The House of Lara (Spanish: Casa de Lara) is a noble family from the medieval Kingdom of Castile. Two of its branches, the Duques de Nájera and the Marquesado de Aguilar de Campoo were considered Grandees of Spain. The Lara family gained numerous territories in Castile, León, Andalucía, and Galicia and members of the family moved throughout the former Spanish colonies, establishing branches as far away as the Philippines and Argentina.

Primitive coat of arms of the House of Lara

The House of Lara were most prominent in the history of Castile and León from the 11th to the 14th century. Álvaro Núñez de Lara served as regent for Henry I of Castile. They were dispossessed of much of their land by Peter the Cruel, but most was returned by Henry II.

History

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The family arose in 11th century Castile through a marriage that united the paternal lands around Lara de los Infantes belonging to Gonzalo Núñez with the inheritance of his wife, Goto Núñez, representing the holdings of the noble Álvarez and Alfonso families.[1] By the 13th century, the Lara family origin had been linked to the protagonists in the epic Cantar de los Siete Infantes de Lara (Song of the Seven Lara Princes), a 10th-century tale of revenge set around the lands subsequently held by the Lara family, but there is no evidence that the tale reflected historical events and the names in the legend cannot be matched with the family's known ancestry.[2]

From the 12th through 15th centuries, members of the Lara family found themselves at different times either supporting of or opposing their monarch. In 1113, Pedro González de Lara supported Queen Urraca of Castile in her struggles against her former husband, Alfonso I of Aragon. Pedro and his brother, Rodrigo, also confronted her son Alfonso VII in 1130. Rodrigo later helped Alfonso counter the rise of the Almoravids. Manrique Pérez de Lara, Álvar Pérez and Nuño Pérez de Lara disputed the regency of Alfonso VIII, and Fernando Núñez de Lara was Alfonso's alférez. Álvaro Núñez de Lara became regent of Henry I. Nuño González de Lara served Ferdinand III and Alfonso X, but in 1270 led an alliance of nobles against the same king. Juan Núñez I de Lara el Gordo, Señor de Albarracín, opposed the enthronement of Sancho IV, and had to temporarily flee to France. Juan Núñez II de Lara headed various rebellions against Alfonso XI. Ultimately, the family suffered greatly after the victory of King Peter against his usurping half-brother, Henry II.

The Manrique de Lara

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The only branch of the family to survive the Middle Ages were the Manrique de Lara, who supported the Catholic Monarchs in their war against the supporters of the contender Joanna la Beltraneja. In 1520, Emperor Charles V raised the House of Lara to the position of grandee, as dukes of Nájera and marquesses of Aguilar de Campoo. Members of the family were to serve the crown as viceroys, captain generals, ambassadors and cardinals. The first Count of Paredes de Nava became Master of the Order of Santiago. The authors Gómez Manrique and Jorge Manrique belong to this branch of the Lara.

The original coat of arms is supposed to represent two cauldrons, which represent the ability of the family to sustain many followers.

Family tree

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Lara family tree
Gonzalo
perhaps son of
García Fernández
of Castile
Gutierre
Alfonso
Salvador GonzálezMunio
González
Nuño
Álvarez
María
Gutiérrez
HOUSE OF LARAJIMÉNEZ
DYNASTY

(CASTILE–LEÓN)
Gonzalo
Salvadórez
Álvar
Salvadórez
Gonzalo Núñez
de Lara
[3]
Goto
Núñez
Constance
of Burgundy
Alfonso VI
King of León
and Castile
Isabel
(= Zaida of Seville?)
COUNTS OF
BUREBA
Iñigo Jiménez
de los Cameros
María González
de Lara
Goto González
de Lara
Teresa González
de Lara
Stephanie Armengol of UrgellRodrigo González
de Lara
[4]
Sancha of
León/Castile
VISCOUNTS OF
NARBONNE
HOUSE OF
IVREA

(CASTILE–LEÓN)
Aimeric II
Viscount of
Narbonne
García
Ordóñez
EvaPedro González
de Lara
[5]
Urraca
Queen of
León and
Castile
Raymond
of Burgundy
Teresa
Countess of
Portugal
Pedro Rodriguez
de Lara
(no known issue)
Ermengol VI
of Urgell
Elvira Rodriguez
de Lara
Sancha Rodriguez
de Lara
(no known issue)
Alfonso VII
King of León
and Castile
Fernán Pérez
"Furtado"[6]
(issue disputed)
Hermesenda
of Narbonne
Manrique Pérez
de Lara
[7]
Álvar Pérez
de Lara

(no known issue)
García Pérez de TrabaElvira Pérez
de Lara
Beltrán
de Risnel
Milia Pérez
de Lara
Gómez González
de Manzanedo
Ferdinand II
King of León
Teresa
Fernández
de Traba
Nuño Pérez
de Lara
[8]
Pedro Manrique
de Lara
Viscount of
Narbonne
Aimeric Manrique
de Lara
Duke of
Narbonne

(no known issue)
Diego López IIf
de Haro
María Manrique
de Lara
Gonzalo Pérez I
Manrique de Lara
Aimeric IIII
Viscount ofI
Narbonne
Ermengol VIII
of Urgell
Elvira Núñez I
de Lara
Álvaro Núñez I
de Lara
[9]
María Díaz I
de Haro
Gonzalo Núñez
de Lara[10]
Fernando Núñez
de Lara
[11]
Sancho, Count of ProvenceSancha Núñez I
de Lara[12]
VISCOUNTS OF NARBONNE
Alfonso IX
King of León
Fernando Álvarez
de Lara[13]
Gonzalo Álvarez
de Lara
Nuño Álvarez
de Lara
Rodrigo Álvarez
de Lara[14]
HOUSE OF
BURGUNDY

(PORTUGAL)
Mafalda González
Manrique de Lara
Alfonso of MolinaTeresa González
de Lara
Diego González
de Lara
(no known issue)
Nuño Fernández
de Lara[15]
Fernán Rodriguez
de Lara[16]
Sancha Rodriguez
de Lara[17]
Afonso II
King of
Portugal
Teresa AlfonsoNuño González
de Lara
'the Good'
Rodrigo Fernández
de Castro
Leonor González
de Lara
María AlfonsoÁlvar Fernández
de Lara[18]
Fernando Fernández
de Lara
(no known issue)
Sancha Fernández
de Lara[19]
Fernando
Lord of Serpa
Ferdinand III
King of León
and Castile
Teresa Fernández
de Lara[20]
Ponç IV
of Empúries
Álvaro Núñez
de Lara
(no known issue)
Nuño González
de Lara

(no known issue)
Teresa Alvárez
de Lara
Diego López
de Salcedo
Teresa Álvarez
de Azagra
Juan Núñez de Lara
'the Fat'
Teresa Díaz II
de Haro
Alfonso X, King of Castile
John
of Castile
Ferdinand
de la Cerda
Sancho IV
King of Castile
Álvaro Núñez
de Lara

(no known issue)
Juan Núñez
de Lara
'the Younger'

(no known issue)
Nuño González
de Lara

(no known issue)
Teresa Núñez de LaraAlfonso of CastileFerdinand
de la Cerda
Juana Núñez
de Lara
Henry
of Castile
Ferdinand IV
King of Castile
Juan de
Castilla
y Haro
HOUSE OF
BARCELONA

(Aragon)
Alfonso XI
King of Castile
María Díaz
de Haro

heiress of Biscay
Juan Núñez de LaraAlfonso IV
King of Aragon
Tello Alfonso
of Castile
Juana
de Lara
Lady of Lara
(no known issue)
Lope Díaz
de Haro
(no known issue)
Nuno Díaz
de Haro
Lord of Lara
(no known issue)
Isabel
de Lara
Lady of Lara
(no known issue)
Juan
of Aragon
  
Members of the House of Lara in the male line
Marriage or extramarital relationship
Descent
Extra-marital Descent
Notes:

References

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  1. ^ Sánchez de Mora
  2. ^ Ramón Menéndez Pidal, La Leyenda de los Siete Infantes de Lara, Madrid: Hijos de José M. Ducazel, 1896; Sánchez de Mora.
  3. ^ Salazar y Castro (1696), Book II, Chap. XI, pp. 85–90
  4. ^ Salazar y Castro (1697), Book XVIII, Chap. I, pp. 247–257
  5. ^ Salazar y Castro (1696), Book II, Chap. XII, pp. 90–102
  6. ^ Salazar y Castro (1696), Book II, Chap. XIII, pp. 102–106
  7. ^ Salazar y Castro (1696), Book III, Chap. I, pp. 109–130
  8. ^ Salazar y Castro (1697), Book XVI, Chap. I, pp. 5–14
  9. ^ Salazar y Castro (1697), Book XVI, Chap. VIII, pp. 51–63
  10. ^ Salazar y Castro (1697), Book XVII, Chap. I, pp. 79–84
  11. ^ Salazar y Castro (1697), Book XVI, Chap. IV, pp. 24–31
  12. ^ Salazar y Castro (1697), Book XVI, Chap. III, pp. 20–23
  13. ^ Salazar y Castro (1697), Book XVI, Chap. XII, pp. 72–73
  14. ^ Salazar y Castro (1697), Book XVI, Chap. IX, pp. 64–67
  15. ^ Salazar y Castro (1697), Book XVI, Chap. XIII, pp. 74–76
  16. ^ Salazar y Castro (1697), Book XVI, Chap. X, pp. 68–69
  17. ^ Salazar y Castro (1697), Book XVI, Chap. XI, pp. 70–71
  18. ^ Salazar y Castro (1697), Book XVI, Chap. V, pp. 32–34
  19. ^ Salazar y Castro (1697), Book XVI, Chap. VI, pp. 35–37
  20. ^ Salazar y Castro (1697), Book XVI, Chap. VII, pp. 38–50

Bibliography

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  • Doubleday, Simon R. (2004). Los Lara. Nobleza y monarquía en la España Medieval (in Spanish). Madrid: Turner Publicaciones, S.L. y C.S.I.C. ISBN 84-7506-650-X.
  • Estepa Díez, Carlos (2007). "Castilla de Condado a Reino". Alfonso VI y su época I. Los precedentes del reinado (966-1065) (in Spanish). E. Fernández González and J. Pérez Gil (Coord.). León: Universidad de León. Secretariado de Publicaciones. pp. 37–67. ISBN 978-84-9773-339-7.
  • Estepa Díez, Carlos (2006). "Frontera, nobleza y señoríos en Castilla: el señorío de Molina (siglos XII-XIII)". Studia histórica. Historia medieval. No. 24. Salamanca: Ediciones Universidad de Salamanca. pp. 15–86. ISSN 0213-2060.[permanent dead link]
  • Martínez Díez, Gonzalo (1997). El Monasterio de Fresdelval, el Castillo de Sotopalacios y la Merindad y Valle de Ubierna. Burgos: Caja de Burgos, Área de Cultura. ISBN 84-87152-39-2.
  • Menéndez Pidal de Navascués, Faustino (1984). "Los sellos de los señores de Molina". Anuario de Estudios Medievales. No. 14. pp. 101–120. ISSN 0066-5061.
  • Salazar y Castro, Luis de (1696). Historia Genealógica de la Casa de Lara (in Spanish). Vol. I. Madrid: Mateo Llanos y Guzmán.
  • Salazar y Castro, Luis de (1697a). Historia Genealógica de la Casa de Lara (in Spanish). Vol. II. Madrid: Mateo Llanos y Guzmán.
  • Salazar y Castro, Luis de (1697b). Historia Genealógica de la Casa de Lara (in Spanish). Vol. III. Madrid: Mateo Llanos y Guzmán.
  • Salazar y Castro, Luis de (1694). Pruebas de la historia de la casa de Lara (in Spanish). Madrid: Mateo Llanos y Guzmán. OCLC 48730039.
  • Sánchez de Mora, Antonio (1998). "Aproximación al estudio de la nobleza castellana: Los llamados Salvadores-Manzanedo y sus relaciones con el linaje de Lara (ss.XI-XIII)". Medievalismo: Boletín de la Sociedad Española de Estudios Medievales (in Spanish). No. 8. pp. 35–64. ISSN 1131-8155.[permanent dead link]