Alfonso

Collier's New Encyclopedia (1921)

or ALPHONSO, I. (El Conquistador, "The Conqueror"), earliest King of Burgundy of Portugal, was the son of Henry Henry , conqueror and first Count of Portugal. Born in 1110, he was but two years of age at his father's death, so that the management of affairs fell into the hands of his ambitious and dissolute mother, Theresa of Castile. Wresting the power from her in 1128, he turned his sword against Castile and the Moors, and defeated the latter, after a bloody struggle, at Ourique, July 25, 1139, proclaiming himself King of Portugal on the field of battle. He took Lisbon (1147), and, later, the whole of Galicia, Estremadura, and Elvas. He died at Coimbra, Dec. 6, 1185. ALFONSO III., surnamed THE GREAT, King of Leon, Asturias, and Galicia, succeeded his father, Ordoño, in 866. After reducing to obedience his jealous and factious nobles, he turned his arms against other enemies, fought through more than 30 campaigns and gained numerous victories over the Moors, occupied Coimbra, and extended his territory as far as Portugal and Old Castile. In 888 he crushed a revolution headed by his son Garcia. A second conspiracy, instigated by the Queen, was successful and he was forced to abdicate. Once again the old hero was called upon to save his country, and lead its armies against the invading Moors. After returning in triumph, he died at Zamora, 910. ALFONSO V., King of Aragon and Navarre, but Alfonso I. of Naples and Sicily ("the Magnanimous"), succeeded his father in 1416, when but 15 years old. Summoned to her help by Queen Joanna II. of Naples, he defeated her foes, Sforza and Louis of Anjou, but lost her favor by throwing into prison her minion Caraccioli. The fickle queen now declared his rival Louis her successor. At her death in 1435, Alfonso resolved to claim the kingdom, but found himself opposed by Duke René of Lorraine, whom Joanna had appointed her successor after the death of Louis. Rome and Genoa sided with René, and the Genoese fleet attacked and defeated that of Alfonso, the monarch himself being taken prisoner. He was sent to Duke Philip of Milan, who, charmed by his manner and talents, soon set him at liberty, and even formed an alliance with him. After a five years' warfare, Alfonso was successful, and entering Naples in triumph, was recognized as its king by the Pope. ALFONSO VI., King of Portugal, succeeded his father, John IV., in 1656, when but 13 years of age. For some years the government was in the hands of his mother, Louise de Guzman, a woman of great wisdom and prudence; but in 1662 the sickly and dissolute prince dismissed his mother from her office. In 1666 Alfonso married a princess of Savoy, but the Queen was soon disgusted with her unworthly husband, and conspired with his brother Pedro against him. He was forced to surrender to the latter his crown. He died ( 1683), a state prisoner at Cintra. ALFONSO X., surnamed "the Astronomer," "the Philosopher," or "the Wise," King of Leon and Castile, born in 1226; succeeded his father, Ferdinand III., in 1252. Elected as their king by part of the German princes in 1257, he had to be content with the empty honor. He was successful in his wars with the Moors, and his victories over them enabled him to unite Murcia with Castile. In 1271 he was able to crush an insurrection headed by his son Philip; but a second and successful rising, under another son Sancho, in 1282, deprived him of his throne. Two years later, he died a fugitive at Seville. Alfonso was the founder of a Castilian national literature. He caused the first general history of Spain to be composed in the Castilian tongue by his historians. He completed the well-known code of laws, "Leyes de las Partidas," and he wrote several long poems, besides a work on chemistry, and another on philosophy. His improved planetary tables, still known as the "Al Tables," were completed in 1252. The "Opusculos Legales" of Alfonso were published by the Royal Academy of Madrid in 1836. ALFONSO XII., King of Spain, the only son of Queen Isabella II. and her cousin, Francis of Assisi, was born Nov. 28, 1857. He left Spain with his mother when she was driven from the throne by the revolution of 1868, and till 1874 resided partly in France, partly in Austria. In 1874 Alfonso came forward himself as claimant to the Spanish throne, and in the end of the year was proclaimed by Gen. Martinez Campos as king. He was enthusiastically received, most of the Spaniards being by this time tired of the Republican Government, which had failed to put down the Carlist party. Alfonso was successful in bringing the Carlist struggle to an end in 1876, and after an uneventful reign died in 1885. ALFONSO XIII., King of Spain, son of the late Alphonso XII. and Maria Christina, daughter of the late Karl Ferdinand, Archduke of Austria, born after his father's death, May 17, 1886. ALFONSO XIII., KING OF SPAIN His mother was made Queen Regent during his minority. In Spain the sovereign comes of age at 16, hence on May 17, 1902, the regency ceased and Alfonso XIII. assumed his full powers, after being crowned with the usual elaborate ceremonies. He was married to Princess Ena of Battenberg in 1906. An anarchist attempt was made to kill the royal pair on their wedding day. In the European War, King Alfonso favored the Allies, though, of course, adhering officially to his country's neutrality. He devoted his time and efforts to the improvement of the conditions of prisoners of war and of the civil population of warstricken regions.