Lope Díaz I de Haro
Encyclopedia
Lope Díaz I de Haro was the fourth Lord of Biscay
(from at least 1162). He was an important magnate in Castile
during the reign of the Emperor Alfonso VII and in the kingdom of his son and grandson. Between 1147 and 1168 he is recorded as governing Old Castile
on behalf of the crown.
and María Sánchez. On his father's death in 1124, Alfonso the Battler
seized the Basque señoríos
and the Rioja
, annexing them to the Kingdom of Navarre
. By 17 June 1125 the Battler was in the castle of Haro
. Diego was succeeded by the Navarrese magnate Ladrón Íñiguez
. Lope was, at the time, probably a youth of about twenty years of age. He is recorded in the Chronica Adefonsi imperatoris (I, §7) among the eleven Castilian noblemen who swore fealty Alfonso VII upon his succession in 1126.
Lope was appointed a count
by 1 February 1135. By the next year (1136) he had been given the government of Nájera
, which was to be the centre of his power until his death. By 1138 he was holding Álava
and by 1140 Haro, the castle from which his father took the family name. In that year, however, he rebelled and was dispossessed. He seems to have been reconciled to the emperor and reinstated by 1143. In 1146 he was with the imperial court in September and again in November. There is no record of Lope's participation in the conquest of Almería
(1147), but it is not unlikely.
In 1149 the emperor made Nájera the capital of a subkingdom for his eldest son, Sancho “the Desired”
, but by August 1154 Lope had received de facto control of it again, although he had to wait until August 1155 to be formally re-installed as lord of Nájera. At some point Lope entrusted the government of Nájera to a certain vassal of his, Lucas López, whom he had knighted himself. After the death of Alfonso VII, Lope served Sancho as alférez
between November 1157 and July 1158, although in December 1157 that post was briefly held by Pedro Fernández. on 29 November 1157 he issued a fuero
to the town of Fañuela.
In 1162 Sancho's son and successor, Alfonso VIII, granted Lope the Trasmiera
, the Rioja
, and Biscay to govern as tenencias. In that year he used the high-sounding title Count of Nájera and Biscay (comes naiarensis atque bizchayensis) for the first time.
, Arratia and Guernica
. The founding charter was drawn up by a scribe named John, a chaplain of Santa María la Real de Nájera, and the original survives. Lope subscribed the document with his own hand and embellished his signature with a large cross, the rough features of which suggest the count's lack of familiarity with the pen. It leaves open the question of how literate Lope may have been. In 1169 Lope founded a Cistercian convent at Hayuela (Fayola) in the Rioja. In 1170 it was re-founded at nearby Cañas
.
In 1168 Lope gave his brother Sancho his property in the monastery of San Cipriano and in Villamezquina.
is not recorded in primary document and her parentage has been much discussed. The earliest authority to name her father was Pedro de Barcelos in the fourteenth century, who called her Aldonza Ruiz de Castro, a daughter of Rodrigo Fernández de Castro and Elo Álvarez, although she is not mentioned among Rodrigo's children in the De rebus Hispaniae
. A century later Lope García de Salazar called his wife Mencía, a daughter of Arias. Luis de Salazar y Castro
believed that Lope had an earlier wife, name unknown, who bore him several sons, among them Lope López, who married María de Almenar. This thesis is based in part on the assumption that Lope Díaz was not the type to sire children outside of marriage. Most recently José María Canal Sánchez-Pagín has dissented from the view that Aldonza was a Castilian like her husband. She was widowed while her offspring were still young, and they rose to positions of importance in the León
and Galicia
, where they would have been considered foreigners if their mother was not a Leonese or Galician.
Considering Aldonza's longevity (she outlived her husband by about forty years, and was probably at least thirty years his junior), she must have been born around 1135. Jaime de Salazar y Acha, in his study of the Vela family, suggested that she was a daughter of Rodrigo Vélaz
, and Canal Sánchez-Pagín originally suggested that she was his granddaughter, a daughter of Álvaro Rodríguez
. In a document of 1182 recording a donation to San Prudencio de Monte Laturce that survives only in a Spanish translation by Gaspar Coronel, Aldonza calls herself a first cousin (consobrina) of Rodrigo Álvarez
, son of Álvaro Rodríguez and Sancha Fernández de Traba. It is most likely, then, that she was a daughter of Sancha's brother, Gonzalo Fernández de Traba
. She is known to have had close relations with Gonzalo's other children, Gómez
and Urraca. She was a daughter of Gonzalo by his first wife, Elvira, a daughter of Rodrigo Vélaz.
Besides his heir, Diego II
, Lope Díaz had three sons—García, Lope, and Rodrigo—and eight daughters—Aldonza, Elvira, Estefanía, María, Mencía, Sancha, Toda, and Urraca
, who married Ferdinand II of León
as his final wife. Lope died on 6 May 1170, a date confirmed by the Annales compostellani
. By June 1171, his widow had entered the convent at Cañas, where for over thirty years she acted as de facto abbess. She was still living in May 1207, when she made a donation to San Marcos de León.
Lord of Biscay
Lord of Biscay is a historical title of the head of state of the autonomous territory of Biscay, Basque Country.- History :The first known Lord of Biscay , Íñigo López "Ezkerra" was a lieutenant of the Kingdom of Pamplona , and this was until the Castilian conquest of Gipuzkoa in 1200...
(from at least 1162). He was an important magnate in Castile
Kingdom of Castile
Kingdom of Castile was one of the medieval kingdoms of the Iberian Peninsula. It emerged as a political autonomous entity in the 9th century. It was called County of Castile and was held in vassalage from the Kingdom of León. Its name comes from the host of castles constructed in the region...
during the reign of the Emperor Alfonso VII and in the kingdom of his son and grandson. Between 1147 and 1168 he is recorded as governing Old Castile
Old Castile
Old Castile is a historic region of Spain, which included territory that later corresponded to the provinces of Santander , Burgos, Logroño , Soria, Segovia, Ávila, Valladolid, Palencia....
on behalf of the crown.
Political career
Lope was the eldest son of Diego López IDiego López I de Haro
Diego López I de Haro was the third Lord of Biscay, and also the ruler of Álava, Buradón, Grañón, Nájera, Haro, and perhaps Guipúzcoa: the most powerful Castilian magnate in the Basque Country and the Rioja during the first quarter of the twelfth century...
and María Sánchez. On his father's death in 1124, Alfonso the Battler
Alfonso the Battler
Alfonso I , called the Battler or the Warrior , was the king of Aragon and Navarre from 1104 until his death in 1134. He was the second son of King Sancho Ramírez and successor of his brother Peter I...
seized the Basque señoríos
Basque señoríos
The Basque señoríos were medieval hereditary land titles over an area called señorío , recognized by a king to former basque chieftains in relation to the concept of manorialism in exchange for sworn allegiance. The Basque term is jaurerria , means "lord's country" and usually relates to the...
and the Rioja
Rioja
Rioja or La Rioja may refer to:Spain*Rioja, Almería*La Rioja , a province and autonomous community in northern Spain**Rioja , red and white wines from the province**La Rioja **University of La Rioja...
, annexing them to the Kingdom of Navarre
Kingdom of Navarre
The Kingdom of Navarre , originally the Kingdom of Pamplona, was a European kingdom which occupied lands on either side of the Pyrenees alongside the Atlantic Ocean....
. By 17 June 1125 the Battler was in the castle of Haro
Haro, La Rioja
Haro is a town and municipality in the northwest of La Rioja province in northern Spain. It is known for its fine red wine and every year the Haro Wine Festival is held where locals hold a wine battle....
. Diego was succeeded by the Navarrese magnate Ladrón Íñiguez
Ladrón Íñiguez
Ladrón Íñiguez , also known as Ladrón Navarro, was one of the most illustrious noblemen of the Kingdom of Navarre during the reign of García Ramírez , whose accession he was instrumental in bringing about. He is regularly titled count , the highest rank in the kingdom, after 1135...
. Lope was, at the time, probably a youth of about twenty years of age. He is recorded in the Chronica Adefonsi imperatoris (I, §7) among the eleven Castilian noblemen who swore fealty Alfonso VII upon his succession in 1126.
Lope was appointed a count
Count
A count or countess is an aristocratic nobleman in European countries. The word count came into English from the French comte, itself from Latin comes—in its accusative comitem—meaning "companion", and later "companion of the emperor, delegate of the emperor". The adjective form of the word is...
by 1 February 1135. By the next year (1136) he had been given the government of Nájera
Nájera
Nájera is a small town located in the "Rioja Alta" region of La Rioja, Spain on the river Najerilla. Nájera is a stopping point on the Way of St James.-History:...
, which was to be the centre of his power until his death. By 1138 he was holding Álava
Álava
Álava is a province of Spain and a historical territory of the Basque Country, heir of the ancient Lord of Álava. Its capital city is Vitoria-Gasteiz which is also the capital of the autonomous community...
and by 1140 Haro, the castle from which his father took the family name. In that year, however, he rebelled and was dispossessed. He seems to have been reconciled to the emperor and reinstated by 1143. In 1146 he was with the imperial court in September and again in November. There is no record of Lope's participation in the conquest of Almería
Almería
Almería is a city in Andalusia, Spain, on the Mediterranean Sea. It is the capital of the province of the same name.-Toponym:Tradition says that the name Almería stems from the Arabic المرية Al-Mariyya: "The Mirror", comparing it to "The Mirror of the Sea"...
(1147), but it is not unlikely.
In 1149 the emperor made Nájera the capital of a subkingdom for his eldest son, Sancho “the Desired”
Sancho III of Castile
Sancho III was King of Castile and Toledo for one year, from 1157 to 1158. During the Reconquista, in which he took an active part, he founded the Order of Calatrava...
, but by August 1154 Lope had received de facto control of it again, although he had to wait until August 1155 to be formally re-installed as lord of Nájera. At some point Lope entrusted the government of Nájera to a certain vassal of his, Lucas López, whom he had knighted himself. After the death of Alfonso VII, Lope served Sancho as alférez
Alférez
Alférez is a junior officer rank also used in Spain, Argentina, Chile and Uruguay. The variant Alferes is used in Portugal and was formerly also used in Brazil. A naval variant, Frigate Alférez, is used in Spain, Dominican Republic and Peru. "Alférez" is often translated as ensign...
between November 1157 and July 1158, although in December 1157 that post was briefly held by Pedro Fernández. on 29 November 1157 he issued a fuero
Fuero
Fuero , Furs , Foro and Foru is a Spanish legal term and concept.The word comes from Latin forum, an open space used as market, tribunal and meeting place...
to the town of Fañuela.
In 1162 Sancho's son and successor, Alfonso VIII, granted Lope the Trasmiera
Trasmiera
Trasmiera is a historic comarca of Cantabria , located to the east of the Miera River , reaching the western side of the Asón...
, the Rioja
Rioja
Rioja or La Rioja may refer to:Spain*Rioja, Almería*La Rioja , a province and autonomous community in northern Spain**Rioja , red and white wines from the province**La Rioja **University of La Rioja...
, and Biscay to govern as tenencias. In that year he used the high-sounding title Count of Nájera and Biscay (comes naiarensis atque bizchayensis) for the first time.
Religious patronage
Lope founded two religious houses on his lands. In 1162 he established the Praemonstratensians in San Juan de la Peña, BegoñaBilbao
Bilbao ) is a Spanish municipality, capital of the province of Biscay, in the autonomous community of the Basque Country. With a population of 353,187 , it is the largest city of its autonomous community and the tenth largest in Spain...
, Arratia and Guernica
Guernica
Guernica may refer to:* Guernica , Spanish Basque town, historical capital of Biscay* Bombing of Guernica, an attack on April 26, 1937, during the Spanish Civil War* Guernica , a 1937 painting by Pablo Picasso...
. The founding charter was drawn up by a scribe named John, a chaplain of Santa María la Real de Nájera, and the original survives. Lope subscribed the document with his own hand and embellished his signature with a large cross, the rough features of which suggest the count's lack of familiarity with the pen. It leaves open the question of how literate Lope may have been. In 1169 Lope founded a Cistercian convent at Hayuela (Fayola) in the Rioja. In 1170 it was re-founded at nearby Cañas
Cañas, La Rioja
Cañas is a municipality of La Rioja, Spain. It was the birthplace of Saint Dominic of Silos .The abbey of Santa María y San Salvador de Cañas for Cistercian nuns was founded in this town by Lope Díaz I de Haro and his wife Aldonza in 1169 and 1170. Its wealth and power culminated during the 13th...
.
In 1168 Lope gave his brother Sancho his property in the monastery of San Cipriano and in Villamezquina.
Marriage, death and heirs
Sometime before 1162 Lope married a lady named Aldonza (Endolza, Endulcia). Her patronymicPatronymic
A patronym, or patronymic, is a component of a personal name based on the name of one's father, grandfather or an even earlier male ancestor. A component of a name based on the name of one's mother or a female ancestor is a matronymic. Each is a means of conveying lineage.In many areas patronyms...
is not recorded in primary document and her parentage has been much discussed. The earliest authority to name her father was Pedro de Barcelos in the fourteenth century, who called her Aldonza Ruiz de Castro, a daughter of Rodrigo Fernández de Castro and Elo Álvarez, although she is not mentioned among Rodrigo's children in the De rebus Hispaniae
De rebus Hispaniae
De rebus Hispaniae or Historia gothica is a history of the Iberian peninsula written in Latin by Archbiship of Toledo Rodrigo Jiménez de Rada en the first half of the thirteenth century on behalf of King Ferdinand III of Castile....
. A century later Lope García de Salazar called his wife Mencía, a daughter of Arias. Luis de Salazar y Castro
Luis de Salazar y Castro
Luis de Salazar y Castro was a Spanish genealogist....
believed that Lope had an earlier wife, name unknown, who bore him several sons, among them Lope López, who married María de Almenar. This thesis is based in part on the assumption that Lope Díaz was not the type to sire children outside of marriage. Most recently José María Canal Sánchez-Pagín has dissented from the view that Aldonza was a Castilian like her husband. She was widowed while her offspring were still young, and they rose to positions of importance in the León
Kingdom of León
The Kingdom of León was an independent kingdom situated in the northwest region of the Iberian Peninsula. It was founded in AD 910 when the Christian princes of Asturias along the northern coast of the peninsula shifted their capital from Oviedo to the city of León...
and Galicia
Kingdom of Galicia
The Kingdom of Galicia was a political entity located in southwestern Europe, which at its territorial zenith occupied the entire northwest of the Iberian Peninsula. Founded by Suebic king Hermeric in the year 409, the Galician capital was established in Braga, being the first kingdom which...
, where they would have been considered foreigners if their mother was not a Leonese or Galician.
Considering Aldonza's longevity (she outlived her husband by about forty years, and was probably at least thirty years his junior), she must have been born around 1135. Jaime de Salazar y Acha, in his study of the Vela family, suggested that she was a daughter of Rodrigo Vélaz
Rodrigo Vélaz
Rodrigo Vélaz was the "count of Galicia, who held Sarria" according to the near-contemporary Chronica Adefonsi imperatoris. During his long public career he was the dominant figure in mountainous eastern Galicia while the House of Traba dominated its western seaboard. He served under three...
, and Canal Sánchez-Pagín originally suggested that she was his granddaughter, a daughter of Álvaro Rodríguez
Álvaro Rodríguez
Álvaro Rodríguez was a Galician magnate during the reigns of Alfonso VII and Ferdinand II.Álvaro was the son of Rodrigo Vélaz and Urraca Álvarez, perhaps a daughter of Álvar Fáñez and Mayor Pérez, daughter of Pedro Ansúrez. He married Sancha, an illegitimate daughter of Fernando Pérez de Traba and...
. In a document of 1182 recording a donation to San Prudencio de Monte Laturce that survives only in a Spanish translation by Gaspar Coronel, Aldonza calls herself a first cousin (consobrina) of Rodrigo Álvarez
Rodrigo Álvarez
Rodrigo Álvarez was a Galician magnate in the Kingdom of León. He founded the Order of Mountjoy in 1174 and affiliated it with the Cistercian Order that he had long patronised....
, son of Álvaro Rodríguez and Sancha Fernández de Traba. It is most likely, then, that she was a daughter of Sancha's brother, Gonzalo Fernández de Traba
Gonzalo Fernández de Traba
Gonzalo Fernández de Traba was a Galician nobleman and the leader of the House of Traba. He was the eldest son and successor of Fernando Pérez de Traba by his wife Sancha González...
. She is known to have had close relations with Gonzalo's other children, Gómez
Gómez González de Traba
Gómez González de Traba was a Galician nobleman, a count from 1169, and a wealthy and influential figure in the Kingdom of León. He was the second son of Gonzalo Fernández de Traba and his first wife, Elvira Rodríguez...
and Urraca. She was a daughter of Gonzalo by his first wife, Elvira, a daughter of Rodrigo Vélaz.
Besides his heir, Diego II
Diego López II de Haro
Diego López II de Haro called the Good or the Bad . Son of Lope Diaz I de Haro, count of Nájera and of countess Aldonza. He was a first rank magnate in the kingdom of Castile under King Alfonso VIII...
, Lope Díaz had three sons—García, Lope, and Rodrigo—and eight daughters—Aldonza, Elvira, Estefanía, María, Mencía, Sancha, Toda, and Urraca
Urraca López de Haro
Urraca López de Haro was the Queen consort of León . She was daughter of Count Lope Díaz de Haro, Lord of Biscay and his wife Aldonza Ruiz. In 1185/1187 she married King Ferdinand II of León...
, who married Ferdinand II of León
Ferdinand II of Leon
Ferdinand II was King of León and Galicia from 1157 to his death.-Life:Born in Toledo, Castile, he was the son of King Alfonso VII of León and Castile and of Berenguela, of the House of Barcelona. At his father's death, he received León and Galicia, while his brother Sancho received Castile and...
as his final wife. Lope died on 6 May 1170, a date confirmed by the Annales compostellani
Annales Compostellani
The Annales Compostellani or Anales castellanos terceros are a set of Latin annals found in, and named after, Santiago de Compostela...
. By June 1171, his widow had entered the convent at Cañas, where for over thirty years she acted as de facto abbess. She was still living in May 1207, when she made a donation to San Marcos de León.