Pelayo Rodríguez (count)

Content sourced from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

Pelayo Rodríguez was a powerful noble and the count of León who flourished between 985 and 1007. He was a regular presence at the courts of Bermudo II and, later, Alfonso V. Scholars have offered different ideas about his family: some say he came from the line that founded the Lourenzá monastery and was probably the son of count Rodrigo Gutiérrez; others think he was the brother of count Munio Rodríguez, sons of Rodrigo Fernández.

The first document naming him, dated 976, is considered false by Emilio Sáez. He next appears on 8 July 985 as a witness to a donation to the monastery of Sahagún and he keeps appearing in royal charters until his last appearances in 1005 or 1007. Pelayo joined a rebellion with Gonzalo Vermúdez and Munio Fernández against Bermudo II and managed to drive the king out of his kingdom for a period between late 991 and late 992. After the revolt, he was soon restored to royal favor.

Pelayo married Gotina Fernández, daughter of Fernando Bermúdez de Cea and Elvira Díaz. Gotina was the sister of Jimena, queen of García Sánchez II of Pamplona, making her the aunt of Sancho III the Great. She brought many lands in Galicia and León to Pelayo. She and her son Fernando Peláez, along with Fernando’s wife, donated to San Millán de la Cogolla on 13 November 1028, the last time she is recorded living as donna Gutina. Besides Fernando, Pelayo probably had two daughters: Fronilda, who married Ordoño Bermúdez (an illegitimate son of Bermudo II), and Elvira, who married Fernando Flaínez.