Countess Urraca of Zamora (1033-1101) was the eldest of five children of King Fernando I of Castile and Sancha of Leon, and was the sister of Sancho II of Castile, Alfonso VI of Leon, and Garcia II of Galicia. Urraca was the mastermind of her brother Sancho's 1072 assassination, and she was very influential at the court of her brother Alfonso. It is said that Alfonso always followed her advice, and there may have been an incestuous relationship between the siblings.
Biography[]
Urraca in 1063
Urraca Jimena was the daughter of King Fernando I of Castile and Sancha of Leon, and she was their first child as well as the older sister of the future kings Sancho II of Castile and Alfonso VI of Castile; it is sometimes suspected that Urraca may have had an incestuous relationship with her brother, as he was always following her advice, and the two frequently plotted together. When her father's realm was divided between his five children on his death in 1065, she was given the County of Zamora by her father, and her brother Alfonso gave her the city of Calahorra, which had been successfully defended against King Ramiro I of Aragon and the Aragonese. Urraca's brother Alfonso became King of Leon, her other brother Garcia became King of Galicia, and her other brother Sancho became King of Castile.
Hunger for power[]
Urraca speaking with Ximena at a convent
Urraca was always greedy and hungry for power, and in 1072 she offered her brother Alfonso sanctuary at her castle of Calahorra after he escaped from their brother Sancho's clutches. Urraca hired Vellido Adolfo to assassinate Sancho when King Sancho arrived with an army from Castile to besiege the city, demanding that Urraca hand Alfonso over to Sancho. El Cid suspected that Urraca and Alfonso were involved in the assassination, so he decided to force Alfonso to swear on the Bible that he did not have anything to do with his brother's death. Urraca came to El Cid's estranged wife Ximena and ordered her to convince El Cid not to question Alfonso, but El Cid proceeded to do so. Alfonso swore his innocence in front of all of the nobles, and a humiliated Alfonso had El Cid banished. Urraca would eventually give up her governing duties, and she retired to a convent, where she died in 1101.