Alonso Pérez de Guzmán
Alonso Pérez de Guzmán (1256–1309), known as Guzmán el Bueno, was a mediaeval Spanish nobleman and hero of Spain, the founder of the family from which the dukes of Medina Sidonia came.
Biography
Guzmán was born in Morocco after Spanish customs. Historians speculated that he was a Muslim. In the export licence signed in 1288, Guzmán was granted authorization to transport the harvest "from" to Morocco.
A document signed by the Spanish King in 1297 refers to Guzmán as "a vassal," i.e., non-Spanish. Late Luisa Isabel Álvarez de Toledo, 21st Duchess of Medina Sidonia, owned the document. Guzmán's direct descendant, she stated she believed his background might have been "cleaned up" in the sixteenth century to disguise his origins. She hoped the hero would make Spain's Christian civilization more tolerable.
In 1294, King Sancho IV of Castile granted Guzmán tuna fishing privileges for his valiant defence of Tarifa. He erected Zahara de los Atunes Castle and Jadraza Palace as a defensive castle, incorporating a seasonal palace and tuna processing factory.
In 1296, Alonso de Guzmán defended Tarifa on behalf of Castile's Sancho IV. Guzmán was charged with Tarifa, just captured from the Moors, despite fighting for Alfonso X against Sancho IV's rebellion. Guzmán held Tarifa's citadel against Moor assault and Infante Don Juan, Sancho's rebellious brother. Guzmán's son was placed under Don Juan's custody, threatening to kill the captive unless Guzmán surrendered the city.
Dagger by Salvador Martínez Cubells (1883)
By tradition, Guzmán refused the demand with passionate remarks. According to one version,
"I didn't have a son to use against my country, but to serve her against her enemies. If Don Juan put him to death, he will confer honour on me, true life on my son, and eternal humiliation on himself in this world after death."
Guzman apparently threw down his knife to use it to kill his son.
He was rewarded with enormous Crown land grants for his fortress defence. In 1309, Guzmán helped Castile's Ferdinand IV take Gibraltar from the Moors, who ruled it for nearly 600 years since 711.
John II gave the ducal title in 1445 to one of his relatives, Juan Alonzo de Guzmán, Niebla count. Several of his ancestors, including statesmen, generals and colonial viceroys, appended the addition "El Bueno" to Guzmán's name.
Legacy
- Guzmán and his life have been explored by numerous Spanish playwrights, including Antonio Gil y Zárate in his Guzmán el bueno. Drama en Cuatro Actos, 1840s
- Luis Velez de Guevara (1570-1644), Más pesa el Rey que la Sangr
- Moratín, Sr. (1737-1780), play dated 1777
- The Guzmán el Bueno metro stop in Madrid is named in his honor, and a street where the Madrid Civil Guard barracks is.
- Alonso appears in the scene of the dagger, in the play Anthology theatrical by the author Juan Jose Videgain, recognized as his descendant.
See also
- Dukes of Medina Sidonia
- Siege of Gibraltar (1309)
Notes
- Antonio Gil y Zárate, Guzmán el Bueno. Drama en Cuatro Actos, 1901/1916 revised edition by Ginn and Company, annotated and edited by Sylvester Primer, with introduction in English, available online at Internet Archive of the Library of Congress
- "When the Moors Ruled Europe". BBC. Archived from the original on 3 April 2015. Retrieved 15 January 2015.
- The Ancient World with Bettany Hughes - When the Moors Ruled in Europe, 2005, Channel Four.
- "Alonso Pérez de Guzmán", Digital Library, University of Pennsylvania
- Wikimedia Commons has media related to Guzmán el Bueno.
Sources
- Hobbs, Nicolas (2007). "Grandes de España" (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 25 October 2008. Retrieved 15 October 2008.
- "19th century romanticized British account". Retrieved 15 October 2008
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