Count of Castile
111:Count of Castile
31:Count of Castile
21:
20:
1009:
1008:
1004:
1003:
1002:
1000:
999:
998:
969:Counts of Álava
959:
958:
953:
944:
934:
925:
904:
903:
880:
857:
852:
851:
843:
839:
829:
827:
818:
817:
813:
805:
801:
793:
789:
779:
777:
768:
767:
754:
747:
731:
727:
719:
715:
707:
703:
695:
691:
683:
676:
660:
656:
648:
644:
636:
629:
619:
617:
608:
607:
603:
595:
588:
578:
576:
567:
566:
555:
547:
543:
535:
531:
523:
519:
514:
509:
508:
491:
487:
482:
465:
457:Diego Rodríguez
426:Fruela Bermudez
418:
370:
320:Tariq ibn Ziyad
307:, repopulating
249:
157:
131:
32:
26:
17:
12:
11:
5:
1007:
997:
996:
991:
986:
981:
976:
971:
955:
954:
949:
946:
941:Count of Álava
936:
935:
930:
927:
918:
912:
911:
901:
896:
895:
884:
878:
865:
856:
853:
850:
849:
847:, p. 136.
837:
811:
799:
787:
752:
746:978-8446010869
745:
725:
713:
701:
689:
674:
654:
652:, p. 144.
642:
627:
601:
586:
553:
541:
529:
527:, p. 157.
516:
515:
513:
510:
507:
506:
484:
483:
481:
478:
464:
461:
417:
414:
369:
366:
248:
247:Reconquistador
245:
161:marca oriental
156:
153:
135:Iberian Muslim
130:
127:
90:
89:
86:
82:
81:
75:
71:
70:
67:
63:
62:
57:
53:
52:
47:
43:
42:
39:
35:
34:
33:Count of Álava
28:
27:
24:
15:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
1006:
995:
992:
990:
987:
985:
982:
980:
977:
975:
972:
970:
967:
966:
964:
952:
943:
942:
937:
933:
924:
923:
917:
913:
908:
899:
893:
889:
885:
881:
879:84-9718-275-8
875:
871:
866:
863:
859:
858:
846:
841:
825:
821:
815:
808:
803:
796:
791:
775:
771:
765:
763:
761:
759:
757:
748:
742:
738:
737:
729:
722:
717:
710:
705:
698:
693:
686:
681:
679:
672:
668:
664:
658:
651:
646:
639:
634:
632:
615:
611:
605:
598:
593:
591:
574:
570:
564:
562:
560:
558:
550:
545:
538:
533:
526:
521:
517:
502:
501:
497:
489:
485:
477:
475:
471:
460:
458:
453:
451:
447:
442:
438:
433:
431:
427:
423:
413:
411:
405:
403:
399:
395:
391:
387:
381:
379:
375:
365:
363:
359:
355:
350:
348:
344:
340:
336:
327:
323:
321:
317:
314:
310:
306:
296:
292:
290:
285:
281:
276:
274:
270:
266:
262:
258:
254:
244:
242:
238:
234:
231:in the east,
230:
226:
221:
218:
214:
210:
206:
202:
198:
194:
190:
187:
183:
178:
175:
171:
166:
162:
152:
149:
144:
140:
136:
126:
124:
120:
116:
112:
108:
104:
100:
96:
87:
83:
80:
76:
72:
68:
64:
61:
58:
54:
51:
48:
44:
40:
36:
29:
22:
19:
16:Spanish noble
951:Vela Jiménez
939:
920:
915:
906:
891:
890:, vol. 6 of
887:
869:
861:
840:
830:22 September
828:. Retrieved
814:
802:
790:
780:22 September
778:. Retrieved
735:
728:
716:
704:
692:
657:
645:
620:22 September
618:. Retrieved
604:
579:22 September
577:. Retrieved
548:
544:
536:
532:
520:
495:
493:
488:
466:
454:
450:Vela Jiménez
434:
419:
406:
382:
371:
351:
332:
301:
277:
250:
222:
179:
169:
164:
160:
158:
142:
132:
102:
98:
94:
93:
49:
18:
305:Repoblación
46:Predecessor
41:850/862-873
994:873 deaths
963:Categories
945:c.867–870
797:, year 866
699:, year 863
512:References
354:Somosierra
313:Visigothic
229:Ebro River
56:eldest son
916:New title
610:"Rodrigo"
474:Vermudo I
410:Cellorigo
233:Brañosera
213:Calatrava
189:Banu Qasi
170:castillos
99:Rudericus
88:? Paterna
926:850–873
824:Archived
774:Archived
614:Archived
573:Archived
470:Aurelius
398:Ibrillos
378:Pancorbo
273:Lantarón
225:Bardulia
205:Mozarabs
201:La Rioja
186:Muwallad
174:Asturias
143:Ruderick
139:Ordoño I
119:Ordoño I
97:(Latin:
95:Ruderick
855:Sources
446:Alcalde
289:Albelda
261:Carrias
217:Andújar
184:of the
165:al-Qila
129:Origins
103:Rodrigo
25:Rodrigo
905:
876:
743:
463:Legacy
441:Basque
437:Alavés
402:Grañón
265:Grañón
85:Mother
74:Father
907:Died:
640:, 26.
480:Notes
390:Añana
388:near
362:Coria
309:Amaya
269:Frias
115:Álava
66:Issue
38:Reign
874:ISBN
832:2011
782:2011
741:ISBN
669:and
622:2011
581:2011
472:and
430:Lugo
400:and
271:and
263:and
253:Haro
121:and
909:873
496:Cfr
428:of
965::
755:^
677:^
665:,
630:^
589:^
556:^
412:.
396:,
349:.
341:,
275:.
259:,
77:?
882:.
834:.
784:.
749:.
624:.
583:.
504:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.