City · Kingdom of León · as at first light, 1 January 1200

Zamora

The great Duero crossing between León and the Extremadura, with the king's birthplace, a bishop, and the Cistercians of Moreruela nearby.

Its tierra covers Sayago, the Tierra del Pan and the Tierra del Vino.

Who holds it

Name
The king (Alfonso IX was born here). Royal tenant on 1 January 1200 not pinned; earlier Velasco Sánchez (1180-81), Count Fernando Ponce de Cabrera (1176, 1188-92) and at some point Ponce Vela.
Title
Lord or royal tenant
Confidence
medium

Lord in 1200

The king (Alfonso IX was born here). Royal tenant on 1 January 1200 not pinned; earlier Velasco Sánchez (1180-81), Count Fernando Ponce de Cabrera (1176, 1188-92) and at some point Ponce Vela.

Overlord

Alfonso IX

How things stand that morning

Royal city at peace.

Wealth

Bridge tolls, Duero wine and grain, the flocks of Sayago.

Military

Walled city and castle above the Duero.

Threats

  • Portugal beyond Sayago and Aliste

Fuero

Fuero de Zamora (12th-century custom; the written text is later): date not pinned.

Council

Concejo represented at the curia of 1188.

Communities

Jews; settlers from the north; the bishop's men (bishop in the Church file).

Militia

A frontier militia of the Duero; its record in 1196-1200 is not pinned.

What the year holds

What happened next, if nothing in play changes it. Each event carries what it depends on and what would stop it.

  1. During 1200Count Fernando Ponce de Cabrera makes a gift to the cathedral, his first in 37 years.Depends on: Nothing in play Stopped by: His death

Where the sources disagree

Evidence: Tenants dated only before 1193.

On the map: The tierra is shared out between neighbouring towns' seeds; limits are approximate.

Primary sources for León

Chronicles, registers, sagas and inscriptions written in or near 1200 that cover this entry. Each has its own page with editions, translations and where to read it.

5 more in the sources library for France and Iberia.

Sources and studies

  1. Alfonso IX de León (Wikipedia, es)
  2. Velasco Sánchez (Wikipedia, en)
  3. Fernando Ponce de Cabrera el Menor (Wikipedia, en)
  4. Ponce Vela de Cabrera (Wikipedia, en)

Last revised 4 November 2026. Published 4 November 2026. Suggest a correction on the OMNIA Discord.