Editing Ferdinand IV of Castile (section)

==The Treaty of Alcañices (1297)==
{{main|Treaty of Alcañices (1297)}}
In 1296 the Dowager Queen María de Molina had threatened the Portuguese monarch with breaking the agreements of the previous year if his attacks on the Castilian territory persisted, before which King Denis of Portugal agreed to return with his troops to his domains.

Through the [[Treaty of Alcañices (1297)|Treaty of Alcañices]] were fixed, among other points, the borders between Castile and [[Kingdom of Portugal|Portugal]], which received a series of fortresses and towns in exchange for breaking their agreements with [[James II of Aragon]], [[Alfonso de la Cerda]], John of Castile and [[Juan Núñez II de Lara]].{{Sfn|González Mínguez|2004|p=228}}

At the same time, in the Treaty of Alcañices the projected marriage between Ferdinand IV and the ''Infanta'' Constance of Portugal was confirmed as well as the betrothal of [[Afonso IV of Portugal|Afonso of Portugal]], heir to the throne of Portugal, and ''[[Infanta]]'' [[Beatrice of Castile (1293–1359)|Beatrice]], sister of Ferdinand IV. On the other hand, the Portuguese monarch brought an army of 300 knights, placed under the orders of [[João Afonso Telo, 1st Count of Barcelos|João Afonso de Albuquerque]], to help María de Molina in her fight against John of Castile who until that moment had received the support of the King Denis of Portugal.

In addition, it was stipulated in the treaty that the towns and localities of [[Campo Maior, Portugal|Campo Maior]], [[Olivenza]], Ouguela and [[San Felices de los Gallegos]] would be surrendered to Denis de Portugal as compensation for the loss by Portugal during the reign of [[Afonso III of Portugal|Afonso III]] for a series of towns that were taken from him by [[Alfonso X of Castile]]. In addition, the Portuguese king also received the towns of [[Almeida, Portugal|Almeida]], Castelo Bom, Castelo Melhor, Castelo Rodrigo, Monforte, [[Sabugal, Portugal|Sabugal]], Sastres and Vilar Maior. The Castilian and Portuguese monarchs renounced their future mutual territorial claims and the prelates of the two kingdoms agreed on 13 September 1297 to support each other and defend themselves against the possible pretensions of other estates to deprive them of freedoms or privileges. The treaty was ratified not only by the two monarchs of both kingdoms, but also by several representatives of the nobiliary and ecclesiastical arms of both kingdoms, as well as by the Brotherhood of the councils of Castile and by its equivalent of the [[Kingdom of León]]. In the long term, the consequences of this treaty were long lasting, since the border between the two kingdoms was hardly modified in the course of the later centuries, becoming one of the longest frontiers of the European continent.

On the other hand, the Treaty of Alcañices contributed to secure the position of Ferdinand IV in the Castilian throne, who was insecure because of internal and external discords, and allowed Dowager Queen María de Molina to extend her freedom of movement in the absence of disputes with the Portuguese sovereign, who had come to support it in her fight against John of Castile, who, at that moment, was still controlling the territory of León.