García Gómez

Who is García Gómez?

García Gómez was a Leonese count, at least from 971. He was the eldest son of Gómez Díaz and Muniadomna Fernández, daughter of Fernán González, Count of Castile. From his father he inherited the counties of Saldaña, Carrión, and Liébana.

By a charter dated 15 May 984 García donated some property at Calzadilla de Cueza to the Monastery of Sahagún. On 1 September 986 he witnessed a donation of his supposed uncle Osorio Díaz of the villa Arcello to the same monastery.

García married Muniadomna, daughter of Gonzalo Vermúdez and Ildonza Ramírez and a niece of Velasquita Ramírez, the queen of Vermudo II of León. In 988–9 he and his father-in-law, perhaps with the support of the Ansúrez clan, were in rebellion against Vermudo II. Leagued with Almanzor, the Muslim hajib, who marched on León, the rebels forced Vermudo to take refuge in Galicia and expelled the counts of Monzón from the Tierra de Campos. The entire land between Zamora and Castie, including León itself, was in the hands of García, governing under the authority of Almanzor. He went so far as to title himself "ruling in León" in the early months of 990.