THE FORTUNE OF THREE
The life of Catalina Sanchez de Palazuelos: She was one of the young maidens sent to King Henry III of Castille and the wife of his ambassador.
Early Life
The early life of Catalina is completely undocumented; her date of birth nor place of birth is known.
It is suggested that she was a woman of Hungarian origin. Unlike Angelina, which was a name of Byzantine influence, Catalina’s name shows some sort of Latin influence. As for her title in Spain, it is “Catalina de Ungria.”
First Capture
It is believed that she was captured following the Battle of Nicopolis in 1396; however, it is also somewhat more probable that she was captured during the Ottoman's various raids in their neighboring borders, likely in one that has a large Hungarian population. In that case, it is almost impossible to determine when and where she was captured.
Life In The Harem
Catalina was mercifully one of the few Christian slaves in the harem, labeling her an unsuitable concubine for Sultan Bayezid. the fact that she would later be selected to be a “gift” to King Henry of Castille suggest that she was a beautiful woman, a common trait preferred for the female slaves of the Ottoman harem.
Despite this, she likely worked as a simple servant, as most slaves did, before her second capture in 1402.
Second Capture
In 1402, following the Battle of Ankara and the plunder of Bursa, Catalina was one of the slaves who could not save themselves, as she would later be sent to Timur as war booty.
She was either captured in Bursa or Yenisehir—depending on who she was serving—alongside Maria and Angelina, the other slaves who would accompany her on her journey to Castille.
Upon being sent to the camp of Timur alongside the harem of Bayezid, Catalina was sent off as a “gift” to the correspondent of Timur: King Henry III of Castille.
Hernán Sánchez de Palazuelos
Her guardianship was entrusted under the care of Payo Gomez de Sotomayor and Hernan Sanchez de Palazuelos, two ambassadors of Henry who had been sent to Timur on a mission.
Hernan (the one she would later go on to marry) worked as a knight, ambassador, and Lord of the village of Palazuelos de La Veiga Sollar. He had arrived a short time before the Battle of Ankara took place, and after the plunder was commanded and the booty collected, he, alongside Payo, were given the task of escorting the Christian maidens to their Lord.
They arrived at the court of Henry in early 1403, meaning they had been traveling together for half a dozen months.
Marriage To Lord Sánchez de Palazuelos
Upon their arrival in Castille, King Henry is believed to have taken her and her companions under his care, which included sponsoring them and providing them with dowries.
While Angelina and Maria were married to Diego Gonzales de Contreras and Payo Gomez de Sotomayor respectively, Henry found Hernan to be a suitable choice for a husband for Catalina.
The couple likely took up residence in the Village of Palazuelos, where it is estimated that they shared at least one living child, as their descendant Hernan Sanchez de Palazuelos was recorded to have been in Portugal in the late 15th century.
“A Castilian nobleman who entered Portugal in the service of his Excellency and was present at the Battle of Touro in 1475. He is a descendant of Fernao Sanches de la Placuella, lord of the village of Placuellas de La Viega Sollar, who served as Ambassador to the Great Tremulao for King Don Henrique of Castile. He was married to Dona Cat Sanches of Hungary.” - Nobiliário de famílias de Portugal, volume 23-24, pg 149
If the claims of descendants in later generations are to be believed, it is likely that Catalina and Hernan had at least one child, likely a son due to the continuation of the surname Sanchez de Palazuelos.
Death and Legacy
Catalina and Hernan are believed to have passed away sometime in the late summer or early fall of 1435 and were put to rest in the Monastery of Santa Clara de Raparigos, as stated in their documents from September 6, 1435.
As for their descendant, Hernan II married a noblewoman named Dona Ines Dias (Dona Eleonor in other sources) from Villa Real, where they established their residence and had offsprings.
Catalina is one of the few documeneted historical figures we have as a result of the plunder of Bursa. Servants/ladies-in-waiting are largely left completely behind when it comes to history, often ignored.
For that reason it is important to keep figures like Catalina who are victims the same as any other figure of influence in memory.
(Sources: Nobiliário de famílias de Portugal. Two Christian princesses offered as Timur’s present for King Henry III of Castile, the analysis of the introduction to Ruy Gonzalez de Clavijo’s narrative (1403-1406) by Lukasz Burkiewicz. Colección Diplomática De Galicia Histórica, Volumes 1-2 by Antonio Lopez Ferreiro. Revisión y estudio de la obra poética de Micer Francisco Imperial by UNIVERSITAT DE VALÈNCIA.)