Raymond of Burgundy, Count of Galicia

  General Notes:

Raymond of Burgundy (c. 1070 \endash 24 May 1107) was the ruler of Galicia from about 1090 until his death. He was the fourth son of Count William I of Burgundy and Stephanie. He married Urraca, future queen of León, and was the father of the future Alfonso VII.

When Raymond and his cousin, Henry of Burgundy, first arrived in Iberia is uncertain, but it probably was with the army of Duke Odo I of Burgundy in 1086. In April 1087, the army abandoned the siege of Tudela. While most of the army returned home, Odo and his retinue went west. By 21 July 1087 they were probably at Burgos, at the court of King Alfonso VI of León and Castile, and by 5 August he was in the capital city of León. There Odo most likely arranged Raymond's marriage to Alfonso's heiress, Urraca. All surviving charters which seem to place Raymond in Spain before 1087 are either mis-dated or interpolated.[1]

By his marriage Raymond received as dowry the government of the Kingdom of Galicia (which included the County of Portugal and the County of Coimbra),[2] although shortly after, in 1095, Alfonso VI gave the County of Portugal and the County of Coimbra to Henry of Burgundy, father of the first Portuguese King Afonso Henriques of Portugal, basing it in Bracara Augusta (nowadays Braga). During his government he was titled Count, Dominus, Prince, Emperor and Consul of Galicia or of the Galicians, exercising near absolute power in his domains ("in urbe Gallecia regnante Comite Raymundus"): "serenissimus totius Gallecie comes", "totius Gallecie Senior et Dominus", "totius Gallecie Consul", "totius Gallecie Princeps", "totius Gallecie Imperator".[3]

He was father of Alfonso VII of León and Castile (1104/1105\endash 1157), already crowned king of Galicia in 1111, while his brother later became Pope Callixtus II.

Raymond married Urraca of León, daughter of Alfonzo VI, Emperor of All Hispania, King of León, King of Castile, and King of Galicia and Portugal and Constance of Burgundy, Queen consort of Castile and León. (Urraca of León was born in Apr 1079 in Burgos, Spain and died on 8 Mar 1126 in Saldaña on the Río Carrión in Castilla, Spain ¹.)