hurch was built to contain
the remains of the saint; the same building was to serve as a royal
pantheon.

About a century later Alfonso VII. was battling against the pagans in
Andalusia when, in the field of Baeza, the "warlike apparition of San
Isidoro appeared in the heavens and encouraged the Christian soldiers."

Thanks to this divine aid, the Moors were beaten, and Alfonso VII.,
returning to Leon, enriched the saint's shrine, enlarged it, and raised
it to a suffragan church, destined later to serve as the temporary see
while the building of the real cathedral was going on.

In 1135 Alfonso VII. was crowned Emperor of the West Roman Empire with
extraordinary pomp and splendour in the Church of San Isidoro. The
apogee of Leon's importance and power coincides with this memorable
event.

The emperor's sister, Sancha, a pious infanta, bequeathed her vast
fortune as well as her palace to San Isidoro, her favourite saint; the
church in Leon became, consequently, one of the richest in Spain, a
privilege it was, however, unable to retain for any length of time.

In 1029, shortly after the erection of the primitive building, its front
was sullied, according to the tradition, by the blood of one Count
Garcia of Castile. The following is the story:

The King of Asturias at the time was Bermudo II., married to Urraca, the
daughter of Count Sancho of Castile. Political motives had produced this
union, for the Condes de Castile had grown to be the most important and
powerful feudal lords of the kingdom.

To assure the count's assistance and friendship, the king went even
further: he promised his sister Sancha to the count's son Garcia, who
lost no time in visiting Leon so as to become acquainted with his future
spouse.

Three sons of the defeated Count of Vela, a Basque nobleman whom the
Counts of Castile had put to death, were in the city at the time.
Pretending to be very friendly with the young _fiance_, they conspired
against his life, and, knowing that he paid matinal visits to San
Isidoro, they hid in the portal one day, and slew the youth as he
entered.

The promised bride arrived in haste and fell weeping on the body of the
murdered man; she wept bitterly and prayed to be allowed to be buried
with her sweetheart. Her prayer was, of course, not granted: so she
swore she would never marry. She was not long in breaking this oath,
however, for a few months later she wedded a prince of the house of
Navarra.

The