Fruela I of Asturias

• Son of Alfonso I el Católico, rey de Asturias and Ermessenda, reina consorte de Asturias

Project MedLands, ASTURIAS LEON

FRUELA ([740]-murdered Cangas de Onís 768). The Chronicle of Alfonso III records that "his son Fruela" succeeded his father as king "in the era 795 (757)"[82]. He succeeded his father in 757 as FRUELA I King of Asturias. The Chronicle of Alfonso III states that he "won many victories", including against the Cordobans at Pontubio in Galicia, that he conquered the Basque country, and "overcame the peoples of Galicia who were rebelling against him and violently laid waste the entire province"[83]. He imposed the celibacy of priests in Galicia. Ibn al-Athir records that Fruela I King of Asturias took control of “Lugo, Portucale, Salamanca, Zamora, Ávila, Segovia y Castilla”[84]. The Chronicle of Alfonso III records that King Fruela was killed by his own men after ruling "eleven years, three months, era 806 (768)"[85]. The Chronicon Albeldense records that “Froila filius eius [Adefonsi]” was killed “in Canicas…æra 806”[86]. The Chronicon Compostellani records that “Froila” reigned 11 years, five months and 20 days[87]. The Sebastiani Chronicon records that "Froila…cum uxore sua Munia Oveti" was buried in 768[88]. married MUNIA Ovéquiz, daughter of OVECO --- & his wife --- [de Asturias] ([745/50]-[768]). The Chronicle of Alfonso III states that Fruela "overcame the rebellious Basques and took for himself a wife from their territory named Munia"[89]. The Sebastiani Chronicon records that "Froila…cum uxore sua Munia Oveti" were buried in 768[90]. Her geographical origin is confirmed more precisely by the Chronicle of Alfonso III which records that [her son] Alfonso, after he was displaced by Maugerato, fled to Álava where he was received by his mother's relatives[91].

King Fruela I & his wife Munia had [three] children:

• i) ALFONSO ([765]-Oviedo 20 Mar 842, bur Oviedo). The Historia Silense records that "Froyla…[et] uxorem…Monniam" had "filium…Adefonsum"[92]. The Chronicle of Alfonso III records that "Alfonso the son of Fruela and grandson of the older Alfonso governed the palace" during the reign of Silo[93]. The same source states that his aunt Adosinda engineered his election to succeed on the death of her husband King Silo, but that Alfonso was displaced by Maugerato and fled to Álava where he was received by his mother's relatives[94]. He finally succeeded in 791, on the abdication of King Vermudo I[95], as ALFONSO II "el Casto" King of Asturias, anointed 14 Sep 791. The Sebastiani Chronicon records that "subrinum suum Adefonsum", who had been exiled by Maugerato, succeeded when King Vermudo I was deposed[96]. King Alfonso II transferred the royal residence to Oviedo, maybe as early as 791[97]. Intense attacks by the Muslims continued, the region of Álava was sacked in 791 and Oviedo threatened, although King Alfonso's forces succeeding in routing the attackers at Llamas de Mouro[98]. The Annales Laurissenses Continuatio records that "Hadefonsi regis Gallæciæ et Asturiæ" sent "Frola" [not yet traced, maybe a relative] as legate to Charles I King of the Franks in 798[99]. King Alfonso was deposed in Sep 801 and placed in the monastery of Ablaña, but restored as king in Sep 802[100]. King Alfonso II defeated the Muslims in the valley of Pisuerga in 805 and at Lodos, near Oviedo in 816, reinforcing the impenetrability felt by the new nation. A truce was negotiated with the Muslims in 823, which lasted 15 years[101]. King Alfonso started constructing a series of fortified villages and castles in the mountains above the upper Ebro to guard against Muslim attacks, which ultimately gave the name to the area of Castile[102]. The discovery between 818 and 842 of a tomb attributed to St James the Apostle, at the place later known as Santiago de Compostela, created a focus for the new nation. The Chronicle of Alfonso III records that King Alfonso died "after ruling for fifty-two years" and was buried at Oviedo[103]. The Sebastiani Chronicon records that "Adefonsum" was buried in "ecclesia S. Mariæ" which he had founded[104]. The Chronicon Compostellani records that “Adefonsus” reigned 52 years, five months and 13 days[105].
• ii) [daughter . The primary source which confirms her parentage and marriage has not yet been identified, although the Chronicon Albeldense names “Nepotianus cognatus regis Adefonsi” as successor of King Alfonso[106]. Her existence is therefore presumably speculative, on the assumption that “cognatus” in that source indicates brother-in-law (certainly one of the possible translations, although this meaning appears only to have become generally established in Latin language sources in later centuries). m NEPOCIANO, son of ---. The Chronicle of Alfonso III records that "Nepotianus, count of the palace, rebelled and seized power" after the death of King Alfonso I, but was defeated at the River Narcea by King Ramiro I who had been elected to succeed. The same source records that he fled the battlefield, was captured in the province of Primorias "by the two counts Scipio and Sonna", blinded, and confined to a monastery for the rest of his life[107].]
• iii) ROMÁN . Barrau-Dihigo asserts that Román, alleged son of King Fruela and supposed ancestor of the Traba family, was an entirely fictitious invention[108]. He is, for example, named in the Nobiliario of Pedro Conde de Barcelos "Conde D. Roman hermano del Rey D. Alonso el Casto" as father of "D. Iuana Romanes" who married "Conde D. Mendo"[109].]

Fruela I, of Asturias, by Wikipedia

Fruela I (or Froila I) (d. 768), called the Cruel, was the King of Asturias from 757 until his death, when he was killed by a bear while hunting. He was the eldest son of Alfonso I and continued the work of his father.

He suppressed an uprising of the Basques, from whom he took the noble Munia (or Munina), whom he later married. She later gave birth to Alfonso, later king also, and Jimena, supposed mother of the legendary hero of romance Bernardo del Carpio.

During his reign, the city of Oviedo was founded, on November 25, 761, when the Abbot Máximo and his uncle Fromestano erected a church in honour of Saint Vincent there. Under Fruela, good relations between the church and the king continued as in the reign of his father — Alfonso "the Catholic".

Fruela did not finish his reign happily. Having assassinated his brother Vimerano (this is the basis for his nickname), and with the nobles restless, he named as his successor Bermudo, son of Vimerano. Unfortunately a plot was formed against him, which ended with Fruela's assassination in Cangas de Onís, his capital, and his cousin Aurelius being raised to the throne instead.

The bodies of Fruela and his wife Munia are interred in the cathedral at Oviedo.

Links

Sources

DUP tree of Fruela I el Cruel, rey de Asturias

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