Ferdinand III of Castile

Ferdinand III (; 5 August 1199 — 30 May 1252) also known as Saint Ferdinand () and nicknamed the Saint () was the King of León and Galicia from 1230 until his death in 1252. He was also the King of Castile and Toledo from 1217 to 1252. He successfully united Castile with León during his reign.

By military and diplomatic efforts, Ferdinand greatly expanded the dominions of Castile by conquering the crown of Guadalquivir river valley in the south of the Iberian Peninsula, establishing the boundaries of the Castilian state for the next two centuries. New territories included important cities such as Baeza, Úbeda, Jaén, Córdoba and Seville, that were subject of Repartimiento, given a new general charter and repopulated in the following years. Ferdinand died in 1252 at the age of 53 due to a dropsy. He was succeeded by his son, Alfonso X.

Ferdinand had a great reputation. He was one of Castile's most successful monarchs. Because he was a very religious person, he was canonized in 1671 by Pope Clement X. Places such as the cities of San Fernando, Pampanga and San Fernando, La Union; the Diocese of Ilagan and the San Fernando de Dilao Church in Paco, Manila in the Philippines; and in the United States, in California the City of San Fernando, the San Fernando Valley, and in Texas the Cathedral of San Fernando in San Antonio were named in his honor.

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Category:1201 births
Category:1252 deaths
Category:13th-century Castilian monarchs
Category:13th-century Leonese monarchs
Category:Kings and queens