Kingdom of Galicia

Kingdom of Galicia

The Kingdom of Galicia was a political area in southwestern Europe, covering much of the northwest part of the Iberian Peninsula. It began in the early 10th century after the Kingdom of Asturias was divided. His son Ordoño II became the ruler of Galicia, which stayed closely connected to the kingdoms of León and Asturias.

Later, Ordoño II brought Galicia into the Kingdom of León. Though Galicia sometimes acted almost independently, it was usually considered part of León. In the 11th century, Compostela became the capital of Galicia. The southern border of Galicia was set when Portugal became independent in 1128. In 1230, when Ferdinand III became king of León, Galicia came under the control of the Crown of Castile.

Galicia often wanted to make its own decisions and sometimes supported different rulers, including Ferdinand I of Portugal and John of Gaunt. It was finally brought under firm control by the Catholic Monarchs. From 1490 to 1715, Galicia was ruled as part of the Crown of Castile, and later as part of Spain until 1834. During this time, a local group called the Junta or Cortes of the Kingdom of Galicia acted as a meeting place for representatives.

Origin and foundation (409)

The Kingdom of Galicia began in the 5th century when the Suebi settled in the old Roman area called Gallaecia. Their leader, Hermeric, made an agreement with the Roman Emperor Honorius. This allowed the Suebi to live in lands that are now part of Galicia. They made their capital in a place called Bracara Augusta. This started what was first called the Kingdom of the Suebi and later the Kingdom of Galicia.

Over time, the differences between the Gallaeci and Suebi people disappeared. This led to the use of names like the Galician Kingdom, King of Galicia, and King of all Galician provinces. Important religious leaders, such as Martin of Braga, were also called Bishop of Galicia.

Suebic Kingdom (409–585)

Main article: Kingdom of the Suebi

The Suebic kingdom in Galicia lasted from 409 to 585 and stayed mostly peaceful.

In 409, the land was shared by the Vandals and the Suebi. The Suebi settled near modern northern Portugal and western Galicia, in towns like Braga and Porto. They later moved to Lugo and Astorga. In 419, a war began between the Vandals and the Suebi. The Suebi got help from the Romans and made the Vandals leave. Without rivals, the Suebi grew their lands.

In 438, Hermeric, the Suebi king, made peace with the local people. He stepped down because he was ill, and his son Rechila took over. Rechila expanded the kingdom south and east, taking over Mérida and Seville. Rechila died in 448, and his son Rechiar became king. Rechiar was the first Germanic king in Europe to become a Christian and the first to make coins. He was defeated and captured in 457.

After Rechiar's death, there were fights over who should be king. By 465, Remismund became the sole king and made friends with the Goths.

The Suebi Kingdom appeared again in history in the late 6th century with the arrival of Saint Martin of Braga, who helped turn the Suebi to Christianity. Under King Ariamir, the Suebi started becoming Christian. King Theodemar divided the kingdom and made Lugo an important religious center. His son King Miro called a meeting of all the bishops in the kingdom.

The Suebi stayed independent until 585 when Leovigild invaded and defeated them. Audeca, the last Suebi king, was captured after holding out for a year. The Suebi adopted the local Latin language but left some words and place names in Galicia and Portugal.

Visigothic monarchy (585–711)

In 585, Liuvigild, the king of the Visigoths, took control of the Kingdom of Galicia after defeating its king, Audeca. Galicia became part of the larger Visigothic Kingdom. The Visigoths let Galicia keep many of its traditions and leaders. The churches in Galicia kept working.

A famous person from this time was Saint Fructuosus of Braga. He started many important religious groups in places that were hard to reach and wrote rules for them. Later, he became a leader in the church in Galicia.

By the early 700s, the Visigoth rulers had many problems, including less trade and money. This made life harder for everyone, including in Galicia. In 711, a battle ended Visigoth rule when a new army arrived from across the sea.

Early and High Middle Ages

See also: Reconquest of Galicia

For several centuries after the defeat of the Goths, Galicia was united with other nearby regions under the same kings, with only short periods of separation. Along with the rest of the northwest of the Iberian Peninsula, it was free from Arab presence from the mid-8th century and gradually became part of a growing Christian state. This is usually called the Kingdom of Asturias in traditional and modern sources.

The 9th century saw this state expand southward. In Galicia, this led to the conquest and re-population of regions like Astorga, southern Galicia, and northern Portugal down to Coimbra. Important also was the discovery of the tomb of Saint James the Great at what would become Santiago de Compostela. The shrine there became a religious center and the destination of a major international pilgrimage route, the Way of St. James. This increased the importance of Galicia, and its noble families sought power through military force or marriage alliances with the royal family. The capital of the Christian kingdom moved to León, and the state is usually called the Kingdom of León. This kingdom was known as Gallaecia or Galicia in Muslim sources and by Christian contemporaries.

Society

During the Iron Age and later under Roman and Germanic rule, southern Gallaecia—today north Portugal and south Galicia—was the more active, urbanized, and richest area. This changed during the Early and High Middle Ages, as the rural north became more important, partly because of the Islamic invasion and a wider urban crisis.

Old bishoprics like Braga, Ourense, Tui, and Lamego were either discontinued or moved north under the protection of Lugo and Iria Flavia. Dumio was re-established by the Bay of Biscay in Mondoñedo. Lugo took over from Braga, and the bishops of Lamego and Tui moved to Iria. During the 9th, 10th, and 11th centuries, these bishoprics were re-established in their original locations. The bishops of Lugo, Mondoñedo, and Iria became important political figures, not just as religious leaders but also as wealthy and powerful secular rulers. The bishops of Iria and Compostela were especially notable because of the fortresses and military resources they controlled, as well as the wealth from pilgrimages and royal grants.

Each bishopric was divided into territories or counties, called terras or condados. These were true continuations of old tribal divisions. Rights to tax collection and government were granted by the titular ruler—usually the king—to a count, bishopric, or large monastery. The bishopric of Lugo was divided into counties under the government of an infanzon, while in the south, large territories like the Portucalense became hereditary. In the Terra de Santiago, each territory was administered by a bishop's vicar, with justice handled by a council of local churchmen, knights, and peasants.

Each territory could be further divided into mandationes and decanias. The basic unit was the villa, centered on a church and made up of one or more hamlets or villages with all their facilities, lands, and possessions. The local economy was subsistence, based mainly on grain and beans, and cattle breeding. Other products included fruits, salt, wine, honey, olive oil, horses, iron, and exotic fabrics from Spania. There were also skilled artisans like masons and goldsmiths.

Local commerce was common, but long-distance trade—mostly by Hebrew merchants—was rare. Money was scarce, mostly old Suebi and Visigothic coins called solidos gallicianos. War and raids against Al-Andalus were also important for gaining wealth and items. Later, Christian pilgrimages to Santiago de Compostela brought riches and new ideas from across Europe.

The elites included counts, dukes, and other high nobles, often related to the monarch by marriage. They held powerful positions as governors, bishops, or palatine officials. The Galician nobility sometimes rebelled against the king. Serving the nobles were miles (knights) and infanzones, who often went to war for their patrons or served as vicars and administrators.

A large part of society were churchmen like presbyters, deacons, and monks, living in religious communities under vows of chastity and poverty. Most monasteries were led by an abbot or abbess. By the 12th century, the only known bourgeois were the multinational people of Compostela. In the country, most people were freemen, peasants, artisans, or infantrymen, who could choose a patron or buy and sell property. Some were servitude. Others, like servos, libertos, and pueros, were obtained through war or trial and worked as household servants, shepherds, and farmhands. Over time, many were freed.

Most people were Roman Catholics, though local rites—known as Mozarabic rites—differed from those in most of Western Europe. There were no known Arian, Priscillianist, or Pagan groups during this time. Personal names were mostly of Germanic origin, though Christian, Roman, and Greek names were also common. Muslim names were rare among Galicians.

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  Romanesque façade in the Cathedral of Ourense (1160)

Monastical church of San Miguel de Eiré, [Pantón](/wiki/Pantón) (12th century)

Oratory of San Miguel de [Celanova](/wiki/Celanova) (first quarter of the 10th century)

_Pórtico da Gloria_, [Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela](/wiki/Cathedral_of_Santiago_de_Compostela) (12th–13th centuries)

Interludes of independence: 10th and 11th centuries

When Alfonso III of León was forced to abdicate in 910 by his sons, his lands were divided. García I received León, Ordoño II received Galicia, and Fruela II received Asturias. Ordoño II ruled Galicia and led raids into Islamic lands. After García's death, Ordoño took León, and later Fruela reunited the kingdom. Fruela's death led to chaos, with several claimants to the throne. Sancho took control of Galicia, but died childless. Alfonso IV then ruled, but was forced into a monastery by Ramiro.

Ramiro II, with ties to the Galician nobility, reigned with their support. When Ordoño III succeeded him, the Galician nobles grew unhappy and overthrew Sancho I in favor of Ordoño IV. Sancho reclaimed the throne with help from Pamplona, León, and Muslim forces. His son Ramiro III faced rebellion from the Galician nobility, who crowned Bermudo as king. Bermudo lost support by marrying someone other than his Galician wife and faced raids from Almanzor.

In the 1030s, Galicia resisted the Leonese conquests of Sancho III of Pamplona. After the death of the Count of Castile, Sancho claimed the right to name the successor, giving it to his son Ferdinand. Sancho took disputed regions from Bermudo III, leaving Bermudo in Galicia. Sancho's death allowed Bermudo to regain the kingdom, but he was killed in battle by Ferdinand, who then became king.

Ferdinand's death in 1065 led to another short-lived Galician state. He divided his realm, giving Galicia to his youngest son García II. García aimed to restore old bishoprics but faced rebellion from the Count of Portugal, Nuno Mendes, whom he defeated. However, his brothers turned against him, forcing him into exile. García's realm was divided, and Alfonso reunited the kingdom. Alfonso deposed a bishop accused of trying to give Galicia to the English and Normans.

Raymond of Burgundy

In 1091, the daughter of King Alfonso VI, infanta Urraca, married a Burgundian nobleman, Raymond of Burgundy, who had participated in the Crusades. Alfonso gave him control of Galicia between Cape Ortegal and Coimbra. Raymond died in 1107, and Alfonso's widow Urraca took control of Galicia. Alfonso VI died in 1109 and was succeeded by Urraca, who married the king of Aragon. This marriage was unpopular in Galicia, leading to conflict.

Separation of the County of Portugal (1128)

On the death of Henry in 1112, his widow Theresa succeeded him. Support for Theresa's rule and the growing importance of Santiago de Compostela led to conflict with King Alfonso VII. In 1128, Afonso Henriques defeated Theresa's forces at the Battle of São Mamede, leading to Portuguese independence recognized in 1143.

Compostelan era (1111–1230)

In 1111, the Galician nobility crowned Alfonso VII as king of Galicia. The coronation was symbolic, and Alfonso faced civil war between his mother Urraca and himself, as well as conflicts with Aragon. Diego Gelmírez, bishop of Compostela, secured its elevation to an archdiocese in 1120. Alfonso VII divided his domains in 1156, giving León and Galicia to his son Ferdinand II. Ferdinand promoted urban development and the growth of the bourgeoisie. Alfonso IX continued these policies and granted charters to many towns.

Union under the Crown of Castile (1230)

Alfonso IX married twice and had children from both marriages. After the death of his son Ferdinand from his first marriage, his son from his second marriage became heir. Alfonso IX nominated his daughters as future queens of Galicia and León. After Alfonso IX's death in 1230, Ferdinand III united León and Galicia into the Crown of Castile, where they remained administrative entities under a single monarch.

• Royal pantheon of the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela

Sepulcher of count [Pedro Fróilaz de Traba](/wiki/Pedro_Fróilaz_de_Traba) (_Orbem Galletie Imperante_), protector of king [Alfonso VII](/wiki/Alfonso_VII) (d. 1128)

Sepulcher of king [Ferdinand II](/wiki/Ferdinand_II_of_León) (_Rex in Legione et Gallecia_) (d. 1187)

Sepulcher of [Ferdinand of Galicia and León](/wiki/Ferdinand_of_León_\(died_1214\))

Sepulcher of the queen [Berengaria of Barcelona](/wiki/Berengaria_of_Barcelona) wife of Afonso VII (d. 1149)

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  Sepulcher of king Afonso VIII of León and Galicia (Rex Legionis et Gallecie) (d. 1230)

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  Sepulcher of queen Joana de Castro of Castilla, León, Toledo and Galicia (d. 1374)

Late Middle Ages

Emergence of the Galician language

Main articles: Galician Language and Galician-Portuguese

The Galician language started to grow in the 12th century. Before that, local Latin writing was affected by the local spoken language. By the 12th century, we see full sentences in Galician inside Latin texts, and it began to be used in books by the late 1200s.

From the 13th to the 15th centuries, this language was called Galician-Portuguese. It was used a lot in culture and had a rich tradition of songs, with about 2000 songs still kept today. These songs included love songs, songs where women talked about their boyfriends, songs that made fun of others, and religious songs.

Kings like Dom Dinis in Portugal and Alfonso X the Wise in Galicia liked this language. Noble houses also encouraged it, making authors of books more respected. There were also books translated into Galician, like stories about King Arthur and the Trojan War.

Galician was used in legal documents from 1230 to 1530. However, by the 1500s, the use of Castilian Spanish grew, and Galician faced some unfair treatment. Even so, Galician literature saw a new life in the 19th century.

Galicia and the Castilian Crown

The power of Galicia in the kingdom's politics began to fall under Ferdinand III. The local nobles and city councils lost power to bishops, and Galicia was controlled more from cities like Toledo or Seville. The royal court moved away from Compostela, and the kingdom was ruled more by Castilians.

Ferdinand III brought in high officials called meyrino maor in Galicia, later changed to adelantado mayor. These officials were either local nobles or members of the royal family, helping keep links between the Crown and Galicia.

Alfonso X kept up his centralization plans. He put representatives in local governments and replaced Galician bishops and nobles with Castilians. Even with this, Galicia kept its own law code and parliament. Public documents in Galicia were written in Galician, while royal court documents used Castilian.

John, king of León, Galicia and Seville (1296–1301

Alfonso X's rule ended in a civil war. His son Ferdinand de la Cerda died, causing his brother Sancho to fight for the throne. After Sancho's death, his son Ferdinand IV faced problems from his uncle John, who wanted the throne with help from Portugal and Aragon.

John was named king of León, Galicia, and Seville in 1296. But he lost support and had to give up his claim in 1301 for smaller titles, confirming the unity of the Crown of Castile.

Unrest in the cities

After John's challenge, Ferdinand sent his brother Don Felipe to Galicia as Adelantado Mayor. The 14th century saw trouble in cities like Lugo, Tui, Ourense, and Compostela. City councils wanted to become reguengas, or independent under the king's direct control, which clashed with bishops who wanted to keep their power.

In Compostela, tensions grew in 1320 when the archbishop killed the city council members. Later, in 1348, the Black Death came to Galicia, causing a big crisis.

Civil War of the Castilian Crown (1366–1369

A fight for the throne happened in Castile between King Peter I and his half-brother Henry Count of Trastámara, part of the larger Hundred Years' War. Peter tried to strengthen royal power, upsetting nobles. Henry, with help from Aragon and hired soldiers, fought Peter, who had support from towns and some nobles like the Galician Castro family.

Peter ran to Galicia in 1366 and asked for English help. Henry got support in Galicia, but Peter won a battle in 1367. However, French help for Henry changed things. Peter was captured and killed in 1369, leaving Henry in charge.

Ferdinand I of Portugal king in Galicia

After Henry II took power, many Galician nobles were unhappy with the high nobility's win. Under Fernando de Castro, Galician nobles asked Ferdinand I of Portugal to be their king. Ferdinand entered Galicia and was welcomed in cities like Tui and A Coruña.

Ferdinand worked to fix strong points and improve trade with Portugal. But Henry II of Castile attacked, forcing Ferdinand back to Portugal. In 1371, Galician nobles were beaten, and Castilian rule was put back by 1373.

John of Gaunt

Ferdinand's leaving led to Tui being taken by Diego Sarmento for Henry II. Coruña stayed loyal to Portugal until 1373. João Fernandes de Andeiro looked for English help, leading to John of Gaunt claiming the Castilian Crown for his wife Constance, daughter of Peter I.

John landed in Coruña in 1386 with English soldiers and took control of several cities without fighting. But disease killed many of his soldiers, and he could not move forward. He made peace in 1388, giving up claims to Castile for payment and a marriage link.

The 15th century

After loyalists lost, foreign noble houses were given important lands in Galicia. The kingdom split into rival areas with little political power. Constant wars and attacks made life unsafe.

Galicia lost its vote in the Parliament during the late 14th or early 15th century. The cities fought against taxes from 1430 to 1460, saying laws were not enforced well and they had no say.

Irmandinos Wars

Main article: Irmandiño

Groups formed to keep peace during the 15th century. In 1418, a group in Compostela took over the city council. Another group, called Fusquenlla, fought the House of Andrade. Fights happened, and in 1458, a group imprisoned the archbishop of Santiago.

From 1465 to 1467, groups organized across Galicia to defend against nobles. In 1467, nobles gave up their strong points to the Group. But by 1469-1470, nobles who had left came back and beat the Group, leading to rebuilding strong points and ongoing fights.

Catholic monarchs

A civil war started in 1474 after Henry IV died between his daughter Joanna and half-sister Isabella. In Galicia, Archbishop Fonseca supported Isabella, while Pedro Álvarez de Soutomaior supported Joanna.

In 1476, Fonseca attacked Pontevedra but failed. By 1480, peace named Isabella and Fernando as monarchs. The Catholic Monarchs sent the Santa Hermandad to Galicia to calm the area, which was criticized for its cost and hard ways.

The creation of the Real Audiencia in 1500 showed Galicia's joining into the Crown of Castile.

Modern age

The Junta, also called the General Assembly, was the main meeting place for leaders in the Kingdom of Galicia from the 15th century until 1834. It began as a group where nobles, church leaders, and common people met, but later it was mostly run by city leaders and lesser nobles.

During the time of King Philip II, Galicia had many difficulties. Wars and strict rules from leaders brought problems for the people and the economy. Trade suffered, and some cities were attacked. Life was hard for many, especially in places like Ferrol and A Coruña.

Later, in the 17th and 18th centuries, more wars and changes in leadership kept affecting Galicia. Leaders wanted more control over important decisions, and there were efforts to improve the kingdom during a time called the Enlightenment. Writers and leaders worked to point out problems and suggest changes to help the people and economy of Galicia.

Culture

People sometimes call Galicia "Terra Meiga" (land of the witches) or "Reino Meiga" (kingdom of the witches) because of old stories and myths about its past.

Symbols of the kingdom

The purple lion

After the middle of the 12th century, soldiers in Europe began painting symbols on their shields. This helped them recognize friends and enemies because helmets covered their faces. These symbols were also beautiful and important in wars.

One of the first kings in Europe to use a special symbol was Alphonse VII of León. He used a purple lion, which stood for strength and power. His son Ferdinand II and later Alphonse IX helped make this symbol famous.

The Chalice, symbol of the kingdom

As time passed, people made lists of symbols used by different kingdoms. Galicia didn’t have its own special symbol, so artists used a symbol based on the sound of the word “Galicia.” In English, it sounded like “Calice,” which means “chalice.” This idea began in a book from 1282.

Later, the chalice became popular in Galicia because of its connection to the Holy Grail, a famous symbol in European stories. Today, the chalice is the main symbol of Galicia, while the purple lion is linked to León.

Medieval cartography

Old maps from the Middle Ages showed the Kingdom of Galicia in many ways. For example, a map from the year 1086 called Burgo de Osma’s map used the name Gallecia for the northwest part of the Iberian Peninsula.

Other important maps like Liber Floridus from 1125, Tabula Rogeriana from 1154, and Imago Mundi from 1190 also included names for Galicia, showing how people long ago saw this part of the world.