Ferdinand III of Castile

Ferdinand III
An artist's depiction of Ferdinand
King of León and Galicia
Reign	24 September 1230 — 30 May 1252
Coronation	28 September 1230
Predecessor	Alfonso IX
Successor	Alfonso X
King of Castile and Toledo
Reign	31 August 1217 — 30 May 1252
Coronation	6 October 1217
Predecessor	Berengaria
Successor	Alfonso X
Born	(1199-08-05)5 August 1199 Monastery of Valparaíso, Peleas de Arriba, Kingdom of León
Died	30 May 1252(1252-05-30) (aged 52) Seville
Burial	1 June 1252 Seville Cathedral
Spouse	Elisabeth of Hohenstaufen (m. 1219; died 1235) Joan, Countess of Ponthieu (m. 1237)
Issue	Alfonso X, King of Castile Frederick, Infante of Castile and León Henry, Infante of Castile and León Philip, Lord of Valdecorneja Sancho, Archbishop of Seville Manuel, Lord of Villena Ferdinand II, Count of Aumale Eleanor, Queen of England
House	Ivrea
Father	Alfonso IX of León
Mother	Berengaria of Castile
Religion	Roman Catholicism

Saint Ferdinand III of Castile
Portrait of Ferdinand as a Saint
Saint, Defender of the Faith, King
Venerated in	Catholic Church and Catholic Church in Spain
Canonized	4 February 1671, Rome by Pope Clement X
Major shrine	Seville Cathedral, Seville
Feast	30 May
Patronage	Seville, Aranjuez, San Fernando de Henares, Maspalomas, Pivijay, Monarchy of Spain, Spain

Ferdinand III (Spanish: Fernando III; 5 August 1199 — 30 May 1252) also known as Saint Ferdinand (Spanish: San Fernando) and nicknamed the Saint (Spanish: el Santo) 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.