High Middle Ages · Europe · War

1101

Death of Cid Campeador's widow at Valencia

1101

Jimena Diaz, widow of Rodrigo Diaz de Vivar, the Castilian mercenary whose exploits Christian and Muslim chroniclers agreed were spectacular, finally surrendered Valencia to the Almoravids after three years of holding it for her husband's bones. The last relic of the Cid's reputation was his unburied corpse. Jimena torched the city rather than leave it intact, and the Cid's remains were carried north to burial at San Pedro de Cardena.