Fernando Rodríguez de Castro

Fernando Rodríguez[a] de Castro (1125–1185) was a Castilian nobleman, statesman and military leader who made his career in León.

He was the leader of the House of Castro during the civil wars that followed the death of Sancho III of Castile and the succession of the infant Alfonso VIII.

He led the Castro family in their dispute with the House of Lara over the custody and regency of the young Alfonso VIII after Sancho III's death in August 1158.

[3] Fernando was soon reconciled to the king of León, who appointed him governor first of Cuéllar, Dueñas, Salamanca, Toro, Valladolid, and Zamora, and later of Asturias and Benavente.

[5] In 1164 Fernando returned to Castile a second time with an army and killed Manrique Pérez de Lara in the Battle of Huete (June/July).

[7] Seeing an opportunity to add to his domains the chief city of the region at the expense of both his Muslim and Christian enemies, Afonso I of Portugal came with an army to Badajoz to relieve Gerald.

This provoked the opposition of Ferdinand of León, who claimed Badajoz as his own and came south with an army at the request of the Almohad caliph Abu Yaqub Yusuf, who had already sent a contingent of 500 cavalry to assist the garrison.

[7][9] Ferdinand retained Cáceres, but Trujillo, Montánchez, Santa Cruz de la Sierra, and Monfragüe he gave to Fernando Ruiz.

My wife Estefanía, who is in glory, was of Alfonso VII a dear daughter; after today you will know, upon listening to this story, that there are misfortunes without end in our life.