Berthe (Berta) DE BOURGOGNE

   Research Notes:

The Chronicon Regum Legionensium names "Berta, who was of Tuscan descent" ("Bertam Tuscia oriundam") as the third of the "five legitimate wives" of King Alfonso. Las crónicas anónimas de Sahagún refer to her as "otra mugger de la nacion de Lombardia llamada Berta". The precise origin of Berthe is not known. According to Europäische Stammtafeln, she was the daughter of Guillaume I Comte [Palatin] de Bourgogne, Comte de Vienne et de Macon, which is inconsistent with the "Tuscan descent" reported in the Chronicon Regum Legionensium. Szabolcs de Vajay suggests that she was the daughter of Guillaume Comte de Bourgogne. Reilly does not mention this possible Burgundian origin of Berthe, implying that the Castilian king chose his third wife from outside the Burgundian circle in order to diminish the influence of the Burgundians at court. As Berthe de Bourgogne would have been the sister of Raymond de Bourgogne who married Infanta doña Urraca, oldest legitimate daughter of King Alfonso, around the same time that King Alfonso married Queen Berta, it is surprising that the chronicles do not refer to this relationship if it is correct. The references to "Tuscia" and "Lombardia" in the chronicles could be consistent with the family of Bourgogne [Comté] having originated in northern Italy, their ancestors being Marchesi of Ivrea until 968, although this was nearly 130 years before the date of Queen Berta's marriage. Reilly dates this marriage to "during the Christmas season of 1094", but does not state his source. In a later passage, Reilly states that the first reference to Berta as queen is dated 28 Apr 1095. According to Reilly, Queen Berta died shortly after the new year 1100, probably before 16 Jan. In another passage, he notes that the last notice of her is dated 17 Nov 1099. She was dead in 25 Jan 1100, the date of the charter under which "Adefonsus…Toletani imperii rex" donated the churches of "Sancti Facundi et Sancti Primitivi…cum sua villa…Villaverde", ceded by "comitis Monini Fernandis…in vita sua dederam uxori mee Berte regine", to Cluny, confirmed by "Raimundus totius Gallecie comes et gener regis, Urraca soror regis, Urraca regis filia et Raimundi comitis uxor, Enricus Portugalensis comes, uxor ipsius Tarasia filia regis…"

http://fmg.ac/Projects/MedLands/BURGUNDY%20Kingdom.htm#BertheBourgognedied1097

   Marriage Information:

Berthe married Alfonso VI FERNANDEZ "The Valiant", King of Castile, son of Fernando I "The Great" SANCHEZ King of Castile & Léon and Sancha ALFONSEZ Princess of Léon, on 25 Nov 1093. (Alfonso VI FERNANDEZ "The Valiant", King of Castile was born in 1039 in Burgos, Castile and died on 27 Jun 1109 in Toledo, Castile.)