185:
In the last two years of
Alfonso VII's reign, 1156 and 1157, Vela signed fourteen imperial diplomas as a count. Although the comital title was granted by the crown and is strongly associated with those who attended court regularly, it was, as in the case of Vela, sometimes treated as a semi-hereditary dignity and could be attached to any tenancy held by a count. Vela was not a regular attendee at Alfonso's court. He attended only when his interests dictated it or when the king's was in the vicinity of Álava, yet his comital title was always recognised. Five charters of Alfonso VII call Vela "count of Navarre", although he was not governing the old
253:
277:
crown must be dated. Between
October 1162 and January 1163, Sancho VI invaded Castile, occupying the Rioja and a large swathe of Old Castile. It is sometimes supposed that Sancho conquered the Basque lands, but there is no record of military activity there during this time and it is more likely that Vela simply took advantage of the Navarrese invasion to his south to further his own independent position. He must have taken part in or at the very least condoned the Navarrese attacks around
20:
168:, by which they agreed to divide the Navarre between them. The implementation of this treaty hinged on Sancho VI's ability to command the loyalty of the Navarrese: Alfonso had no intention of destabilising Navarre if it proved a loyal vassal of León–Castile. The young king Sancho spent the six weeks following his act of homage (and the secret treaty) with the emperor's court in northeastern Castile. Present with the two rulers throughout this six weeks were their border magnates,
224:. The very last document to emanate from the court of Sancho III, dated 30 July 1158, was witnessed by "Count Vela of Álava". Yet, prior to Alfonso's death, Vela never witnessed a charter of the king of Navarre, implying that he never attended the Navarrese court except when, as a vassal of Castile, it was in attendance there. In 1157, however, Vela witnessed a diploma of Sancho VI. After Sancho III's death in 1158, Vela initially recognised his successor, the child-king
304:. He is last recorded on 28 July 1174, also at Alfonso's court. Sometime after this and by November 1174, he had died. Only with his death did the conflict between Castile and Navarre spill over into Álava and Biscay, which Alfonso VIII invaded in 1175. Vela's son Juan ruled Álava until 1179, when they were ceded to Navarre by treaty and Sancho gave them to
297:, in whose diocese the Basque lands lay. After Vela's break with Castile, the church in the Basque provinces became effectively independent of its ecclesiastical superior. This would have been in the interests of the lay owners of churches and monasteries, many of whom were relatives of Vela Ladrón.
288:
During this period of civil war and invasion from 1160 to 1166, Vela's hold on Álava remained strong and he continues to be cited as count there in
Navarrese documents. There is no evidence after this period that he recognised the authority of Alfonso VIII; nor did he the ecclesiastical authority of
184:
Ladrón last appears in the record on 23 July 1155 and probably died shortly thereafter. By July 1156 he had been succeeded by Vela. Vela subscribed a
Castilian document dated 18 September 1155, without the title "count". By the next year he had been raised to the comital dignity his father had held.
130:
in 1136, Count Ladrón's land were plundered and the count was captured by
Alfonso's forces. On 14 September, Ladrón did homage to Alfonso for the county of Álava, transferring his allegiance from Navarre to Castile. Guipúzcoa and Biscay, however, probably remained outside of Castilian control. It is
276:
over the regency of the kingdom and the guardianship of the king, responsibilities which prior to 1161 had been divided between them. The central authority to compel Vela's allegiance was therefore weak. It is within these years that the definitive break between the count of Álava and the
Castilian
192:
Although Vela was unswerving in his loyalty to
Castile during the reign of Alfonso VII, he did hold tenancies in Navarre, perhaps ones once held by his father. Two private documents of 1156 record Vela as "ruling" over the tenancies of
50:. He succeeded his father as count of Álava in 1155 or 1156. He acquired Biscay around 1160 and Guipúzcoa around 1162. He was effectively an independent prince able to divide his allegiance between the kings of
228:, but he also continued to visit the Navarrese court, where, from about 1160, he was recognised as count not only in Álava, but also in Biscay and, from about 1162, in Guipúzcoa. Evidence that
131:
likely that the lands were administered by Vela during Ladrón's captivity, since the count's son was already an adult by then. In 1137, Vela succeeded his father in the tenancy of
264:. On 7 July 1160, 11 March 1162, 29 November 1164 and finally 22 February 1166, he made appearances at the Castilian court, where the regency was being exercised by Count
240:
with Lope still holding his ancestral lordship in central Biscay. His rule of Álava, was complete. One record from 1161 even specifies that he was count "in all Álava,".
169:
900:
Carl, Carolina (2008). "The Bishop and the
Basques: The Diocese of Calahorra and the Basque Provinces of Álava and Vizcaya under Bishop Rodrigo Cascante, 1147–1190".
82:, who ruled the same Basque counties with the same divided allegiance. (Vela's surname, Ladrón or Latrónez, merely indicates his father's name.) Vela had two sons:
198:
23:
The walls of
Artajona, originally constructed in the 11th and 12th centuries. Artajona was commanded for a time by Vela on behalf of the king of Navarre.
290:
1005:
Martínez Díez, Gonzalo (2001). "Las villas marítimas castellanas: origen y régimen jurídico". In Juan Baró Pazos; Margarita Serna
Vallejo (eds.).
962:
Edad Media y señoríos: el Señorío de Vizcaya (Simposium que tuvo lugar en la Biblioteca Provincial de Vizcaya, los días 5, 6 y 7 de marzo de 1971)
119:
and to supply it with one horse with a knight's equipment upon his death. His son Pedro also associated himself with the order as a lay brother.
268:, who also had the guardianship of the young king from March 1161. During these years there was intermittent civil war in Castile between the
71:
87:
149:: "I, Count Ladrón, by the grace of God, prince of the Navarrese, give to you my son, Vela Ladrón, all my inheritance that is in Oñate."
78:(1054–76). A local dynasty, members of the family ruled Álava continuously from 1131 until 1179. Vela Ladrón was the eldest son of Count
156:. Although Sancho soon renewed the homage his father had owed Alfonso VII, on 27 January 1151 the emperor of León and Castile concluded
136:
95:
379:
Yo el conde don Ladron por la graçia de Dios, Prinçipe de los Navarros do a ti mi hijo Vela Ladron toda mi heredad que e en Oñate
161:
135:
in central Navarre. He was still holding it as late as 1147, but by 1150 "count Ladrón was ruling in Aibar and lord Vela in
884:
Historia del condado de Oñate y señorío de los Guevara (ss. XI–XVI): aportación al estudio del régimen señorial en Castilla
123:
971:"Las cofradías y la introducción del Temple en los reinos de Aragón y Pamplona: guerra, intereses y piedad religiosa"
875:
Cambios y alianzas: la política regia en la frontera del Ebro en el reinado de Alfonso VIII de Castilla (1158–1214)
35:
127:
1098:
189:
created in 1087. In one of these charters, Sancho VI also signs, implicitly recognising Vela's vaunted title.
109:. According to a list of lay brothers compiled in the twelfth century, he pledged to donate to the order one
74:
was descended from Vela Ladrón's namesake, Vela Aznárez, a Navarrese nobleman of Guipúzcoa from the reign of
236:, was lord of Biscay in 1162 suggests that perhaps the lordship was divided, with Vela only controlling the
902:
1088:
1015:
340:
Beila, filius Latronis, debet dare unum morabitinum ad Sanctum Michaelem et ad mortem equum cum armis
305:
265:
205:
in the Rioja (part of Castile). Another private document of 10 February 1156 cites him as tenant in
1093:
252:
225:
1058:"Cofrades aragoneses y navarros de la milicia del temple (siglo XII): Aspectos socio-económicos"
1043:
Ubieto Arteta, Antonio (1956). "Navarra-Aragón y la idea imperial de Alfonso VII de Castilla".
229:
79:
221:
75:
1057:
1083:
960:
Lacarra, José María (1972). "El señorío de Vizcaya y el reino de Navarra en el siglo XII".
425:
comes don Beila dominans in Murello et in Resa. Alcaiat in Murello Petro Xemenez de Gongora
153:
157:
8:
941:
294:
152:
On 21 November 1150, García Ramírez died and was succeeded by his seventeen-year-old son
106:
210:
919:
774:
772:
770:
55:
51:
43:
1009:. Santander: Servicio de Publicaciones de la Universidad de Cantabria. pp. 45–86.
942:"La quiebra de la soberanía navarra en Álava, Guipúzcoa y el Duranguesado (1199–1200)"
39:
923:
300:
Vela was at the court of Alfonso VIII on 3 April 1173, where he was cited as lord of
186:
165:
139:." There is a false document dated to 1149, which records how Vela came to possess a
767:
982:
915:
911:
194:
99:
509:
278:
273:
261:
987:
970:
301:
256:
Territorial changes between Navarre and Castile under Sancho VI and Alfonso VIII
220:
Vela continued to serve Alfonso's successor as king of Castile, his eldest son,
1077:
282:
269:
233:
83:
19:
237:
86:, who succeeded him in Álava, and Pedro Vélaz. Pedro held the tenancies of
850:
260:
In 1160, Vela was a witness to the concession granted by Sancho VI to the
47:
202:
521:
116:
111:
141:
557:
206:
146:
600:
598:
596:
91:
838:
1036:
The Kingdom of León-Castilla Under King Alfonso VII, 1126–1157
828:
826:
743:
697:
695:
693:
593:
172:
from Navarre and Ladrón Íñiguez and Vela Ladrón from Castile.
1000:. Vol. 1. Diputación Foral de Álava, Consejo de Cultura.
755:
533:
132:
811:
719:
707:
661:
649:
497:
1016:"Nacimiento de Guipúzcoa como tenencia navarra de frontera"
1007:
El Fuero de Laredo en el octavo centenario de su concensión
895:. Vol. 2. Bilbao: Cajo de Ahorros Municipal de Bilbao.
823:
690:
610:
581:
569:
877:. Madrid: Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas.
890:
856:
680:
678:
676:
639:
637:
622:
545:
368:
comite Latrone dominante in Aybar et don Veila in Leguin
487:
485:
939:
801:
799:
778:
563:
515:
784:
731:
673:
634:
482:
796:
209:(in Navarre) and one of 26 July 1157 as tenant in
1038:. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press.
34:(died 1174) was a Spanish nobleman who ruled the
1075:
964:. Bilbao: Diputación de Vizcaya. pp. 37–50.
243:
175:
886:. San Sebastián: Diputación Foral de Guipúzcoa.
105:Like his father, Vela was a lay brother of the
930:
891:Balparda y las Herrerías, Gregorio de (1974).
761:
655:
503:
61:
1055:
1045:Estudios de Edad Media de la Corona de Aragón
1042:
1004:
995:
881:
872:
844:
832:
817:
725:
713:
667:
616:
587:
575:
539:
527:
1013:
949:Revista internacional de los estudios vascos
940:Fortún Pérez de Ciriza, Luis Javier (2000).
749:
701:
604:
893:Historia crítica de Vizcaya y de sus Fueros
968:
551:
986:
213:(in Álava). At Murillo, Vela employed an
98:in 1194. His son, Ladrón Pérez, held the
251:
18:
959:
931:Elizari Huarte, Juan Francisco (1991).
790:
737:
1076:
1033:
684:
643:
628:
491:
16:Spanish nobleman of the 12th century.
899:
805:
197:, southeast of Pamplona in Navarre;
122:When war broke out between Emperor
13:
933:Sancho VI el Sabio, rey de Navarra
882:Ayerbe Iríbar, María Rosa (1985).
447:comes Veila in Alava et in Bizcaia
14:
1110:
1023:Lurralde: Investigación y espacio
415:, i.e., count Vela holding Grañón
1014:Orella Unzué, José Luis (2011).
217:named Pedro Jiménez de Góngora.
201:, near Calahorra in Castile;and
1056:Ubieto Arteta, Agustín (1980).
996:Martínez Díez, Gonzalo (1974).
969:Lema Pueyo, José Angel (1998).
873:Álvarez Borge, Ignacio (2008).
462:
451:
440:
429:
418:
406:
394:
383:
372:
344:
124:Alfonso VII of León and Castile
975:Anuario de Estudios Medievales
916:10.1016/j.jmedhist.2007.10.009
781:, pp. 449–50 & n. 28.
333:
322:
1:
857:Balparda y las Herrerías 1974
518:, p. 442 (family tree).
7:
1034:Reilly, Bernard F. (1998).
988:10.3989/aem.1998.v28.i0.588
935:. Iruña: Editorial Mintzoa.
903:Journal of Medieval History
779:Fortún Pérez de Ciriza 2000
564:Fortún Pérez de Ciriza 2000
530:, p. 49 (family tree).
516:Fortún Pérez de Ciriza 2000
10:
1115:
865:
413:comes Velas tenens Grainum
403:, i.e., governing, lording
158:a secret treaty at Tudején
128:García Ramírez of Navarre
329:confrater Militum Templi
311:
1062:Aragón en la Edad Media
170:Rodrigo Pérez de Azagra
266:Manrique Pérez de Lara
257:
176:Castilian count (1155–
24:
390:comes Vela de Navarra
356:Veila Latron in Aiuar
255:
22:
308:, son of Lope Díaz.
762:Elizari Huarte 1991
656:Elizari Huarte 1991
504:Elizari Huarte 1991
436:comes Vela de Alava
352:Don Beilla in Aibar
295:bishop of Calahorra
107:Order of the Temple
1099:Lords of Guipúzcoa
859:, pp. 223–24.
847:, pp. 117–18.
845:Martínez Díez 1974
833:Martínez Díez 2001
818:Martínez Díez 1974
752:, pp. 203–04.
726:Martínez Díez 1974
714:Álvarez Borge 2008
668:Martínez Díez 1974
631:, pp. 112–13.
617:Ayerbe Iríbar 1985
607:, pp. 198–99.
588:Ayerbe Iríbar 1985
576:Ubieto Arteta 1956
540:Ubieto Arteta 1980
528:Ubieto Arteta 1980
364:Don Beila in Aiuar
360:Don Beila in Aiuar
258:
232:, of the Biscayne
162:Ramon Berenguer IV
25:
750:Orella Unzué 2011
702:Orella Unzué 2011
605:Orella Unzué 2011
542:, pp. 53–54.
244:Navarrese count (
187:county of Navarre
166:kingdom of Aragon
1106:
1069:
1052:
1039:
1030:
1020:
1010:
1001:
992:
990:
965:
956:
946:
936:
927:
896:
887:
878:
860:
854:
848:
842:
836:
830:
821:
815:
809:
803:
794:
788:
782:
776:
765:
759:
753:
747:
741:
735:
729:
723:
717:
711:
705:
699:
688:
682:
671:
665:
659:
653:
647:
641:
632:
626:
620:
614:
608:
602:
591:
585:
579:
573:
567:
561:
555:
549:
543:
537:
531:
525:
519:
513:
507:
501:
495:
489:
471:
466:
460:
455:
449:
444:
438:
433:
427:
422:
416:
410:
404:
398:
392:
387:
381:
376:
370:
348:
342:
337:
331:
326:
291:Rodrigo Cascante
281:and west of the
211:Salinas de Añana
164:, regent of the
100:castle of Javier
1114:
1113:
1109:
1108:
1107:
1105:
1104:
1103:
1094:Lords of Biscay
1089:Counts of Álava
1074:
1073:
1072:
1018:
944:
868:
863:
855:
851:
843:
839:
831:
824:
816:
812:
804:
797:
789:
785:
777:
768:
760:
756:
748:
744:
736:
732:
724:
720:
712:
708:
700:
691:
683:
674:
666:
662:
654:
650:
642:
635:
627:
623:
615:
611:
603:
594:
586:
582:
574:
570:
562:
558:
552:Lema Pueyo 1998
550:
546:
538:
534:
526:
522:
514:
510:
502:
498:
490:
483:
474:
467:
463:
456:
452:
445:
441:
434:
430:
423:
419:
411:
407:
399:
395:
388:
384:
377:
373:
349:
345:
338:
334:
327:
323:
314:
279:Miranda de Ebro
262:Knights Templar
250:
182:
94:in 1189–94 and
68:
62:Son of Ladrón (
36:Basque counties
17:
12:
11:
5:
1112:
1102:
1101:
1096:
1091:
1086:
1071:
1070:
1053:
1040:
1031:
1011:
1002:
998:Álava medieval
993:
966:
957:
937:
928:
897:
888:
879:
869:
867:
864:
862:
861:
849:
837:
822:
820:, p. 116.
810:
808:, p. 238.
795:
783:
766:
764:, p. 158.
754:
742:
730:
728:, p. 115.
718:
716:, p. 446.
706:
704:, p. 192.
689:
687:, p. 182.
672:
670:, p. 114.
660:
648:
646:, p. 165.
633:
621:
609:
592:
580:
568:
566:, p. 445.
556:
554:, p. 323.
544:
532:
520:
508:
506:, p. 252.
496:
494:, p. 169.
480:
479:
478:
473:
472:
461:
450:
439:
428:
417:
405:
393:
382:
371:
343:
332:
320:
319:
318:
313:
310:
306:Diego López II
249:
242:
181:
174:
80:Ladrón Íñiguez
67:
60:
46:(Vizcaya) and
15:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
1111:
1100:
1097:
1095:
1092:
1090:
1087:
1085:
1082:
1081:
1079:
1067:
1063:
1059:
1054:
1050:
1046:
1041:
1037:
1032:
1028:
1024:
1017:
1012:
1008:
1003:
999:
994:
989:
984:
980:
976:
972:
967:
963:
958:
954:
950:
943:
938:
934:
929:
925:
921:
917:
913:
910:(3): 229–44.
909:
905:
904:
898:
894:
889:
885:
880:
876:
871:
870:
858:
853:
846:
841:
835:, p. 56.
834:
829:
827:
819:
814:
807:
802:
800:
793:, p. 47.
792:
787:
780:
775:
773:
771:
763:
758:
751:
746:
740:, p. 48.
739:
734:
727:
722:
715:
710:
703:
698:
696:
694:
686:
681:
679:
677:
669:
664:
658:, p. 98.
657:
652:
645:
640:
638:
630:
625:
619:, p. 84.
618:
613:
606:
601:
599:
597:
590:, p. 90.
589:
584:
578:, p. 54.
577:
572:
565:
560:
553:
548:
541:
536:
529:
524:
517:
512:
505:
500:
493:
488:
486:
481:
476:
475:
470:
469:in tota Alava
465:
459:
454:
448:
443:
437:
432:
426:
421:
414:
409:
402:
397:
391:
386:
380:
375:
369:
365:
361:
357:
353:
347:
341:
336:
330:
325:
321:
316:
315:
309:
307:
303:
298:
296:
292:
286:
284:
280:
275:
271:
267:
263:
254:
247:
241:
239:
235:
234:house of Haro
231:
227:
223:
218:
216:
212:
208:
204:
200:
196:
190:
188:
179:
173:
171:
167:
163:
159:
155:
150:
148:
144:
143:
138:
134:
129:
125:
120:
118:
114:
113:
108:
103:
101:
97:
93:
89:
85:
81:
77:
73:
65:
59:
57:
53:
49:
45:
41:
37:
33:
29:
21:
1065:
1061:
1048:
1044:
1035:
1026:
1022:
1006:
997:
978:
974:
961:
955:(2): 439–94.
952:
948:
932:
907:
901:
892:
883:
874:
852:
840:
813:
791:Lacarra 1972
786:
757:
745:
738:Lacarra 1972
733:
721:
709:
663:
651:
624:
612:
583:
571:
559:
547:
535:
523:
511:
499:
468:
464:
457:
453:
446:
442:
435:
431:
424:
420:
412:
408:
400:
396:
389:
385:
378:
374:
367:
363:
359:
355:
351:
346:
339:
335:
328:
324:
299:
287:
259:
245:
238:Duranguesado
226:Alfonso VIII
219:
214:
191:
183:
177:
160:with Prince
151:
140:
121:
115:annually on
110:
104:
69:
63:
31:
27:
26:
1084:1174 deaths
685:Reilly 1998
644:Reilly 1998
629:Reilly 1998
492:Reilly 1998
458:in Ypuçchoa
283:river Bayas
248:.1162–1174)
72:Vela family
66:.1136–1155)
28:Vela Ladrón
1078:Categories
1029:: 189–217.
981:: 311–31.
222:Sancho III
117:Michaelmas
112:morabetino
84:Juan Vélaz
924:154194411
806:Carl 2008
477:Citations
317:Footnotes
230:Lope Díaz
154:Sancho VI
142:mayorazgo
126:and King
102:in 1217.
90:in 1174,
76:Sancho IV
48:Guipúzcoa
1068:: 29–94.
1051:: 41–82.
401:dominans
366:; 1150:
362:; 1147:
358:; 1141:
354:; 1139:
272:and the
207:Artajona
96:Aizorroz
88:Malvecín
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