Sancha of León (c. 1018 – 8 November 1067) was infanta and queen of León. She was married to Ferdinand I, the Count of Castile who later became King of León after having killed Sancha's brother in battle. She and her husband commissioned the Crucifix of Ferdinand and Sancha.
Contents
Life
Sancha was a daughter of Alfonso V of León by his first wife, Elvira Menéndez. She became a secular abbess of the Monastery of San Pelayo.
In 1029, a political marriage was arranged between her and count García Sánchez of Castile. However, having traveled to León for the marriage, García was assassinated by a group of disgruntled vassals. In 1032, Sancha was married to García's nephew and successor, Ferdinand I of Castile, when the latter was 11 years old.
At the Battle of Tamarón in 1037 Ferdinand killed Sancha's brother Bermudo III of León, making Sancha the heir and allowing Ferdinand to have himself crowned King of León. Sancha's own position as queen of León is unclear and contradictory. She succeeded to the throne of León as the heir of her brother and in her "own right" but despite this, she is not clearly referred to as queen regnant, and after the death of her husband the throne passed to her son, despite the fact that she was still alive.
Following Ferdinand's death in 1065 and the division of her husband's kingdom, she is said to have played the futile role of peacemaker among her sons.