John of Castile, Lord of Valencia de Campos

"John I of León" redirects here. For the later Leonese king, see John I of Castile.

Not to be confused with Infante John, Duke of Valencia de Campos.

John of Castile, called the "el de Tarifa" (Spanish: Juan de Castilla "el de Tarifa"; 1262–25 June 1319) was an infante of Castile and León. He was engaged in a decades-long fight for control over the Lordship of Biscay with Diego López V de Haro, the uncle of his wife.

Infante John
Lord of Valencia de Campos Consort Lord of Biscay
Coat of Arms of Infante John of Castile.
Born	15 May/25 July 1260 Seville
Died	25 June 1319 (aged 58–59) Pinos Puente
Burial	Burgos Cathedral
Spouse	Margaret of Montferrat María II Díaz de Haro
Issue	Alfonso, Lord of Valencia de Campos Juan el Tuerto Lope Díaz de Haro María Díaz de Haro
House	Castilian House of Ivrea
Father	Alfonso X of Castile
Mother	Violant of Aragon

Biographical sketch

He was born before 15 April 1262^[1][2] in Seville, the son of Alfonso X, King of Castile and León and Queen Violant of Aragon.^[3] In 1296, during the minority of his nephew Ferdinand IV of Castile, John was declared King of León, Galicia and Seville, although in 1300 he reconciled with Ferdinand IV and entered his service.^[4] In 1312, after the death of Ferdinand IV, he was appointed guardian of his son Alfonso XI,^[5] whom he served alongside Queen María de Molina and Infante Peter of Castile, Lord of Cameros.

He was the Lord of Valencia de Campos and Biscay, by his marriage to María Díaz de Haro, and was also Lord of Baena, Luque, Zuheros, Lozoya, Villalón,^[5] Oropesa, Santiago de la Puebla, Melgar de Arriba, Paredes de Nava, Medina de Río Seco and Castronuño, and he served as alférez (armour-bearer) of the King^[3] and mayordomo mayor (high steward) of the King. He was also Adelantado of Andalusia. He died in 1319 at Pinos Puente, in the battle of Sierra Elvira, also known as the disaster of Vega de Granada.^[3]

Marriages and issue

On 17 February 1281, he married Margaret, who died in 1286, daughter of William VII, Marquess of Montferrat and Elizabeth of Gloucester,^[3] with whom he had:

• Alfonso of Valencia de Campos, married as his first wife, Teresa, daughter of Juan Núñez I de Lara and in 1314, married Juana Fernández de Castro, daughter of Fernando Rodríguez de Castro and granddaughter of King Sancho IV of Castile.^[6]

One year after the death of his first wife and before 11 May 1287 he married María Díaz de Haro^[5][7][3] with whom he had three children:

• Juan de Castilla y Haro, known as Juan el Tuerto (the one-eyed).
• Lope Díaz de Haro died after 1295 in his youth.
• María Díaz de Haro

Ancestry

Ancestors of John of Castile, Lord of Valencia de Campos

16. Ferdinand II of León 8. Alfonso IX of León 17. Urraca of Portugal 4. Ferdinand III of Castile 18. Alfonso VIII of Castile 9. Berengaria of Castile 19. Eleanor of England 2. Alfonso X of Castile 20. Frederick I, Holy Roman Emperor 10. Philip of Swabia 21. Beatrice I, Countess of Burgundy 5. Elisabeth of Hohenstaufen 22. Isaac II Angelos 11. Irene Angelina 23. Unknown Palaiologina?, afterwards Irene 1. John of Castile, Lord of Valencia de Campos 24. Alfonso II of Aragon 12. Peter II of Aragon 25. Sancha of Castile 6. James I of Aragon 26. William VIII of Montpellier 13. Marie of Montpellier 27. Eudokia Komnene 3. Violant of Aragon 28. Béla III of Hungary 14. Andrew II of Hungary 29. Agnes of Antioch 7. Violant of Hungary 30. Peter II of Courtenay 15. Yolanda de Courtenay 31. Yolanda of Flanders