Saint Ferdinand III of Castile

## Life and Legacy Ferdinand III (c. 1199–1252) united the kingdoms of Castile and León under one crown and led the decisive campaigns that reclaimed Córdoba (1236), Jaén (1246), and Seville (1248) for Christendom. Known for his personal piety, he joined the Third Order of St. Francis and founded Dominican, Franciscan, Trinitarian, and Mercedarian houses throughout Andalusia. His tomb in Seville Cathedral bears inscriptions in four languages—Latin, Castilian, Arabic, and Hebrew—reflecting the diverse peoples of his realm. Pope Clement X canonized him in 1671. Today his incorrupt body rests in a silver and crystal urn beneath the altar of the Royal Chapel, visible to pilgrims on his feast day, 30 May. ## Patronage Saint Ferdinand is patron of Seville, the Spanish Army Corps of Engineers, engineers generally, and several localities in Spain and the Philippines.