Alfonso XI of Castile: The ruthless king who died during the Black Death
In short: Known as the Avenger, Alfonso XI transformed the Castilian monarchy through iron-fisted rule and military conquest. He navigated a chaotic childhood, outmaneuvered rebellious nobles, and secured a decisive victory against the Marinid dynasty. Yet, his reign ended abruptly in 1350, when he became a high-profile victim of the plague.
Born in 1311, Alfonso XI ascended the throne as a toddler, inheriting a kingdom plagued by instability, shrinking revenues, and power-hungry regents. His early years were defined by the competing ambitions of his relatives, who carved up the realm while the nobility and external forces looted the land. Upon reaching his majority in 1325, Alfonso moved to consolidate royal authority with brutal efficiency. He famously lured his second-degree uncle, Juan the One-eyed, to a meeting in 1326 under the guise of reconciliation, only to have him and his knights executed.
Alfonso’s military legacy centers on his efforts to extend Castilian influence toward the Strait of Gibraltar. His most significant achievement was the 1340 victory at the Battle of Río Salado, which halted the final major Marinid invasion of the Iberian Peninsula. This success, followed by the 1344 conquest of Algeciras, allowed him to focus his Reconquista efforts on the Moorish kingdom of Granada. Domestically, he reformed municipal governance by replacing open councils with regimental systems and encouraged demographic growth in border regions through the issuance of land grants.
Despite his political successes, Alfonso’s personal life was marked by scandal and conflict. He openly neglected his wife, Maria of Portugal, in favor of his mistress, Eleanor of Guzmán, with whom he fathered ten children. This domestic turmoil persisted even after his death, as Maria had Eleanor arrested and killed. Alfonso’s reign concluded during the 1349–1350 siege of Gibraltar, where he succumbed to the Black Death. In a rare gesture of respect, his rival, Yusuf I of Granada, ordered his own forces to allow the Castilian funeral procession safe passage to Seville.
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