Teresa Alfónsez, Countess of Portugal Who Died in A Limia in 1130
Teresa Alfónsez (11th century – A Limia, 1130), daughter of Alfonso VI, Countess of Portugal and mother of Afonso Henriques, first king of Portugal, spent her last years in A Limia, the lordship of Fernán Pérez de Traba.
- Born
- 11th century (place and date unknown)
- Died
- A Limia, 1130
- Title
- Countess of Portugal (widow of Count Henry of Burgundy)
- Son
- Afonso Henriques, first king of Portugal
Teresa Alfónsez (Teresa of León) was an infanta of Castile and León and Countess of Portugal. According to the Diccionario Biográfico of the Real Academia de la Historia, she was a daughter of Alfonso VI and probably illegitimate; neither the place nor the date of her birth is known. She married Count Henry of Burgundy towards the end of 1095 and, when he died in 1112, took over the government of the county of Portugal and began styling herself queen. She is the mother of Afonso Henriques, the first king of Portugal [1].
Politics and defeat
Her policy was sinuous as between her sister Urraca and her nephew Alfonso Raimúndez, and with the Galician archbishops and counts. Around 1116 the Almoravids threatened Coimbra, and Teresa allied herself with the party of Archbishop Xelmírez and Count Pedro Froílaz; at one of these moments she obtained the lands of Toroño and A Limia. Fernán Pérez de Traba, son of Count Froílaz, was very close to her and governed the districts of Coimbra and Porto. Her own son Afonso organised the opposition, and at the battle of São Mamede, near Guimarães, on 24 June 1128, Teresa’s troops were defeated [1].
A Limia, her last home
After taking refuge in Lanhoso castle and losing power, she went to Galicia, «where she lived her last years in the lands of A Limia, the lordship of Fernán Pérez de Traba, which had been granted to him by King Alfonso VII». According to the dictionary, she died in 1130, nearly fifty years old [1]. Other traditions place her death elsewhere in Galicia, so the A Limia detail should be read as that of the cited source. The context of the disputes between counts and kings in this area also appears in The battle of Aguioncha and in Historical figures of A Limia.
Frequently asked questions
Who was Teresa Alfónsez? The Countess of Portugal and mother of Afonso Henriques [1].
What does she have to do with A Limia? According to the RAH, she lived her last years here and died in A Limia in 1130 [1].
Links
- People of A Limia
- Famous people and sportspeople of A Limia
- Authors and artists of A Limia
- Historical figures of A Limia
- Airas Vasques
Sources
- Humberto Baquero Moreno, «Teresa Alfónsez», Diccionario Biográfico electrónico, Real Academia de la Historia (Historia Hispánica). https://historia-hispanica.rah.es/biografias/1280
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