Angelina de Grecia

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Angelina de Grecia (circa 1380-Segovia, circa 1440) was a woman of Balkan origin who later established herself in Segovia.

Origin[edit]

The traditional historiography goes, in accordance with the inscription on her tomb, that Angelina was the daughter of a Count 'Juan' (i.e. John, Ivan, István, etc.), and the illegitimate granddaughter of a certain king of Hungary, probably Andrew, Duke of Calabria, the titular king of Hungary. [Note 1] Later, it was speculated that she was an illegitimate descendant of Louis I of Hungary by way of an illegitimate son, which would be Count Juan.[1]

At present it has been proposed that she was a girl of Greco-Serbian origin, a daughter of John Uroš, count of Thessaly and titular Emperor of the Serbs, Greeks, and Bulgarians. This affiliation would likely be the one that explains her being known in Spain under the surname de Grecia (of or from Greece). In the case of the name Angelina, by which she was known in Spain, a Byzantine affiliation has been noted.[2]

Biography[edit]

Judging by the dates of her marriage, she is considered to have been born around 1380. She likely had at least one sister, Maria, who accompanied her to Spain, as did a certain Catalina.

Regarding the story how she came to end up in an Ottoman harem, it has been speculated that she was taken by Murad I after the capture of Thessalonica in 1387, or that she was demanded as tribute by their son Bayezid I after defeating Thessalonica in 1391. Later they would be captured by Timur (Tamerlane) in 1402, after the Ottoman defeat in Battle of Ankaraa. Around 1402 the first embassy sent by Henry III of Castile and consisting of Payo González de Sotomayor and Hernán Sánchez de Palazuelos arrived at the court of Tamerlán. At the moment after the return of the ambassadors, Tamerlán sent Angelina and her sister María to the Castilian king, along with another Christian woman, Catalina.

The embassy entourage arrived in Seville in 1403, whereupon the poet Francisco Imperial composed a poem dedicated to Angelina. Later, after passing through Jódar, a possession of Luis de Sotomayor, brother of the ambassador Payo González de Sotomayor, they arrived at the Alcázar of Segovia, where they met Henry III and his court. The king took them under his protection, arranging the marriage of Angelina with the Segovian nobleman Diego González de Contreras. Her sister Maria married the ambassador Payo González de Sotomayor, after having been exiled away to his holdings in Galicia, and later going to France, because the king considered that such romantic involvement was inappropriate for those entrusted with the protection of the ladies during their return trip. Catalina is said to have married Hernán Sánchez de Palazuelos. The married Angelina and Diego moved to live in Segovia, specifically in a house which is still preserved today located in the neighborhood of San Juan de los Caballeros. [Note 2][3]

She was initially buried in the main chapel of the Convent of Santa Cruz de Segovia. Later, when the convent of Santa Cruz passed under the patronage of the Catholic Monarchs, her remains were transferred to the Church of San Juan de los Caballeros in the same city.[4]

Her descendants include her biographer, Juan de Contreras y López de Ayala, Marquis of Lozoya, academic and historian.[5]

Marriage and descendants[edit]

From her marriage to Diego González de Contreras several children were born, including:

  • Isabel González de Contreras who married Ruy Vázquez de Tordesillas.[6]

Additionally, it has traditionally been speculated that the following were also resultant children of the marriage:[7][8]

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ The sepulchral inscription was: AQUI YACE DOÑA ANGELINA DE GRECIA, HIJA DEL CONDE JUAN, NIETA DEL REY DE UNGRÍA, MUGER DE DIEGO GONZÁLEZ DE CONTRERAS, REGIDOR DESTA CIUDAD
  2. ^ At present, his house houses the National Distance Education University in Segovia.

References[edit]

  1. ^ Contreras y López de Ayala, Juan de, marqués de Lozoya (1913). Antonio San Martín (ed.). Doña Angelina de Grecia : ensayo biográfico (in Spanish). Segovia: Antonio San Martín.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  2. ^ Garrigós Llorens, Laura (2015). "5. The figure of Angelina from Greece. 5.2 Biographical data on Angelina from Greece" (PDF). Revisión y estudio de la obra poética de Micer Francisco Imperial (Thesis). Universidad de Valencia. pp. 138–140.
  3. ^ "History". segoviauned.es (in Spanish). Retrieved 29 April 2020.
  4. ^ Clavijo, Ruy González de; Mexía, Pedro; Figueroa, García de Silva; Giovio, Paolo (1782). History of the great Tamorlan: and itinerary and enarracion of the trip, and relation of the embassy that Ruy Gonzalez de Clavijo made him by order of the very powerful king Don Henrique the Third of Castile. And a short speech (in Spanish). Don Antonio de Sancha. p. 4. Retrieved April 29, 2020.
  5. ^ Lozoya, Juan de Contreras; López de Ayala, Marqués de (1913). Antonio San Martín (ed.). Doña Angelina de Grecia: biographical essay (in Spanish). Segovia: Antonio San Martín. pp. 33–42.
  6. ^ Tineo, Antonio de la Barja Cangas y (1658). Breue Apología y depósito de las noticias, papeles originales y historias que demuestran la nobleza y antiguedad... del apellido de Tordesillas Cepeda, cuyo assiento es en... Segouia... (in Spanish). p. 9. Retrieved 29 April 2020.
  7. ^ Rodríguez, Darío Cabanelas (2007). Juan de Segovia y el problema islámico (in Spanish). Fundación El legado andalusì. pp. 34–38. ISBN 978-84-338-4534-4. Retrieved 29 April 2020.
  8. ^ Ariz, Luis : de (1607). Historia de las grandezas de la ciudad de Auila. Por el padre fray Luys Ariz monge Benito. ... En la primera parte trata qual de los quarenta y tres Hercules fue el mayor, ... prosigue el auctor, los demas obispos que ha tenido Auila, . (in Spanish). por Luys Martinez Grande. Retrieved 29 April 2020.
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