ALPHONSO VIII. (1158-1214), king of Castile only, and grandson
of Alphonso VII., is a great name in Spanish history, for he
led the coalition of Christian princes and foreign crusaders
who broke the power of the Almohades at the battle of the Navas
de Tolosa in 1212. The events of his reign are dealt with
under SPAIN. His personal history is that of many medieval
kings. He succeeded to the throne on the death of his father,
Sancho, at the age of a year and a half. Though proclaimed
king, he was regarded as a mere name by the unruly nobles to
whom a minority was convenient. 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 Leon, who claimed the
regency. The loyalty of the town of Avila 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 Toledo from the hands of the
Laras. His marriage with Leonora of Aquitaine, daughter of
Henry II. of
England, brought him under the influence of the
greatest governing intellect of his time. Alphonso VIII.
was the founder of the first Spanish university, the studium
generale of Palencia, which, however, did not survive him.
Initial text from 1911 encyclopedia -- Please update as needed
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