Ferdinand III of Castile
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.