The County of Álava ( eu, Arabako konderria) was one of the Basque ''señoríos'', a feudal territory during the 9th and 13th centuries that corresponds to present-day

Álava Álava ( in Spanish) or Araba (), officially Araba/Álava, is a province of Spain and a historical territory of the Basque Country, heir of the ancient Lordship of Álava, former medieval Catholic bishopric and now Latin titular see. Its ca ...

, in the Basque Country. Until the final invasion and incorporation into the

Kingdom of Castile The Kingdom of Castile (; es, Reino de Castilla, la, Regnum Castellae) was a large and powerful state on the Iberian Peninsula during the Middle Ages. Its name comes from the host of castles constructed in the region. It began in the 9th centu ...

in the year 1200, the county was governed by counts vassals of the Kingdoms of

Asturias Asturias (, ; ast, Asturies ), officially the Principality of Asturias ( es, Principado de Asturias; ast, Principáu d'Asturies; Galician-Asturian: ''Principao d'Asturias''), is an autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community in nor ...

, León and

Navarre Navarre (; es, Navarra ; eu, Nafarroa ), officially the Chartered Community of Navarre ( es, Comunidad Foral de Navarra, links=no ; eu, Nafarroako Foru Komunitatea, links=no ), is a foral autonomous community and province in northern Spain, ...

, being under the sphere of influence of one or the other at different times. The figure governing Alava received the title of Count of Álava.Martínez Díez, Gonzalo (2005).
El condado de Castilla (711-1038): la historia frente a la leyenda
'. Marcial Pons Historia, p.199. .

Counts of Álava

The Counts of Álava were the governing figures of the County of Álava and were, at different times, under the sphere of influence of the kingdoms of

and, ultimately, Castile.

Vassals of the Asturian monarchs

, - , Eylo
c. 868 , , , , , , , , , - , Rodrigo of Castile
Also first Count of Castile
c.860-c.870 , , , , Unknown , , Egilona , , 873 , - , Vela Jiménez
Also known as ''Vigila Scemeniz''
c.882-c.897 , , , , Unknown , , Velasquita Sánchez
two children , , Unknown , - ,

Gonzalo Téllez Gonzalo Téllez (died 915) was a nobleman who was Count of Lantarón and Cerezo de Río Tirón, Cerezo (c. 897–c. 915) and is also mentioned in a document dated 903 as List of Castilian counts, Count of Castile. He and his wife were the founders ...

Known as ''Count of Lantaron and Cerezo''
c.897-c.919 , , , , Unknown , , Flámula , , 915 , - ,

Munio Vélaz Munio Vélaz or Vigílaz (died before 931) was the Count of Álava and probably also of Biscay. The exact dates of his countship are unknown. Only one document, dated 18 May 919 in the cartularies of Valpuesta, names Munio as count in Álava. He r ...

Known as ''Monnio Uigilazi in Alaba''
c.919 , , , , Unknown
Son of Vela Jiménez and Velasquita Sánchez , , Velasquita
four children , , 919 , - ,

Fernando Díaz Fernando Díaz (''floruit'' 1071–1106) was a Spanish nobleman and military leader in the Kingdom of León, the most powerful Asturian magnate of the period. He held the highest rank in the kingdom, that of count (Latin ''comes''), from at least ...

923 , , , , Unknown
Son of

Diego Rodríguez Porcelos Diego Rodríguez Porcelos (governed 873 – c. 885), was the second Count of Castile, succeeding his father Rodrigo. He did not govern Álava, however, as his father had done, since this responsibility fell on Count Vela Jiménez. Between 882 an ...

, , Unknown
, , Unknown , - ,

Álvaro Herraméliz Álvaro Herraméliz (fl. 923–931), was a Spanish noble and the count of Lantarón and of Álava in the region that today would be considered the Basque Country in northern Spain. Biography Count Álvaro was the son of Herramel, a noble wh ...

Known as ''Count of Lantaron and Álava''
c929-931 , , , , Unknown , , Sancha Sánchez of Pamplona
two children , , Unknown , - ,

Fernán González of Castile Fernán González (died 970) was the first autonomous count of Castile. Fernán González was a colourful character of legendary status in Iberian Peninsula, Iberia, and founder of the dynasty that would rule a semi-autonomous Castile, laying the ...

Also Count of Castile
932-970 , , Conde Fernán González 01

, , c.910
Son of

Gonzalo Fernández of Castile Gonzalo Fernández was Count of Burgos (ca. 899-915) and of List of Castilian counts, Castile (c. 909-915). Recorded for the first time in 899 as Count of Burgos, soon the region expanded to the eastern mountain valleys enabling Gonzalo to make h ...

and Muniadona of Lara , , Sancha Sánchez of Pamplona, widow of Álvaro Herrameliz
seven children , , 970 , - ,

García Fernández of Castile García Fernández, called of the White Hands () (Burgos, Caliphate of Córdoba, Córdoba, 995), was the count of Castile and Alava from 970 to 995. In May 995, he was captured by a raiding party while out hunting. Wounded in the encounter, he was ...

''Of the white hands''
Also Count of Castile
970-995 , , García Fernandez-Med-Plaza Mayor (Salamanca)

, , 938
Son of

and Sancha Sánchez of Pamplona , , Ava of Ribagorza
seven children , , 995 , - ,

Sancho García of Castile Sancho García (died 5 February 1017), called of the Good Laws (in Spanish, ''el de los Buenos Fueros''), was the count of Castile and Álava from 995 to his death. Biography Sancho was the son of count García Fernández and his wife Ava of Rib ...

Also Count of Castile
995 , , , , c.965
Son of

and Ava of Ribagorza , ,

Urraca Gómez Urraca Gomez (died c. 1039) was Countess of Castile through her marriage to Count Sancho Garcia of Castile The name Sancho is an Iberian name of Basque origin (Santxo, Santzo, Santso, Antzo, Sans). Sancho stems from the Latin name Sanctius.Ei ...

five children , , 1017

Vassals of the Navarrese monarchs

, - , Munio González
c.1030 , , , , Unknown , , Unknown , , Unknown , - , Fortún Íñiguez
c.1043 , , , , Unknown , , Unknown , , Unknown , - , Munio Muñoz
c.1045 , , , , Unknown , , Unknown , , Unknown , - , Alvaro Díaz known as Don Marcelo
c.1056 , , , , Unknown , , Goto López , , before July 1072

Vassals of the Castilian monarchs

, - ,

Lope Íñiguez Lope Íñiguez (''c''. 1050 – 1093) succeeded his father Íñigo López to become the second Lord of Biscay in 1076. Íñigo died shortly after the assassination of his overlord Sancho IV of Navarre and the subsequent takeover of Biscay, Ál ...

Also

Lord of Biscay The Lordship of Biscay ( es, Señorío de Vizcaya, Basque: ''Bizkaiko jaurerria'') was a region under feudal rule in the region of Biscay in the Iberian Peninsula between 1040 and 1876, ruled by a political figure known as the Lord of Biscay. On ...

c.1076 , , , , c.1050
Son of Íñigo López and Toda Fortunez , , Ticlo Díaz
five children , , 1093 , - , Lope González
c.1093 , , , , Unknown , , Unknown , , Unknown , - , Lope Sánchez
c.1099 , , , , Unknown , , Unknown , , Unknown , - , Diego López
''the White''
Also

1093–1124 , , , , 1075
Son of

and Ticlo Díaz , , María Sánchez
three children , , 1124 , - ,

Ladrón Íñiguez Ladrón Íñiguez (died 1155), also known as Ladrón Navarro, was a leading nobleman of the Kingdom of Navarre during the reign of García Ramírez (1134–50), whose accession he was instrumental in bringing about. He is regularly titled cou ...

c.1130 , , , , Unknown , , Unknown , , Unknown , - , Lope Díaz
''the one from

Nájera Nájera () is a small town, former bishopric and now Latin Catholic titular see, former capital of the Kingdom of Navarre, located in the "Rioja Alta" region of La Rioja, northern Spain, on the river Najerilla. Nájera is a stopping point on the F ...

''
Also

1125–1170 , , , , Unknown
Son of Diego López and María Sánchez , , Aldonza
eleven children , , 6 May 1170 , - ,

Vela Ladrón Vela Ladrón or Latrónez (died 1174) was a Spanish nobleman who ruled the Basque counties of Álava, Biscay (Vizcaya) and Guipúzcoa. He succeeded his father as count of Álava in 1155 or 1156. He acquired Biscay around 1160 and Guipúzcoa aroun ...

''Vela from Navarre''
Also

c.1155 , , , , 1115
Son of

, , Unknown , , 1173 , - , Juan Vélaz
c.1174 , , , , Unknown
Son of Vela Ladrón , , Unknown , , Unknown From the year 1200, the County of Álava was fully incorporated into the

and the title of Count of Álava ceased to be used.

References

Works cited