Sancho, Archbishop of Seville

## Sancho of Brandenburg

Archbishop of Seville

**Sancho of Brandenburg** (June 11, 1174 - January 8, 1223) was Archbishop of Seville from his appointation until his death in 1223. He was born the youngest child of Konrad I of Bradenburg and Berengaria of Castile, when he was 5 years old, his mother became Queen of Castile, and Sancho assumed the title Infante of Castile, and Infante of Toledo, but his mother abdicated 1 year later, in favour of Sancho's half brother Ferdinand III of Castile, Sancho was raised in the Toledo Cathedral by Castilian nuns, and Sancho rarely saw his parents as they were always away. When Sancho was 16, he became a priest as he found interest in the Catholic religion. Sancho lived in Toledo until Pope Alexander IV appointed Sancho as Archbishop of Seville, and Sancho moved from Toledo to the Archbishop's Palace of Seville, where he started a religious school to teach young boys and girls of the importance of Christianity and the Catholic religion, he died at age 49 in Seville, his body was taken to Vatican City to be buried in St. Peter's Basilica.

## Early Life

### Childhood

Sancho was born on June 11, 1174 to Konrad I of Bradenburg and Berengaria of Castile in Brandenburg Castle in what is now Germany, he was brought to Castile when he was 6 weeks old, so his mother could continue to act as regent for Sancho's uncle Henry I of Castile. Sancho's mom was often busy, so Sancho was sent to Toledo Cathedral to be raised by nuns, while his older siblings were raised by school tutors. Sancho had 3 siblings, Maria, Fredrick, and Alfonso along with one half sibling named Ferdinand of Léon and Castile. In Toledo Cathedral, he learned religion and the basic male education at the time, when Sancho was 5, his mother murdered his uncle and became Queen of Castile in her own right which gave Sancho the permanent title of Infante of Castile and Toledo, but she abdicated her throne in favour of Sancho's older-12 year old-half-brother who became Ferdinand III of Castile, Sancho still kept his titles as Infante though.

### Priesthood

When Sancho turned 16 in 1190, he decided to become a priest in the Toledo Cathedral as he found great interest in the Catholic Religion, by becoming a priest he gave up his chance to marry, have children, and go to war, but sense he was a royal prince, he was entitled to a large sum of money by his family and the Pope. He shaved his head and took a priesthood vow to remain a virgin. Sancho often visited his half-brother in Castile which the 2 were close.

## Archbishop of Seville

When Pope Innocent IV died, the college of Cardinals elected, Pope Alexander IV as the new Pope, Alexander took special interest in the Castilian royal family as he was raised in Burgos, Castile. So after the Archbishop of Seville died from a heart attack, he appointed Sancho Archbishop of Seville which gave Sancho co-athority of Castile alongside his brother Ferdinand who was named King of Seville, as Seville was apart of the Crown of Castile. He moved to the Archbishop's Palace of Seville and he was inugurated Archbishop by Pope Alexander IV, 9 days after he became Archbishop, he along with the Archbishop of Lisbon blessed the marriage of his sister Maria and Alfonso, Prince of Portugal in 1199.

### Schools

Sancho started schools all over Seville to spread the teachings of the Catholic religion, Sancho also thought young boys that instead of working as the usual jobs in the high middle ages like farming, and being Stonemasons, he told them to instead become Crusaders to spread Christianity. He started the St. John's Seville Cathedral where he thought both genders of Christianity and God.

## Death

John's life was short as during his late 40's he started becoming weaker and weaker, he had to hire a priest to assume his job as Sancho was unfit, but Sancho and his doctors were sure he would get better as he only had a mild case of Yellow fever, so he wen't back on duty when he was 49 to re-assume his role, but Sancho's health continued to get worse, after a trip to Portugal to visit his sister who was now Queen of Portugal, he wen't to bed and never woke up again, he died in in his sleep of yellow fever, it took a few days to send Sancho's body all the way to Vatican City where he was buried in St. Peters Basilica next to the Archbishop of Burgos. His schools still remain today all across Seville.