Pedro Alfonso or Alfónsez (Latin: Petrus Adefonsi; floruit 1126–1173)[2] was an Asturian magnate, dominating the region from 1139 until his death.
[3] His commercial dealings were extensive, a sign of his economic power, and he loyally served Alfonso VII and his son Ferdinand II as a military commander and diplomat from 1128 until his death.
Pedro was the son of Alfonso Vermúdez, himself the son of Bermudo Ovéquiz of the Vela family and Jimena Peláez, and Urraca Raimúndez, possibly the daughter of Raymond the Fratricide who had to flee Navarre after participating in the murder of his brother king Sancho IV of Navarre in 1076.
[9] According to the Chronica Adefonsi imperatoris, Pedro was among the first group of nobles to do homage to Alfonso VII at Zamora in March 1126.
[10] For a year, between 8 July 1129 and 10 June 1130, he served as alférez, or standard-bearer in charge of the knights of the royal household, an office typically held by promising young noblemen.
[11] In 1133 Alfonso VII charged Pedro and his uncle, Suero Vermúdez, with bringing to heel the rebellious Asturian count Gonzalo Peláez.
They had with them "all the Asturians", according to the Chronica Adefonsi, which describes the start of the campaign thus:[12] Pedro Alfonso besieged Alba de Quirós.
In 1135 Suero, Pedro, and Arias Núñez, then Bishop of León, negotiated a short-lived peace settlement.
[13] Pedro was present at the coronation of Alfonso as imperator totius Hispaniae in May 1135, perhaps staying in tents like the rest of the nobility, even though he owned houses in the city.
[14] In the autumn of 1136 Gonzalo Peláez rebelled again and this time was captured by Pedro, who imprisoned him in the castle at Aguilar de Campoo in the province of León.
[12] As early as 30 November 1139 Pedro was governing the region of Asturias de Oviedo, with Salcedo, which he would continue to rule until 1170.
[18] At the outset of the Almería campaign Pedro was holding the tenencias of Ablaña and Tineo in Asturias and Babia in León between the Luna and Omañas rivers.
[6] In February 1154 one Greo Pérez placed himself and his land under the protection of Pedro Alfonso in exchange for provision of clothing and food.
According to the Historia compostellana, he attained complete control of it in two agreements with his brother Gonzalo and his cousin Vela Gutiérrez on 23 and 29 July 1141 respectively.
He made donations to San Juan Bautista de Corias, which he had held in comanda since 1140;[32] to Vega (1156);[33] and to Lorenzana (1168).