King of Asturias
Ordono I
(
c.
821
? 27 May 866) was
King of Asturias
from 850 until his death.
He was born in
Oviedo
, where he spent his early life in the court of
Alfonso II
. He was probably associated with the crown from an early age. He was probably raised in
Lugo
, capital of the province of
Galicia
, of which his father,
Ramiro
, had been named governor. There he was educated, including in the military arts.
Ordono was named governor of Galicia when his father went to
Vardulia
to marry Paterna (his second wife). Whilst away, Alfonso died, and the nobles elected Count
Nepocian
as king. Ordono immediately began to raise an army to assist his father in claiming the throne. He could not leave his post in Galicia to help, however, and his army went unused. When his father finally prevailed, he confirmed Ordono in his heretofore provisional position.
On February 1, 850, Ordono succeeded his father as king. As he was his father's heir, he was the first king of Asturias to ascend the throne without election. His first confrontation was with the
Basques
, who rebelled with the support of the
Banu Qasi
of
Zaragoza
. While returning to Oviedo after defeating the rebels, he received news of an impending
Moorish
assault on Vardulias. Before the Moors could attack, he met them near the
Ebro
and defeated them. These victories meant little in the long run, for the governor of Zaragoza,
Musa ibn Musa
, fortified the city of Albaida (
Albelda
). In 859, Ordono defeated him at Albelda and besieged and razed the city.
He supported the
mozarab
rebels, which cost him at Guadacelete in 854, but this fiasco only incited him to consolidate the "Desert of the Duero", the depopulated region between the Asturian cordillera and the river
Duero
. He directed the
repoblacion
of the towns of
Leon
and
Talamanca
,
[1]
Astorga
,
Tui
, and
Amaya
.
[2]
He intended to advance against the governor of
Tudela
and thus control all access to the
Navarre
and the
Basque Country
, but the
Emirate of Cordoba
responded with the invasion and sacking of
Alava
.
[
citation needed
]
At
Bureba
, the Arabs defeated
Rodrigo
, first
count of Castile
, and set back the
Reconquista
for years.
[
citation needed
]
Ordono married Nuna, also called Munia. He had six children, including his successor,
Alfonso III
.
Ordono died in Oviedo and was succeeded by his eldest son.
He may been an ancestor of
Afonso I
.
See also
[
edit
]
Iglesia de San Martin (Pereda)
References
[
edit
]
Ordono I of Asturias
Born:
circa 821
Died:
27 May 866
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Regnal titles
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Preceded by
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King of Asturias
850?866
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Succeeded by
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International
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National
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People
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