The House of Méndez de Sotomayor is a branch of the

House of Sotomayor A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air condit ...

that rose to prominence during King Ferdinand III of Castile's reign and went on to found the

Señorio del Castillo de Carpio The Lordship del Castillo del Carpio (Sp: Señorio del Castillo de Carpio or the Señorio del Carpio) was a Spanish title of nobility established in 1325 by García Méndez de Sotomayor. The title lends its name to the House of Carpio. Hist ...

. The house was known for its service to both the Kingdom of Castile and the Kingdom of Spain.

History

The House of Méndez de Sotomayor was the branch of the

or Soutomaior that held title over the Señorio del Castillo de Carpio and the later Marquesado. The family was originally landed with title over Soutomaior, Province of Pontevedra,

Galicia Galicia may refer to: Geographic regions * Galicia (Spain), a region and autonomous community of northwestern Spain ** Gallaecia, a Roman province ** The post-Roman Kingdom of the Suebi, also called the Kingdom of Gallaecia ** The medieval King ...

. Indeed, this original branch of the family would reach levels of significant prominence in the early 18th century with the creation of the Ducado de Sotomayor under Fernando Yáñez de Sotomayor Lima y Brito in 1703. The Méndez de Sotomayor branch of the family made it into the service of the Kingdom of Castile and participated in the Reconquista campaigns in Cordoba. The house was founded by Don Men Paez Sorred, a

Ricohombre The ricohombre (a magnate, literally, a Spanish word for "richman") was a high ranking nobility title in mediaeval kingdoms on the territories of modern Spain and Portugal, replaced by a title of grandee in the late 14th-early 15th century. The rico ...

of Alfonso VII of Castile. By the mid 13th century, Ferdinand III of Castile was involved in a series of Reconquista campaigns against the Caliphate of Córdoba and other minor Christian and Moorish territories in the area around

El Carpio El Carpio is a city located in the province of Córdoba, Spain. According to the 2006 census (INE), the city has a population of 4,477 inhabitants. History El Carpio was tied to the Kingdom of Castile as early as the 1300s when the Señorio de ...

Andalucía Andalusia (, ; es, Andalucía ) is the southernmost Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community in Peninsular Spain. It is the most populous and the second-largest autonomous community in the country. It is officially recognised as a ...

, Province of Córdoba as a part of his campaign for Alcocer (Al-Qusayr). After victory in this campaign in 1240, Ferdinand III divvied the land up between the Castilian crown and the nobles who took part in the campaign as Señorios and other titles tied to the Castilian crown. Heavily involved in the fighting, the House of Sotomayor was awarded much of the land principally in the area around El Carpio. By 1325, the Sotomayor lands, passed down by various family members, were collected and amassed by Garcí Méndez II de Sotomayor who was responsible for the founding of the

. The foundation of the Señorio is generally placed at 1325, the year that the tower at El Carpio was completed. The tower and its surrounding fortifications would serve as the center of administration for the Señorio and the Marquesado of Carpio until the title became associated with the Dukes of Alba. Eventually, parts of this branch of the House of Sotomayor would merge through marriage with the House of Haro and the titles over El Carpio would be elevated in 1559 to a Marquesado with Grandesa de España under

Diego López de Haro y Sotomayor Diego López de Haro y Sotomayor (1515-1578) was a Spanish noble holding the titles of Señor Lubrín y Sorbas, Almería and 10th Señor del Carpio, a title which was elevated to 1st Marques del Carpio in 1559 by Philip II of Spain. Family O ...

Head of House

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:House of Mendez de Sotomayor Grandees of Spain Señors of Castillo de Carpio Marquesses of Carpio Spanish noble families

History

Head of House

See also

References