Basque señoríos

The Basque Señoríos were medieval hereditary land titles over an area called "señorío", awarded by a king and related to the concept of manorialism. The Basque term is "jaurerria" (pronounced|xauˈɾeria), means "lord's country" and usually relates to the señoríos of the Basque Country. Either term frequently refers to the most important of these, the "Bizkaiko Jaurerria" or "Señorío de Vizcaya" (Lordship of Biscay) as it is known in Spanish. Most other Basque "jauerriak" were much smaller, such as the "Oñatiko Jaurerria" ("Señorío de Oñate").

This title conferred considerable powers into the hands of the Lord of Bizakaia which in other area were directly controlled by the king. A "señor" was the judicial and military high authority, was entitled to rule directly without referring to the king, had the power to appoint civil servants and was entitled to collect taxes.

Historical development

After the Sancho III of Navarre annexed Castile in 1029, the titles to the Lordship of Biscay were granted by the Kings of Navarre. This early "core" of Biscay consisted of:
*the Lur Laua or "Tierra Llana", the "flat" (i.e. not fortified) lands of Biscay which were organised in elizates.
*the chartered cities and towns of Biscay: Balmaseda, Bermeo, Bilbao, Durango, Ermua, Gernika, Lanestosa, Lekeitio, Markina, Ondarroa, Otxandio, Portugalete, Plentzia and Urduña.To these were added the Enkarterri and the area around Durango (called "Durangaldea" in Basque, "Duranguesado" in Spanish) at a later date.

After the Kingdom of Navarre disintegrated during the 12th century and was annexed by Castile, titles over lands were awarded to the nobility by the Kings of Castile. They continued to exist in various forms until 1876 when the Basque foral rights or fueros were abolished.

Lords of Biscay

The Legendary Lords

According to the 14th century historian Lope García de Salazar, there were five Lords prior to those known to us from the historical record:
*Jaun Lope Zuria ("Lord Lope the White"), also known simply as "Jaun Zuria" ("the white lord"), or "Don Blanco" or "Don Zurián" in Spanish. He is said to have beaten the Asturians and Leonese in the Battle of Padura in 840 and subsequently honoured with the title of Lord of Biscay in 888 by the Biscaynes.
*909-920 Munso/Nunso López, son of Jaun Zuria.
*920-924 Ínigo Esquira "El Zurdo", son of Munso López
*924-931 Lope II Íñiguez, also known as Lope Díaz "El Lindo" and son of Ínigo Esquira.
*931-993 Sancho López, son of Lope II Íñiguez.

House of Haro

The House of Haro was the most powerful family of Castile at that time and strongly supported the expansionist policies of Alfonso VI of Castile. As a reward, Íñigo López was named the first Lord of Biscay.

*1040-1077 Íñigo López "Ezquerra" ("The Left"). He appears in documents as "Comes Enneco Lopiz Vizcayensis" but little is known about his life except that he gifted the castle and church of San Juan de Gaztelugatxe to the monastery of San Juan de la Peña and that he was married to Toda Ortiz with whom he had 5 children.
*1077-1093 Lope Íñiguez, son of Íñigo López. According to documents in the monastery of San Millán de la Cogolla he supported Alfonso VI of Castile who annexed Álava, the Rioja and parts of Biscay and Guipúzcoa following the assassination of Sancho IV of Navarre. In return, Lope Íñiguez was given additional lands to enlarge his señorío. He was married to Tecla Díaz, daughter of Diego Álvarez de Oca with whom he had 5 children.
*1093-1124 Diego López I de Haro "El Blanco" ("the white"), son of Lope Íñiguez. He fought against the Cid alongside the king and in return was granted to settlement of Haro by Alfonso VI of Castile. He was the first to take the title "de Haro" and built a castle in an unknown location in Haro. He was married to Lady Almicena, daughter of the Lord of Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port with who he had one child.
*1124-1170 Lope Díaz I de Haro
*1170-1214 Diego López II de Haro "El Bueno" ("the good")
*1214-1236 Lope Díaz II de Haro "Cabeza Brava" ("the hothead")
*1236-1254 Diego López III de Haro
*1254-1288 Lope Díaz III de Haro
*1288-1289 Diego López IV de Haro
*1289-1295 María Díaz de Haro, first reign
*1295-1310 Diego López V de Haro "El Intruso" ("the intruder")
*1310-1322 María Díaz de Haro, second reign
*1322-1326 Juan de Haro "El Tuerto" ("one-eyed")
*1326-1333 María Díaz de Haro, third reign

House of Burgundy

*1333-1334 Alfonso XI of Castile

House of Haro and Lara

*1334-1349 María Díaz II de Haro with Juan Núñez de Lara
*1334-1350 Juan Núñez de Lara
*1350-1355 Nuño de Lara
*1355-1359 Juana de Lara

House of Trastámara

*1355-1369(?) Tello of Castile
*1369(?)-1379 John I of Castile

Since 1379, the title has been held by the ruling monarch of Spain.

Lords of Guipúzcoa

The "Señorío de Guipúzcoa", as it is known in Spanish, was annexed by Alfonso VIII of Castile early on in 1200.

Lords of Álava

Álava was a señorío from about 1100 onwards when the titles to the "Señorío de Álava" were awarded by Queen Urraca of Castile, later by the Kings of Navarre before falling back to the Castilian crown. The last areas of the "Señorío de Álava", as it is known in Spanish, were annexed by Alfonso XI of Castile in 1332.

Lords of Oñati

Between 1149 and 1845 the Lords of Oñati all hailed from the Gebara ("Guevara" in Spanish) family. Their titles as Lords of Oñati were originally conferred by the Kings of Navarre and after the the annexation of Guipúzcoa in 1201 by the Kings of Castile. The title was lost in 1845 when Oñati was incorporated into the province of Guipúzcoa. Some members of the Gebara family included:
*Pedro Vélez de Guevara
*Íñigo Vélez de Guevara (1566-1644)
*Beltrán Vélez de Guevara (?-1652)
*Íñigo Vélez de Guevara (1642–1699)

References

*Kasper, M. "Baskische Geschichte" Primus: 1997
* [http://fmg.ac/ Foundation for Medieval Genealogy]