Velasgutto de Ayala

Belasgytto, Vela "el Santo" or Velasco, <> was the legendary founder of the house of Ayala. He is said to be illegitimate son of Sancho Ramirez of Navarre in an Ayala history of the 14th century, [Juan Contreras y López de Ayala, Marqués de Lozoya, "Introducción a la biographía del Canciller Ayala, con apéndices documentales", Bilbao, 1950, 123-4.] but he alternatively appears as son of Ramiro I of Aragon and a lady of the House of Barcelona. While a descent from the Kings of Aragon is unsupportable, it has been speculated that this may reflect a confused memory of feudal links to the similarly named Kings of Viguera. He is said to have been sent to the marches of Biscay, forming a marriage alliance with the local lords, who were in rebellion from Pamplona in support of the attempt of king Alfonso VI of Castile to claim this eastern territory of Castile, which had been in possession of the Kingdom of Navarre for decades.

The House of Lords in Ayala, supposedly founded by him, produced many prominent and distinguished royal officials of the Spanish/Castilian military class, and renown figures in the Arts. The best known was Pero Lopez de Ayala.

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