#fortuneofthree

Angelina of Greece

Angelina was a slave in the harem of Sultan Bayezid I who would be recaptured by the Timurids to be later sent to the King of Castile as a “gift”. 

It is speculated that she was born around 1380 as she was described as still being young in 1402, however, no exact date is proven to be correct. 

Early Life

Nothing is known about the early life of this lady. However, she was likely of Greek origin, given that in Castille, she was referred to as “Angelina de Grecia,” and most historians agree that she was of Greek origin.

Some historians propose that she was the daughter of John V Paleologus and married Bayezid in 1372. However, since she is not mentioned in any Byzantine documents of that time and was sent to Spain where she remained permanently without any connection to the Royal Byzantine family, it is highly unlikely that she is the daughter of John.

Other accounts, and Angelina herself (through her tomb), claim that she is the daughter of a certain Count John/Ivan of Hungary, Duke of Slavonia/Dalmatia, the alleged illegitimate son of an unnamed King of Hungary. However, the lack of information about Count John/Ivan, if he ever existed, suggests that this might have been a plot created by the King of Castille to find noblemen for her to marry, a plot in which Angelina herself participated.

There was no Count/Duke of Slavonia by that name at the time that one can find information on. He was likely invented for higher chances of matchmaking purposes, as likely, Angelina was of humble origin before becoming a slave, and nobility typically preferred to marry within their own class.

First Capture

Some speculate that she was captured in the aftermath of the Battle of Nicopolis in 1396, in case it is true she would have been around 16 years old. This speculation is linked to the belief that she was Hungarian, though it is more probable that she was not.

Other sources believe she was captured around 1391 in Thessalonica. In that case, she would have been around 11 years old, slightly older than the preferred age for girls to be educated as potential concubines but not uncommon.

Life In The Harem

Despite being sold as a slave in the imperial palace of Sultan Bayezid I, Angelina seems to have been one of the few Christian slaves in the palace. Timur later sent her as a “gift” to Henry III of Castille, and as we know Muslim women are not permitted to engage with men of other faiths.

Another indication of her faith is found in a past edition of Clavijo’s work.

“Argote de Molina (the editor of Clavijo) in the Discurso, which he prefixed to the Edition Princeps of 1582, states that with the presents of jewels, Timur sent to King Henry two Christian maidens.” - Embassy to Tamerlane/ 1403-1406 (Broadway Travellers) Volume 24, pg 178. (Angelina was one of the mentioned maidens.)

Considering her religion, it is safe to assume she was never considered a potential concubine for Bayezid, as all concubines of the Sultan had to be Muslims. She was more likely working as a servant under a higher-ranking slave or one of Bayezid’s Christian wives (Macedonian Princess, Byzantine princess, or Olivera Lazarevic).

Despina Hatun (Olivera Lazarevic) was captured alongside her daughters and Christian servants.

“When he was in Kütahya, Timur sent for Olivera Despina, her daughters, and her household, alongside the daughter of the ruler of Karaman [Jalayirid Sultanate], whom Beyazid was planning to marry off to his son Mustafa. They were brought to his camp with many servants, musicians, and dancers. He suggested that the Princess and other members of her household, who were still Christian, should embrace Islam. Despite her daughters being Muslim, Olivera declined this offer.” - Buxton, Anna. The European Sultanas of the Ottoman Empire - color edition. Kindle Edition.

If she was one of Olivera’s Christian servants, that would explain why she remained a Christian despite serving in the Imperial palace. Christian wives of early Ottoman Sultans are speculated to have freed slaves or, at the very least prevented forced Islamization. 

Second Capture

In the aftermath of the Battle of Ankara in 1402, Timur sent his soldiers to plunder Bursa, resulting in the capture of the imperial treasure and slaves. It is conceivable that Angelina was among those captured.

Alternatively, she may not have been taken from Bursa but in a residence in Yenisehir where Olivera Lazarevic, her daughters, and servants resided.

After her capture, she was sent to Emir Timur's camp, where she remained for a period before being presented as a "gift" to King Henry III of Castile. At that time, Timur had received an embassy from the King of Castile, led by Don Payo Gonzalez de Sotomayor and Don Hernan Sanchez de Palazuelos, and upon their departure, he decided to send them off with Christian maidens to be given to Henry III of Castile. Both of these noblemen eventually married the other maidens who accompanied Angelina.

Arrival In Castile

Upon her arrival in Castile in 1403, while passing through Seville, Angelina caught the attention of a Genoese poet named Francisco Imperial, who was residing in the same city at the time. He composed a poem dedicated to her, which has survived to this day. From his poem, it can be inferred that Angelina was a woman of great beauty who captivated those around her as she traveled through Castile.

Upon reaching the Alcazar of Segovia, where King Henry was residing, the king, moved by pity for her and her entourage, took them under his protection.

Marriage To Don Diego González de Contreras

Around 1403, she married Don Diego González de Contreras, a knight and nobleman in the court of Henry. It is believed that the marriage was arranged by Henry, who likely sponsored the maidens' stay at court and their dowries.

Angelina, renowned for her beauty, likely had several suitors vying for her hand, but Don Diego, Lord of the house of Contreras, was ultimately chosen as the most suitable candidate by the King.

Diego is thought to have been well in his 70s at the time of his death in 1437, making him around 36 to 45 years old at the time of his marriage to the 22/23 years old Angelina.

The noble couple later took up residence in the Contreras’ ancestral home in the parish of San Juan de los Caballeros, Segovia, where Diego held the position of perpetual Regidor of Segovia, a hereditary title that would later pass to his son.

The couple welcomed two sons together, Fernán Gronzález de Contreras, who would later succeed his father as Regidor of Segovia, Juan González de Contreras, and possibly a daughter, Doña Isabel González de Contreras.

Later Life

Angelina likely led a noble and tranquil life as the wife of a nobleman in her husband’s ancestral home, where she also cared for her children.

It is believed that she passed away sometime after her husband died in 1437. However, historians have not been able to conclusively prove this theory. What is known is that she was certainly laid to rest in Segovia, where her body was buried in the church of San Juan.

The inscription on her tomb read as follows:

"Here lies the honored Dona Angelina of Greece, daughter of Count Ivan and granddaughter of the King of Hungary, wife of Diego González de Contreras."

Unfortunately, the church was later ruined, and her remains were transported to the neighboring church of San Pablo.

Legacy

Her grandson Rodrigo de Contreras (through Fernan) mentioned her in his will, written sometime in the late 15th to 16th century.

The will read as follows:

"When our Lord Jesus Christ pleases to take me from this present life, may my body be buried in the church of San Juan beside the grave of my grandmother Doña Angelina de Grecia. May God help us."

Her descendant Juan de Contreras, Marquis of Lozoya, later wrote a biography of her life in the 20th century.

Issue

Don Fernan Gonzalez de Contreras

Juan González de Contreras

Dona Isabel de Contreras (possibly)

Summary

Despite the turbulent period Angelina lived through, from being a simple girl of Greek parentage captured and enslaved in the Ottoman imperial palace to being "gifted" to the King of Castile by her second captor, Angelina was fortunate enough to have found a life of nobility and a family to care for.

Poem By Francisco Imperial Dedicated to Angelina: 

"With great tranquility and meekness, beauty and sweet air, honesty and without custom, of elegance and mischief from the lands of Cayre I saw bring to the King of Spain with a very strange height delicate and graceful demeanor. Whether she be Tartar or Greek, as soon as I could see her her disposition does not deny to be of a grand name. She must undoubtedly be a woman of high birth placed in great tribulation, deprived of great power. Her countenance seemed to say 'Alas, captive am I, it is fitting from now on that I live in servitude Oh, elusive fortune! Alas, why was I born! Tell me, what did I deserve for you to make me live! My Greece, my Cardíamo Oh my sweet Angelina! beloved land that I cherish so much where such plunder is born Who separated me so quickly from you and your dominion and brought me to the great river where the sun rises and sets?"

The life of Maria Gomez de Sotomayor: The Ottoman slave who had suffered great dispair in both Ottoman lands and outdoor lands. 

Early Life 

The date of birth nor origin of Maria is certain. Unlike Catalina, who has a fitted name for a Hungarian-origin woman, same for Angelina with her Greek/Byzantine influenced name, Maria’s name is too relatively common in both Hungarian and Greek areas to be certain of her origin, though it is possibly more likely that she is of Hungarian origin. 

Maria is often regarded by some historians as the sister of Angelina of Greece, both regarded as Hungarian ladies who were captured by Ottoman raiders. While some historians suggest they could be siblings, others argue that they may have been referred to as "lady sisters" in a more metaphorical sense rather than literally.

Their differing names, Maria being called “Maria de Ungría”(Maria of Hungary) and Angelina referred to as “Angelina de Grecia” (Angelina of Greece) add to the confusion surrounding their identities. Additionally, some theories propose that they might have different mothers, as in Castile, children were often identified by their mother's nationality/ethnicity. 

However, the odds that two sisters from different mothers could be captured in the same area at the same time and later reunited in an Ottoman harem is highly unlikely.

First Capture

Maria is believed to have been captured shortly after the Battle of Nicopolis in 1396. It is worth mentioning that she might have been captured at a different time and location, possibly during another raid by the Turks near their home borders.

She was likely a child when she was captured, as she would later be sent to King Henry III of Castile as a “gift” in 1402/1403, which suggests she could not have been too old (possibly in her mid-teens to early 20s by 1402).

Life in the Harem

Though captured and sent to the harem, Maria did not convert to Islam and remained a Christian throughout her enslavement.

Considering that all potential concubines of the Sultan had to be converted Muslims, it is safe to assume that Maria did not have to worry about concubinage duties.

Second Capture

Maria was either captured following the plunder of Bursa, five days after the Battle of Ankara, which took place on July 20, 1402, or sometime later in an unknown residence in Yenisehir, along with Olivera Lazarevic, her daughters, and other servants.

Payo Gomez de Sotomayor

Payo was one of the two ambassadors (the other being Hernan Sanchez de Palazuelos) sent from King Henry III of Castile to his correspondent, Timur, in 1402.

After their mission ended, Timur tasked the embassy with escorting Christian maidens from the harem of Sultan Bayezid I, which he had decided to send to Henry.

As a result, Catalina, Angelina, and Maria were given to and escorted by Payo and his partner. It is unknown when exactly they left, but they were certainly in Castile by early 1403.

The Incident In Jodar

According to a folk love tale, upon passing through Jodar, Payo, who had been traveling with Maria for some months, realized his feelings for her by a fountain in Jodar.

Argote de Molina, a Spanish historian, quoted a somewhat unknown poem which seems to be from the point of view of Payo:

“Beside that fountain at Jódar,   The maid with beauteous eyes I saw.   I died by the wound they gave me,   And not one hour could I survive.”

This is likely nothing more than Argote’s attempt at romanticizing the true story, which caused a scandal, especially considering the anger that fueled Henry upon learning this information.

Whether in a soft poem or not, a relationship with a maiden who was entrusted to you is completely inappropriate. Additionally, it is unknown what the extent of their “relationship” was, nor if it was even consensual.

Arrival In Castile

Upon their arrival at the court of Henry III, Payo had to face the wrath of the King, who highly disapproved of his inappropriate relationship with Maria.

Wishing to avoid the consequences of his actions, Payo fled to his lands in Galicia and later to France.

In the meantime, some nobles did their best to mediate some sort of reconciliation between the two, a mediation which ultimately succeeded, as Don Payo Gomez de Sotomayor was recalled to court and married Maria by order of the King.

The Death of the King

King Henry, who acted as the guardian of Maria and her companions, passed away in 1406. With the King gone, Payo planned to annul his marriage to Maria on the grounds of “forced marriage,” since the late King had ordered him to marry her to rectify his actions.

He set his sights on a relative of an archbishop, a woman named Maior de Mendoza; a marriage with her would elevate his reputation and status.

It is unknown when the annulment was finalized, but it is certain that it was from Dona Maior de Mendoza that Payo welcomed his eldest son and future heir.

Later Life

Some historians believe that after her “divorce,” Maria worked as a servant in her former husband’s household, based on a document released by Payo in 1453.

In his will, he names a certain Maria as his servant:  

“…regarding my estate, that both the legitimate heirs of my wife Dona Maior and Doctor Diego Albrea, who has received gains from Maria Gomez, my servant who has passed away…” - *Colección Diplomática De Galicia Histórica, Volumes 1-2

Considering “Maria” and “Gomez” are extremely common names in Spanish areas, and that Maria was buried in a convent a few leagues away from her former husband’s burial place, it is possible that he could be referring to a completely different Maria Gomez.

There was no true reason for Maria to end her life as his servant; upon annulment, it was his duty to return the dowry, which was likely sponsored by King Henry, allowing her to care for herself or even remarry if she wished.

It is much more plausible that upon her “divorce,” Maria’s dowry was returned to her at some point, and she might have used her resources to support herself and the convent in which she would later be buried in.

The life of Catalina Sanchez de Palazuelos: She was one of the young maidens sent to King Henry III of Castille and the wife of his ambassador.  

Early Life  

The early life of Catalina is completely undocumented; her date of birth nor place of birth is known.  

It is suggested that she was a woman of Hungarian origin. Unlike Angelina, which was a name of Byzantine influence, Catalina’s name shows some sort of Latin influence. As for her title in Spain, it is “Catalina de Ungria.”  

First Capture  

It is believed that she was captured following the Battle of Nicopolis in 1396; however, it is also somewhat more probable that she was captured during the Ottoman's various raids in their neighboring borders, likely in one that has a large Hungarian population. In that case, it is almost impossible to determine when and where she was captured.  

Life In The Harem  

Catalina was mercifully one of the few Christian slaves in the harem, labeling her an unsuitable concubine for Sultan Bayezid. the fact that she would later be selected to be a “gift” to King Henry of Castille suggest that she was a beautiful woman, a common trait preferred for the female slaves of the Ottoman harem. 

Despite this, she likely worked as a simple servant, as most slaves did, before her second capture in 1402.  

Second Capture  

In 1402, following the Battle of Ankara and the plunder of Bursa, Catalina was one of the slaves who could not save themselves, as she would later be sent to Timur as war booty.  

She was either captured in Bursa or Yenisehir—depending on who she was serving—alongside Maria and Angelina, the other slaves who would accompany her on her journey to Castille.  

Upon being sent to the camp of Timur alongside the harem of Bayezid, Catalina was sent off as a “gift” to the correspondent of Timur: King Henry III of Castille.  

Hernán Sánchez de Palazuelos  

Her guardianship was entrusted under the care of Payo Gomez de Sotomayor and Hernan Sanchez de Palazuelos, two ambassadors of Henry who had been sent to Timur on a mission.  

Hernan (the one she would later go on to marry) worked as a knight, ambassador, and Lord of the village of Palazuelos de La Veiga Sollar. He had arrived a short time before the Battle of Ankara took place, and after the plunder was commanded and the booty collected, he, alongside Payo, were given the task of escorting the Christian maidens to their Lord.  

They arrived at the court of Henry in early 1403, meaning they had been traveling together for half a dozen months.  

Marriage To Lord Sánchez de Palazuelos  

Upon their arrival in Castille, King Henry is believed to have taken her and her companions under his care, which included sponsoring them and providing them with dowries.  

While Angelina and Maria were married to Diego Gonzales de Contreras and Payo Gomez de Sotomayor respectively, Henry found Hernan to be a suitable choice for a husband for Catalina.  

The couple likely took up residence in the Village of Palazuelos, where it is estimated that they shared at least one living child, as their descendant Hernan Sanchez de Palazuelos was recorded to have been in Portugal in the late 15th century.  

“A Castilian nobleman who entered Portugal in the service of his Excellency and was present at the Battle of Touro in 1475. He is a descendant of Fernao Sanches de la Placuella, lord of the village of Placuellas de La Viega Sollar, who served as Ambassador to the Great Tremulao for King Don Henrique of Castile. He was married to Dona Cat Sanches of Hungary.” - Nobiliário de famílias de Portugal, volume 23-24, pg 149  

If the claims of descendants in later generations are to be believed, it is likely that Catalina and Hernan had at least one child, likely a son due to the continuation of the surname Sanchez de Palazuelos. 

Death and Legacy  

Catalina and Hernan are believed to have passed away sometime in the late summer or early fall of 1435 and were put to rest in the Monastery of Santa Clara de Raparigos, as stated in their documents from September 6, 1435.  

As for their descendant, Hernan II married a noblewoman named Dona Ines Dias (Dona Eleonor in other sources) from Villa Real, where they established their residence and had offsprings.

Catalina is one of the few documeneted historical figures we have as a result of the plunder of Bursa. Servants/ladies-in-waiting are largely left completely behind when it comes to history, often ignored.

For that reason it is important to keep figures like Catalina who are victims the same as any other figure of influence in memory.