Velasquita Ramírez (d. c. 1035) was Queen consort of León as the first wife of King Bermudo II and mother of infanta Cristina Bermúdez, wife of Ordoño Ramírez.
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Biography
Family origins of Velasquita are uncertain. Manuel Risco, a 17th century Spanish historian, believed that Velasquita was the daughter of King Ramiro II of León.[1] Modern historians, however, reject this filiation and believe that she could have been the daughter of Adosinda Gutiérrez and Ramiro Menéndez, son of Count Hermenegildo González, and Muniadona Díaz.[2] In fact, Velasquita never appears in medieval charters as filia Ranimiri regis, which would have been the custom at that time. The inscription on a stone in the church in Deva, simply calls her filia Ranimiri ("daughter of Ramiro").[3]
She married Bermudo II between 980 and 981[4]. Both appear together for the first time in a charter dated 11 October 981, [5] one year before Bermudos reign, in a donation made by Galician count Menendo Menéndez to the Monasterio de San Julián de Samos.
Monastery of San Pelayo where Velasquita lived as a nun.
They appear together for the last time at the end of 988 and she was probably repudiated a year later in 989.[6]. In 991, King Bermudo and his second wife, Elvira García, confirm a charter together for the first time.[6] Velasquita left the court and settled in Oviedo with her daughter Cristina, and became a nun at the Monastery of San Pelayo, [7] whose abbess at that time was the dowager Queen Teresa Ansúrez. Medievalist Margarita Torres believes that Velasquita and Teresa both planned and encouraged the marriage of Cristina, Velasquitas daughter, with Teresas grandson, Ordoño Ramírez thereby joining both royal lineages.[8] Velasquita appears on 4 March 996 at the Monastery of San Pelayo confirming a donation made by her former husband, King Bermudo and his second wife Elvira. In 1024, she was also present and confirmed the charter whereby her daughter Cristina founded the Monastery of Cornellana.
Marriage and issue
From her marriage to King Bermudo was born Cristina Bermúdez, who married infante Ordoño Ramírez, son Ramiro III of León and Sancha Gómez.
After her husband died, Cristina founded the Monastery of Cornellana in 1024 where she became a nun and was probably buried.
Death and burial
The exact date of Velasquita's death is not known, but it was probably between 1028 and 1035.[4] According to tradition, she was buried at the Monastery of San Salvador de Deva in Asturias, which she had founded in 1006.
She is married to Bermudo II van Leon.
They got married.
Child(ren):
Velasquita Ramírez van Leon | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Bermudo II van Leon | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||