CASTILLA García Fernández

Abt 0941 - 0995  (54 years)

• Name	CASTILLA García Fernández
  Birth	Abt 0941	Burgos, Burgos, Castilla-Leon, Spain
  Gender	Male
  Death	29 Jul 0995	Medinaceli
  Notes	García I Fernández, conde de Castilla (Count of Castile) and Alava was the youngest of the four sons of Fernán González, conde de Castilla, and his first wife, Sancha Sánchez de Pamplona. His birth date is unknown, but as García first appears in a document dated to 1 February 944[1] he must have been before that date.[2], a date of about 938-940 is used by some secondary sources.[3],[1] However another source states that García is not named with his three brothers; Gonzalo, Sancho and Munio in a document dated to 23 December 941, which means he must have been born in 942 or 943,[4] or circa 941 if he was still very young.[2] conde de Castilla García succeeded his father as conde de Castilla and Alava in 970 his elder brothers having died before that date, and first appears in a document from the monastery of San Cristobal de Ibeas, as comite Garzia Fredenandez in Castella on 1 March that year.[1],[2] There was no opposition to his succession from Alava or Castile or from García's overlord Ramiro III, King of Leon, which may indicate that he already had some autonomy in the region.[1] In conjunction with other Christian rulers of the Iberian peninsula, who were extended family members, the first years of his rule saw much diplomatic activity with the Muslim rulers, particularly the Caliphate of Córdoba, which in this period reigned supreme over the rest of the peninsula.[1] However García broke the truce with Córdoba, when he attacked the castle of Deza on 2 September 974.[1] Much of the rest of García's rule consisted of battling the Muslim rulers, particularly Almanazor,[4],[5] and also with problems in the Kingdom of Leon.[5] In 991 or perhaps 994, his eldest son Sancho García, also rebelled, although the exact reasons for this are unknown.[6] Death He died in combat in Córdoba on 29 July 995 and was buried in San Pedro de Cardeña.[2] Marriage and children García I Fernández married about 962 and definitely before 12 July 970, Ava de Ribagorza, daughter of Raimundo II, conde de Ribagorza and Garsenda de Fezensac.[2] She was born circa 940 and died after 988, also being buried in San Pedro de Cardeña.[2] They had seven children;[2] Urraca García, Abbess of Covarrubias; Sancho García, born circa 965, succeeded his father as Count of Castile; Gonzalo García, born circa 966, and probably died young; Toda García, born circa 968, Elvira García, born circa 975, married Vermudo II, rey de León and had issue; Mayor García, born circa 980, married Raimundo III Suniario, conde de Pallars Sources ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Aparicio, Javier Iglesia, "Los primeros años de García Fernández (970-976)," Condado de Castilla (https://www.condadodecastilla.es : accessed 29 June 2020). ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 Salazar y Acha, Jaime de, Las dinastías reales de España en la Edad Media (Madrid : Real Academia de la Historia, 2021). Electronic edition, Agencia Estatal Boletín Oficial del Estado, www.boe.es/biblioteca_juridica/publicacion.php?id=PUB-DH-2021-233 : accessed 12 May 2022. ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "García Fernández of Castile," Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Garc%C3%ADa_Fern%C3%A1ndez_of_Castile&oldid=916811157 (accessed 29 June 2020) ↑ 4.0 4.1 Martínez Diez, Gonzalo, [http://dbe.rah.es/biografias/10363/garcia-fernandez 'García Fernández,' Real Academia de la Historia (http://dbe.rah.es : accessed 29 June 2020). ↑ 5.0 5.1 Aparicio, Javier Iglesia, "García Fernández y Almanzor (977-991)," Condado de Castilla (https://www.condadodecastilla.es : accessed 29 June 2020). ↑ Aparicio, Javier Iglesia, "La rebelión de Sancho García (991)," Condado de Castilla (https://www.condadodecastilla.es : accessed 29 June 2020).
  Person ID	I59808	Freeman-Smith
  Last Modified	27 Jan 2026

  
  

  Father	CASTILLA Fernán González,   b. Abt 0910, Castilla-Leon, Spain d. 0970, Castile, Spain (Age 60 years)
  Relationship	natural
  Mother	PAMPLONA Sancha Sánchez,   b. Aft 0900, Burgos, Burgos, Castilla-Leon, Spain d. Dec 0959, Burgos, Burgos, Castilla-Leon, Spain (Age < 57 years)
  Relationship	natural
  Family ID	F26524	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	RIBAGORZA Ava,   b. 0940, Cuenca, Cuenca, Castilla-La Mancha, Spain d. 0995, Spain (Age ~ 55 years)
  Marriage	0960	Castile, Spain
  Children	1. CASTILLA Sancho,   b. Abt 0965, Castile, Spain d. 05 Feb 1017, Oña, Burgos, Castilla-Leon, Spain (Age 52 years)  [Father: natural]  [Mother: natural]   2. CASTILLA Elvira,   b. 0965, Córdoba, Cordoba, Andalucia, Spain d. Dec 1017, St Isadore, Leon, Castilla-Leon, Spain (Age ~ 52 years)  [Father: natural]  [Mother: natural]
  Family ID	F26554	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
  Last Modified	27 Jan 2026