Suero de Quinones was a Knight Who Spent a Month Camped Next to a Bridge with 10 of His Friends to Challenge Every Knight Who Crossed to Joust for No Reason.

Suero de Quinones, also known as El del Passo, was a night and author born in the Kingdom of Leon. He gained popularity for staging a pas d’armes at the river Orbigo. But did you know why Quinones chose to challenge every night who crossed the river?

Suero de Quinones, a knight who spent a month, camped next to a bridge with ten of his friends to challenge every knight who crossed to a joust for no reason other than to break 300 lances.

Was it For Love or a Publicity Stunt? 

Was it For Love or a Publicity Stunt? 

Don Suero’s stated motivation for defending the bridge was that only victory would free him from his obsession with Doa Leonor de Tovar. Every Thursday, he wore an iron collar around his neck to symbolize the prison in which she held his heart, and he claimed to be in excruciating pain due to this unrequited love.

The tournament took months to organize, and it had the full support and sponsorship of King Juan II of Castile. Sixty-eight knights from all over Europe responded to the challenge, which became known as the El Paso Honroso defense or The Path of Honor.

Don Suero and his nine companions defended the bridge from July 10 to August 9, 1434. On the final date, with every defender, including Don Suero, suffering from serious injuries but no challenger having crossed the bridge, the judges declared him victorious and free of the iron collar.

The notary Pero Rodrguez de Lena had been appointed by King Juan II as a scribe to record the details of the month-long tournament. A Franciscan priest, Juan de Pineda, transcribed the events into an engaging narrative, El Libro del Passo Honroso, which helped spread Don Suero de Quinones’ legend throughout Spain. (Source: Latino Rebels) 

According to Father Pineda’s account, after the defenders’ wounds healed, Don Suero and his companions made the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela to thank the apostle for their victory. Don Suero left behind an iron collar attached to a gold chain, which is now on display in the cathedral’s museum.  (Source: Latino Rebels) 

Ritterturnier bis zum Tod

Dona Leonor de Tovar, Don Sueros ritterliche Liebe, stimmte zu, ihn nach seiner Rückkehr nach León zu heiraten. Sie scheinen glücklich bis ans Lebensende gelebt zu haben. Don Gutierre de Quijada, ein Ritter, der am Turnier teilgenommen hatte und lange über seine Niederlage beim El Paso Honroso verbittert war, forderte Don Suero in einem Turnier in der Nähe der Stadt Castroverde vierundzwanzig Jahre später heraus und tötete ihn.

Ungeachtet des tragischen Endes von Don Sueros Leben blieb die Herausforderung der Brücke von Hospital de Orbigo das berühmteste Turnier im mittelalterlichen Europa. Der wahre Zweck des Wettbewerbs, verborgen hinter dem literarischen Vorwand unerwiderter Liebe, war, dass Kastilien mehrere Spiele, die von anderen spanischen Königreichen organisiert wurden, übertreffen sollte. (Quelle: Latino Rebels)

Das Erbe der Turnierlegende

Don Suero de Quinones erlangte einen Platz in der Geschichte, indem er dieses legendäre Ereignis schuf. In seiner Heimatstadt León und in Madrid gibt es Straßen, die nach ihm benannt sind. Jedes Jahr, an einem Wochenende und mit tausenden Zuschauern, wird die Herausforderung des El Paso Honroso neben der Brücke von Hospital de Orbigo nachgestellt. (Quelle: Latino Rebels)

Bild von FascinatingSpain