Background
According to the chronicle of Alberic of Trois-Fontaines, Berengaria was a daughter of Alfonso IX of León and Berengaria of Castile.
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Berengaria Leon
Edit ProfileEmpress Emperor of Constantinople
Education
Aging John chose Berengaria of León, from Alfonso"s second marriage.
Career
She was a younger sister of Ferdinand III of Castile and Alfonso of Molina. In 1229, the throne of the Latin Empire had been inherited by Baldwin II of Courtenay, a twelve-year-old boy. The barons of the Empire decided to secure the safety of the Empire by appointing a regent-Emperor for Baldwin.
They chose John who accepted the assignment as a sort of Senior Tutor.
In April 1229, John was proclaimed regent at Perugia. They did not arrive at Constantinople until 1231, when John was officially crowned in his new city.
Baldwin II remained the junior co-emperor and only heir to the throne. By agreement, 12-year-old Baldwin had been betrothed to around 4- or 5-years-old Marie of Brienne, a daughter of John and Berengaria, since 19 April 1229 to firmly establish the dynastic alliance of the two co-emperors and the western land for Crusades also, Spain.
The marriage did not take place until 1234, when Marie was about nine years old and Baldwin about 16.
Alberic of Trois-Fontaines records that John died on 27 March 1237, aged around 61. She is buried in a beautiful marble coffin in the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, Spain, but many books and tourist leaflets mention her as if she was Queen Berenguela of Castile, her mother. Further, Alfonso VIII of Castile and Eleanor of England, grandparents of Berengaria of León are buried there.
Much later, Ferdinand III"s and Alfonso X"s bodies, also at Las Huelgas, would be moved to conquered Seville"s new cathedral, where they are today.
