Fernán González Conde de Castilla
- Born: Abt 910, Burgos, España Iberia 1
- Marriage: Sancha Sánchez de Navarre about 932
- Died: Jun 970, Burgos, España Iberia about age 60 487
 Noted events in his life were:
• Web Reference: Charles Cawley's Medieval Lands Fernán González Conde de Castilla. 487
Fernando González de Castilla, son of Gonzalo Fernández Conde de Castilla & his wife Muniadomna de Castilla (910-Jun 970, bur Monastery of Arlanza). The legend of his kidnap as a young child is commemorated in the 13th century "Poema de Fernán González".
~Pérez de Urbel, Vol. II, p. 25
His parentage is proved by the charter of his grandson Sancho García Conde de Castilla in which the latter names his paternal ancestors as far back as Munio Núñez & his wife Argila. Conde de Lara in 929.
~Pérez de Urbel, Vol. II, p. 29, which notes that this contradicts the genealogy recited in the Crónica Najerense which must be considered unreliable in the face of this charter evidence.
He became Conde de Lara in 929. He was installed in 932 as Fernán González Conde de Castilla y Álava. During his rule, he united the territory of Castile into a single county, incorporating in particular Lantarón in 935, Cerezo and Grañón in 936.
~Torres (1999), p. 211
Following the humiliating peace imposed on the kingdom of Navarre by Abd al-Rahman III Caliph of Córdoba in 934, the Caliph invaded Castile, sacking Burgos and destroying the monastery of San Pedro de Cardeña before moving into the territory of León. However, Conde Fernando allied himself with Ramiro II King of León and Queen Toda regent of Navarre, their combined forces defeating the Caliph's troops at Alhandega/al-Khandaq, near Simancas in 939. Conde Fernando exploited this victory by recapturing Sepúlveda in 940.
~Del Pino, J. L. 'El Califato Omeya de Córdoba (Génesis y consolidación política)', Álvarez Palenzuela, V. A. (coord.) (2002) Historia de España de la Edad Media (Barcelona, Ariel Historia), pgs. 159-160
In 943/944, he rebelled against King Ramiro II, allied with Diego Múñoz Conde de Saldaña, but was captured and his lands temporarily confiscated. Caliph Abd al-Rahman's troops launched further raids against Galicia and Castile between 953 and 955, but were defeated by Conde Fernando near San Esteban de Gormaz in 955. Conde Fernando became embroiled in the civil war in León, supporting in turn King Sancho I and later his son-in-law King Ordoño IV, but was captured by troops from Navarre at Nájera in 960. After being released by Urraca de Navarra, whom he married, he formed an alliance with Navarre and Barcelona against Caliph Al-Hakam II.
The alliance was unsuccessful and Conde Fernando lost San Esteban de Gormaz and Atienza to the Caliph's troops. Although Castile was considerably weakened by Muslim attacks during the last years of his rule, Conde Fernando had been a dynamic leader who established the full autonomy of the county of Castile, and competently defended it against Muslim incursions. His exploits are commemorated in vernacular Castilian romances.
He married, as her third husband, Sancha Sánchez de Navarra, widow firstly of Ordoño II King of León and secondly of Álvaro Herrameliez Conde de Álava, daughter of Sancho I Garcés King of Navarre & his second wife Toda Aznárez de Larraún.
His second wife was Urraca de Navarra, daughter of García III Sánchez King of Navarre & his second wife Teresa de León. She is not named in any of the documents in the collection relating to the county of Castile. Urraca married secondly, after 14 Jul 972, conde Guillén Sánchez.
• Web Reference: Fernán González de Castile.
Fernán González (died 970) was the first autonomous count of Castile, son of Gonzalo Fernández de Burgos. His mother Muniadona. He was so well remembered that the later Counts of Castile would sometimes be recorded by Iberian Muslim scholars as Ibn Mama Dunan.
He married Álvaro's widow, Sancha Sánchez of Pamplona, the sister of the García Sánchez I of Pamplona. One of the daughters of Sancho I of Pamplona and Toda of Navarre, she had been twice widowed, having first married king Ordoño II of León.
Fernán married Sancha Sánchez de Navarre, daughter of Sancho I García Rey de Pamplona and Toda Aznárez de Larron, about 932. (Sancha Sánchez de Navarre was born after 900 in Pampelona, Navarre, Iberia,2 died in Dec 959 2 and was buried in Church of Saint Mary, Oviedo, Asturias, Iberia.)
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