jerome assisted duke raymond in repopulating the region between the duero and the sierra de guadarrama, and he probably took sole charge of the project after the latter's death in 1107. in a charter dated 30 december 1107, alfonso vi confirmed to jerome all the grants and privileges made by raymond to the churches under his control. there is no record of secular officials operating in the region of ávila–salamanca–zamora during the remainder of jerome's pontificate. during the troubled early reign of urraca, raymond's widow, who succeeded to the throne in 1109, jerome briefly considered supporting her rival theresa, countess of portugal, for he was in attendance at the portuguese court on 1 august 1112. jerome's ecclesiastical district was a kind of buffer zone between portugal and the central region of the sierra de gredos. indeed, his sprawling diocese may have formed part of the county of portugal around this time. nonetheless, on 4 january 1113, jerome travelled to the queen's court at either sahagún or león, perhaps because negotiations had been opened between urraca and theresa. in 1115 jerome spent the early spring at urraca's court, confirming a royal donation to the cathedral of toledo (march 15) and participating in face-to-face negotiations with king alfonso i of aragon at sahagún (april 28). on 15 october, jerome attended a general council of the realm at astorga and he probably stayed with the royal court for the celebration of christmas at león. there, on 8 january 1116, he confirmed a charter issued by the local bishop, diego.