Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar (c. 1043 – 1099) was a
Castilian nobleman and military leader in medieval Spain. He was called
El Cid (
the Lord) by the
Moors and
El Campeador (
the Outstanding Warrior) by
Christians. He was born in
Vivar, a town near the city of Burgos. After his death, he became the legendary
national hero of Castile, and the protagonist of
Cantar de Mio Cid, a medieval Spanish epic poem.