What is Alfonso VII of León and Castile?
[[File:Alfonso VII el Emperador, rey de Castilla y León.jpg|thumb|right|175px|{{Center|Alfonso VII 'The Emperor', of Castile and León }}]] '''Alfonso VII''' (1 March 1105 – 21 August 1157), born '''Alfonso Raimúndez''', he was called '''the Emperor''' (''el Emperador''). He was given rule in [[Galacia]] alongside his mother [[Urraca of León]] in 1107.<ref name=Schulman25>Jana K. Schulman, ''The Rise of the Medieval World, 500-1300: A Biographical Dictionary'' (Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 2002), p. 25</ref> Alfonso became the [[King of Galicia]] in 1111.<ref name=Schulman25/> He became [[King of León]] and [[King of Castile|Castile]] in 1126 after his mother's death.<ref name=Schulman25/> Alfonso adopted the style of ''[[Emperor]]'' in his [[:en:wikt:charter|charters]].<ref name=Reillyvi.vii>Bernard F. Reilly, ''The Kingdom of León-Castilla Under King Alfonso VII, 1126-1157'' (Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 1998), pp. vi–vii</ref> In 1135 in a [[ceremony]] at the [[court]] of [[Leon]] he was [[wikt:officially|officially]] recognize as Emperor.<ref>António Henrique R. de Oliveira Marques, ''History of Portugal: From Lusitania to empire'' (New York: Columbia University Press, 1972), p. 42</ref> He was the son of Urraca of León and [[Raymond of Burgundy]].<ref name=Reillyvi.vii/> He was the first of the [[Anscarids|House of Burgundy]] to rule in the [[Iberian peninsula]]. During his rule [[Portugal]] declared [[independence]], in 1128. It was recognized as being independent in 1143. == References == {{reflist}} {{commons}} [[Category:Castile and León]] [[Category:1105 births]] [[Category:1157 deaths]] {{bio-stub}} [[Category:Kings of Leon]]