3. CHRONOLOGY
1040: Alfonso VI was born.
1065: His father died (Fernando I) and he received the kingdom of Leon.
1068: Sancho II of Castile (Alfonso’s brother) defeated him in the batles of
Llantada.
1070: Alfonso vi was dethroned by hes brother Sancho II and banished to
Toledo.
1072: Sancho II was killed and Alfonso VI was recognised king of Castile
and Leon.
1085: He reconquered Guadalajara, Salamanca and Toledo and proclamed
himself “emperor of the two religions”. He also donated Silos “el Vico de
San Martín”.
1086: Almoravids arrived to Spain. Batle of Sagrajas (Zalaca), Alfonso VI
was defeated.
1088: Almoravids disembarked again and besieged Aledo, but they lost.
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4. 1091: Third try of the Almoravids, which finished with the occupation of
the taifas and the definitive assent of the almoravid power.
1093: Alfonso VI conquered Santarem (Portugal) and the king of Badajoz
gave him Lisboa in exchange for help against the almoravids. He
repopulated Olmedo (Valladolid).
1097: Batles of Consuegra.
1099: Alfonso VI donated “ La Rinconada de Perales” to the archbishop of
Toledo.
1108: Batles of Ucles.
1109: Alfonso VI died.
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5. Biography
(?, 1040-Toledo, 1109) King of Castile and León, Spain. After the death of his father,
Fernando I, in 1065, Alfonso received the Kingdom of León, which his brother Sancho,
who had received Castile opposed. Alfonso was defeated at Llantada in 1068, and at
Golpejera, in 1072, and was forced into exile along with his brother García.
The death of Sancho, murdered while he harassed his sister Urraca in Zamora, Alfonso
was called to be crowned King, but before he had to do, at the instigation of the
Castilian nobility led by Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar, el CID, an oath by which he swore that
he hadn’t been related to the death of his brother.
In 1085, Alfonso VI managed to take possession of Toledo, which gave him great
prestige. However, the kingdoms of taifa of Badajoz and Sevilla was called to his aid
to the Almoravids from North Africa, which defeated Alfonso VI at the battle of
Sagrajas in 1086, military action which meant the starting point a difficult stage that
marked the last years of his reign.
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6. But in 1088, Almoravids disembarked again and besieged Aledo, bur
they didn’ t have the same luck, and lost the batle. In 1091 was the third
try of the Almoravids, which finished with the ocupation of the taifas
and the definitive assent of the Almoravid power.
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7. = Wedding
FAMILY TREE
Alfonso IV Ramiro II
Ordoño IV Ordoño III Sancho I
Fernando I Sancha
Vermudo II Ramiro III
Sancho II Alfonso VI Alfonso V
García
“the strong” “the brave” “the noble”
Raimundo Urraca Vermudo III
de Borgoña
Alfonso VII
“the
emperor”
8. VOCABULARY
Aid: help ayuda
Archbishop: a bishop of the highest rank arzobispo
Banish: send into exile desterrar
Besiege: surround a place with armed forces sitiar
Disembark: leave a ship, aircraft, or train desembarcar
Exile: the state of being barred from one’s native country exiliado
Harass: subject to constant interference of bullyng/ make attacks on acosar
Instigation instigación
Led: past of lead: be ahead of or superior to a competitor dirigido
Manage: be able to cope gestionar
Murder: kill illegally and deliberately asesinar
Oath: a solemn promise ensuring that something is true juramento
Stage: a point or step in a process etapa
Swore: past of swear: promise solemnly or on oath jurar
