Ramiro II of León

Ramiro II (c. 900–951), son of Ordoño II, was King of León from 931 until his death. Initially titular king only of a lesser part of Asturias, he gained the crown of León (and with it, Galicia) after his brother Alfonso IV abdicated in 931.

Ramiro was the creator of a Navarrese, Leonine and Aragonese coalition that defeated the Muslims in the Battle of Simancas (939). This victory allowed the advance of the Leonine border of the Duero to the Tormes.

In the last years of his reign he could not avoid Castilian independence under the direction of Count Fernán González, but still in 950 he launched an expedition to the valley of the Edge and defeated the Muslims at Talavera.

He married twice, first to Adosinda Gutierrez, daughter of Gutier Osoriz and Ildonzia Menendez and niece of Ramiro's mother, and by her had sons Bermudo and Ordoño III, and presumably daughter Teresa, wife of García Sánchez I of Pamplona. He subsequently married Urraca, sister of García, having Sancho I and Elvira.

References

*Spanish language articles:
** [http://www.diariodeleon.es/especiales/2004/historialeon/noticia.jsp?TEXTO=2928803 El rey del Noroeste español]
** [http://www.diariodeleon.es/especiales/2004/historialeon/noticia.jsp?TEXTO=2931107 Baile de coronas, crisis interna]
** [http://www.diariodeleon.es/especiales/2004/historialeon/noticia.jsp?TEXTO=2934315 Grandes batallas y grandes botines]
** [http://www.diariodeleon.es/especiales/2004/historialeon/noticia.jsp?TEXTO=2936352 Demostración de fuerza]