| Alfonso Viii Of Castile |
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| CATEGORIES ABOUT ALFONSO VIII OF CASTILE | |
| 1155 births | |
| alfonso viii of castile | |
| 1214 deaths | |
| castilian monarchs | |
| house of burgundy-spain | |
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His early life resembled that of other medieval kings. He succeeded to the throne, in infancy, on the death of his father, Sancho . Though proclaimed king, he was regarded as a mere name by the unruly nobles to whom a minority was convenient. Also his mother was dead, thus he did not have closer relatives than his uncle Ferdinand, king of Leon, who wanted power in Castile. The devotion of a squire of his household, who carried him on the pommel of his saddle to the stronghold of San Esteban De Gormaz , saved him from falling into the hands of the contending factions of Castro and Lara , or of his uncle Ferdinand of León, who claimed the regency. The loyalty of the town of Ávila protected his youth. He was barely fifteen when he came forth to do a man's work by restoring his kingdom to order. It was only by a surprise that he recovered his capital and Eleanor Of Aquitaine (Aquitaine having old ties with Castile), brought him under the influence of the greatest governing intellect of his time. Alfonso VIII was the founder of the first Spanish university, the ''studium generale'' of Palencia , which, however, did not survive him. During his reign, Castile annexed the Province Of Logroño . In 1176, Alfonso married Leonora of England and Aquitaine. They had 12 children:
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