RICHARD THE LIONHEART

The sword of Ricardo Heart of Leon always was to the service of the crossed ones and England.

Third son of Enrique II of England, had the titles of Duke of Aquitania and Normandía and count of Anjou. He reigned in the period between 1189-99. He caused that the count of Toulouse lent tribute to him in 1175, which increased his power and he urged to him a war with his brothers. 

In 1173-74 and 1189-89 it was rebelled against its father, supported by Felipe II of France. To the death of its father Enrique II in 1189 and of his older brothers, it inherited the crown of England and it undid its alliance with the French monarch. It married with Berenguela of Navarre and consolidated the expansive policy of England around the Atlantic dominion, one seted out to extend its control on the Mediterranean. 

Richard 'The Lionheart' sword  in finished gold.

By this it took Crossed party in Third, along with Felipe II of France. Thus, they were able to take Messina and Cyprus in 1190 and Pungent one in 1191, although they could not conquer Jerusalem. Acre was invaded in a month, having obtained that same year the important victory of Arsuf against Saladino, that will make possible the taking of Joppa. Broken the alliance between both kings, Felipe II returned to France and collaborated in the conspiracy of Juan Without Earth, brother of Ricardo, to take the English throne. 

During the absence of Ricardo, king Felipe of France obtained the obtaining of the French possessions of Ricardo through negotiations. In the meantime, Ricardo decided with Saladino (1192), Muslim sovereign, an agreement by which the Christians conserved Acre and she was allowed the visit them to the holy places of Jerusalem, after which he undertook the trip from return to England. Being in Earth Santa, it fought untiringly managing to obtain the title of "Corazón de León".

Image of  Ricardo Corazon de Leon with its sword and its shield.

Ricardo was returning of Earth Santa and was catched in Austria during little more of a year by Leopoldo of Austria, an old enemy since, time back in the crossed ones, Ricardo had committed serious offenses against him and its standard. 

At the beginning of 1193, Ricardo was transferred to the safekeeping of the emperor Enrique I SAW, who obtained the payment of 100,000 marks in exchange for his liberation, that his brother Juan did not want to pay, but that her mother forced to him to do it. 

During its absence of England, the administration worked remarkably well, increased its prestige as monarch thanks to its Earth conquests Santa. In 1194 Ricardo managed to arrive at England. In its return, Ricardo was crowned again in Winchester. It lasted very little there, since its desire to continue conquering took to territories of France.

It had to fight against Felipe II to recover the continental territories taken by this one during its absence. The last years of its life it dedicated them to the construction of the strength of Château-Gaillard on the Seine. Ricardo in 1199 passed away, five years after its return to England and his second coronation, in the siege to the castle of Châlus, in the Limousin, hurt by a poisoned arrow. 

Ricardo Corazón de León sword with handle grip.

Fighting there helped by his men combat engineers that dedicated to excavate tunnel under castle to obtain that it collapsed, man, that had remained bet in one of the watchtowers and that had been the target of all the arrows but no hurt to him because it protected myself with a great frying pan, sent an arrow on Ricardo, hurting it in its left shoulder, near the vertebrae of the neck. 

When the king received that wound, he sent to no sigh neither complaint, nor left no suffering was marked in its face or its gestures. It was applied to him with extreme well-taken care of all type of emplastos but, little by little, the wounds began to put themselves black and to swell themselves more and more. Ricardo knew that no longer it had salvation, and sent a letter to its mother. The king arranged that his brain, bleeds and entrails were buried in Charroux, of the Berry; its heart, in Rouen; and its body in Fontevrault, on the feet of its father. It died the 6 of April, Tuesday before the Domingo de Resurreccio'n, 10 days after to be hurt. And his they buried it according to its will.

In 1199, his brother Juan happened to be king, invaded Normandía successful. Around year 1200 one retired to England, losing his French earth in 1205.

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