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- BIOGRAPHY
Fernando Pérez Ponce de León was the son of Pedro Ponce de Cabrera, señor del Valle de Aria, and Aldonza Alfonso de León. With his wife Urraca Guterres de Menezes, daughter of Guterre Suariz de Menezes and Elvira Anes de Souza, he had six children, of whom his sons Fernando and Pedro and three daughters would have progeny.
In early 1273 Fernando was at the Assembly in the city of Almagro, which was summoned to facilitate the return of exiled nobles and address the discontent produced by the legislative and fiscal pressures in the kingdom of Castile and León. The assembly was attended by Alfonso X, king of Castile and León, his wife Violante of Aragón, their son Fernando de Castile de La Cerda, the masters of the Military Orders, and many magnates and nobles.
Some authors have claimed that Fernando Pérez took part in the conspiracy headed by the Infante Fadrique de Castile, brother of Alfonso X, and Simon Ruiz de los Cameros, lord of the Cameros, both of whom were executed by order of Alfonso X in 1277. In May that year Fernando Pérez went into exile in France and in July of that year he paid homage to King Philippe III of France, and pledged to serve the French king with forty knights for forty days each year, in exchange for 3000 livres tournois.
In 1282, during the civil war that divided the kingdom of Castile and León between those loyal to King Alfonso X and supporters of his son Sancho IV 'the Brave', Fernando Pérez was in command of the troops who defeated Sancho's supporters at Puente de la Calahorra at the end of that year.
In 1283 Fernando Pérez, commanding the army of Seville, again defeated the supporters of Infante Sancho, who lost many men including Temez Fernando Nunez, governor_(Alguacil mayor)_of Cordoba, whose head was brought by Fernando Pérez to Seville as a trophy along with the banner of the city of Cordoba.
The year 1283 ended for Sancho with a military setback as the city of Merida, which had been controlled by his supporters, was recaptured by an army led by Sancho's brother Juan de Castile, señor de Valencia de Campos, and Fernando Pérez. Moreover, late that year the death occurred of Alfonso's brother Manuel of Castile, señor de Escalona, Peñafiel y Villena, the father of Juan II Manuel 'el Escritor' de Castile, duque de Peñafiel, one of Sancho's main supporters.
On 10 January 1284 in Seville, Alfonso X named Fernando Pérez among the executors of his will. After the death of Alfonso in Seville on 4 April 1284, Fernando Pérez Ponce went on to serve his son Sancho, who ascended to the throne of Castile and León despite his father's attempt in his will to prevent this. Sancho named Fernando Pérez governor of the Andalusian border, and as such in 1291 he helped negotiate the treaty between Sancho and King Muhammad II of Granada; Sancho wished to achieve peace with the king of Granada in order to make war on the king of Morocco. Sancho also entrusted Fernando Pérez with the upbringing of his eldest son and heir Fernando IV.
In 1292 Fernando Pérez was present at the conquest of the city of Tarifa, which was placed under the command of his brother Ruy Pérez Ponce de León, who was elected Master of the Order of Calatrava in 1284.
Fernando Pérez died in the city of Jerez de la Frontera in 1292, while returning from the successful expedition to conquer Tarifa. As he lay ill at the monastery of San Francisco de Jerez he was visited by his nephew King Sancho IV, to whom Fernando reported that there was a conspiracy, led by several magnates of the kingdom, to threaten the life of the monarch.
The funeral of Fernando took place at the Collegiate Church of San Salvador in Jerez de la Frontera, attended by Sancho IV who spoke of the fidelity and good service rendered by Fernando. His remains were later taken to Moreruela Monastery, now in ruins, in today's province of Zamora.
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