The Lordship of Biscay ( es, Señorío de Vizcaya,

Basque Basque may refer to: * Basques, an ethnic group of Spain and France * Basque language, their language Places * Basque Country (greater region), the homeland of the Basque people with parts in both Spain and France * Basque Country (autonomous co ...

: ''Bizkaiko jaurerria'') was a region under feudal rule in the region of

Biscay Biscay (; eu, Bizkaia ; es, Vizcaya ) is a province of Spain and a historical territory of the Basque Country, heir of the ancient Lordship of Biscay, lying on the south shore of the eponymous bay. The capital and largest city is Bilbao. ...

in the

Iberian Peninsula The Iberian Peninsula (), ** * Aragonese and Occitan: ''Peninsula Iberica'' ** ** * french: Péninsule Ibérique * mwl, Península Eibérica * eu, Iberiar penintsula also known as Iberia, is a peninsula in southwestern Europe, defi ...

between 1040 and 1876, ruled by a political figure known as the Lord of Biscay. One of the Basque ''señoríos'', it was a territory with its own political organization, with its own

naval ensign A naval ensign is an ensign (maritime flag) used by naval ships of various countries to denote their nationality. It can be the same or different from a country's civil ensign or state ensign. It can also be known as a war ensign. A large ve ...

, consulate in

Bruges Bruges ( , nl, Brugge ) is the capital and largest city of the province of West Flanders in the Flemish Region of Belgium, in the northwest of the country, and the sixth-largest city of the country by population. The area of the whole city ...

and customs offices in

Balmaseda Balmaseda (in Basque and officially, in Spanish: ''Valmaseda'') is a town and municipality located in the province of Biscay, in the Basque Country. Balmaseda is the capital city of the comarca of Enkarterri, in western Biscay and serves an im ...

and Urduña, from the 11th Century until 1876, when the

Juntas Generales The Juntas Generales (General Councils, Batzar Nagusiak in Basque) are representative assemblies in the Southern Basque Country that go back to the 14th century. Trask, L. ''The History of Basque'' Routledge: 1997 They are the Foral Parliament o ...

were abolished. Since 1379, when John I of Castile became the Lord of Biscay, the lordship was integrated into the

Crown of Castile The Crown of Castile was a medieval polity in the Iberian Peninsula that formed in 1230 as a result of the third and definitive union of the crowns and, some decades later, the parliaments of the kingdoms of Castile and León upon the accessi ...

, and eventually the

Kingdom of Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = '' Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , ...

Mythical foundation

The first explicit reference to the foundation of the Biscayan lordship is in the ''Livro de Linhagens'', written between 1323 and 1344 by Pedro Afonso, Count of Barcelos. It is an entirely legendary account. The book narrates the arrival in Biscay of a man named Froom, a brother of the King of England, who had expelled him from his kingdom. Froom along with his son, Fortun Froes, defeat the

Asturians Asturians ( ast, asturianos) are a Celtic- Romance ethnic group native to the autonomous community of Asturias, in the North-West of the Iberian Peninsula. Culture and society Heritage Asturians are directly descended from the Astures, who wer ...

Busturia es, busturiano , population_note = , population_density_km2 = auto , blank_name_sec1 = Official language(s) , blank_info_sec1 = Basque Spanish , timezone = CET , utc_offset = +1 , timezo ...

. Froom is killed in battle; his son was named the first Lord of Biscay. The Count of Barcelos then lists six additional mythical lords before he comes to Lope, the historical late-11th century lord,

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, Á ...

.José Ramón Prieto Lasa (2013), "La genealogía de los Haro en el ''Livro de Linhagens'' del Conde de Barcelos", ''Anuario de Estudios Medievales'', 43/2: 833-6

/ref> A notable story among these accounts, which bears some resemblance to the

Melusine Mélusine () or Melusina is a figure of European folklore, a female spirit of fresh water in a holy well or river. She is usually depicted as a woman who is a serpent or fish from the waist down (much like a lamia or a mermaid). She is als ...

legend, is that of the Lady of Biscay (''La Dama de Viscaya''), a beautiful stranger found in the countryside by Lord Diego López. She joins him only when he agrees to certain conditions, but he later violates these and she flees into the country with their daughter. Diego López is subsequently captured by Moors, and their son Enheguez Guerra seeks out his mother for help. She gives him a horse, Pardalo, with whom he frees his father and is subsequently successful in all his battles. The later lords are said to have made sacrifices at Busturia in thanks for these events, their failure to do so resulting in attacks on the lords and townsmen by a mysterious knight. A better known but equally mythical story appears in the ''Bienandanzas e Fortunas'' of Lope García de Salazar (1454). In this story, a man named Çuria is born from the union of the god

Sugaar In Basque mythology, (also , , , ) is the male half of a pre-Christian Basque deity associated with storms and thunder. He is normally imagined as a dragon or serpent. Unlike his female consort, , there are very few remaining legends about . T ...

and a Scottish (or in other versions, Irish, Danish or Frankish) princess in the village of

Mundaka , population_note = , population_density_km2 = auto , blank_name_sec1 = Official language(s) , blank_info_sec1 = Basque Spanish , timezone = CET , utc_offset = +1 , timezone_DST ...

. Çuria was the elected chief of the Biscayans before the victorious battle of

Arrigorriaga Arrigorriaga is a town and municipality located in the province of Bizkaia, in the autonomous community of Basque Country, northern Spain. Arrigorriaga is located 7 km south of Bilbao and is part of Bilbao's metropolitan area. Its offici ...

against the invading forces of the

Kingdom of Asturias The Kingdom of Asturias ( la, Asturum Regnum; ast, Reinu d'Asturies) was a kingdom in the Iberian Peninsula founded by the Visigothic nobleman Pelagius. It was the first Christian political entity established after the Umayyad conquest of ...

. Tradition holds that before the battle he saw two wolves carrying lambs in their mouths, presaging the victory; this scene is reflected in the arms of the lords of Biscay of the

House of Haro The House of Haro was one of the most powerful families of Castile during the Middle Ages and strongly supported the expansionist policies of Alfonso VI of Castile. As a reward, Íñigo López was named the first Lord of Biscay. In the early 16t ...

. García de Salazar proceeds to give Çuria two sons by different mothers, Munso López (perhaps representing the historical

Munio Velaz Munio or Muño is a masculine given name of uncertain origin, possibly GermanicJaime de Salazar Acha (1985), "Una familia de la Alta Edad Media: Los Vela y su realedad histórica", ''Estudios Genealógicos y Heráldicos'' (Madrid: Asociación Espa ...

of the early 10th century) and Ínigo Esquira (an onomastic twin of 'Enheguez Guerra' from the line given by the Count of Barcelos, the byname apparently akin to the

''ezker'' and ''ezkerti'' - 'left' and 'left handed' respectively), who are followed by further apocryphal lords, Lope Díaz and Sancho López, before García de Salazar names a second Ínigo Esquira, this time representing the first authentic Lord of Biscay, the 11th-century Íñigo López. This tale of Çuria would further develop into the legend of Jaun Zuria (''the White Lord'') of Biscay, treated as a historical figure perhaps identical to Froom by 19th century historians.Juan Antonio Llorente, ''Noticias históricas de las tres provincias vascongadas en que se procura investigar el estado civil antiguo de Álava, Guipúzcoa y Vizcaya, y el origen de sus fueros'' (1808), vol. 5, pp. 429, 441, 486-7 The 16th-century historian Gonzalo Argote de Molina tells of other legendary lords of Biscay, and in this he is followed by several 17th and 18th century historians. They name a Hudon (or Eudon), the son of a Duke of Cantabria, who became lord of Biscay and who had a son named Zeno who succeeded him in the title. Hudon and Zeno are variously placed at different dates ranging from the mid-8th century to the late 9th century, and while the precise details differ in the different accounts, they are described as being related by marriage to the

King of Pamplona The Kingdom of Navarre (; , , , ), originally the Kingdom of Pamplona (), was a Basque kingdom that occupied lands on both sides of the western Pyrenees, alongside the Atlantic Ocean between present-day Spain and France. The medieval state took ...

and to Jaun Zuria. As with Froom and Çuria, there is no historical basis for these men.

History

Biscay before the lordship

The first time Biscay is mentioned with that name (in

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Can ...

, ''Vizcaya'') is in the ''

Chronicle of Alfonso III The ''Chronicle of Alfonso III'' ( la, Chronica Adefonsi tertii regis) is a chronicle composed in the early tenth century on the order of King Alfonso III of León with the goal of showing the continuity between Visigothic Spain and the later Chr ...

'' in the late 9th century, which tells of the regions repopulated under orders of Alfonso I, and how some territories "owned by their own", among them Biscay, were not affected by these repopulations. Biscay is mentioned again in the 10th-century '' Códice de Roda'', which narrates the wedding between Velazquita, daughter of

Sancho I of Pamplona Sancho Garcés I (Basque: ''Antso Ia. Gartzez''; c. 860 – 10 December 925), also known as Sancho I, was king of Pamplona from 905 until 925. He was the son of García Jiménez and was the first king of Pamplona of the Jiménez dynasty. Sancho ...

, to

, Count of

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 c ...

, in Biscay. It is considered then, that Biscay was by this period controlled by the

Kingdom of Navarre The Kingdom of Navarre (; , , , ), originally the Kingdom of Pamplona (), was a Basque kingdom that occupied lands on both sides of the western Pyrenees, alongside the Atlantic Ocean between present-day Spain and France. The medieval state took ...

House of Haro

In 1076, after the assassination of Sancho IV of Navarre,

Alfonso VI of León and Castile Alphons (Latinized ''Alphonsus'', ''Adelphonsus'', or ''Adefonsus'') is a male given name recorded from the 8th century ( Alfonso I of Asturias, r. 739–757) in the Christian successor states of the Visigothic kingdom in the Iberian peninsula ...

and Sancho Ramírez of Aragón fought a war over control of the

. Count Íñigo López, lord of Biscay surrendering the fortress of Bilibio to the Leonese, which aided in their conquest of

La Rioja La Rioja () is an autonomous community and province in Spain, in the north of the Iberian Peninsula. Its capital is Logroño. Other cities and towns in the province include Calahorra, Arnedo, Alfaro, Haro, Santo Domingo de la Calzada, and ...

. In exchange, the Leonese monarchs promised to support Íñigo's personal interests in

Durangaldea Durangaldea ( Spanish: ''Duranguesado'') is a comarca of Biscay located in the Basque Country, Spain. It is one of the seven ''eskualdeak/comarcas'' or regions that compose the province of Biscay. The capital city of Durangaldea is Durango. Ge ...

Gipuzkoa Gipuzkoa (, , ; es, Guipúzcoa ; french: Guipuscoa) is a province of Spain and a historical territory of the autonomous community of the Basque Country. Its capital city is Donostia-San Sebastián. Gipuzkoa shares borders with the French dep ...

and

. Íñigo died in 1077, and his son,

became Lord of Biscay, now as vassal of 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 ...

. The lordship would be later inherited by his son, Diego López I de Haro, who served as Lord of Biscay until 1134 when he was defeated and probably killed by

Alfonso the Battler Alfonso I (''c''. 1073/10747 September 1134), called the Battler or the Warrior ( es, el Batallador), was 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 Pet ...

, King of

Aragón Aragon ( , ; Spanish and an, Aragón ; ca, Aragó ) is an autonomous community in Spain, coextensive with the medieval Kingdom of Aragon. In northeastern Spain, the Aragonese autonomous community comprises three provinces (from north to sou ...

and Navarre. The Lordship was then reintegrated into Navarre and Ladrón Íñiguez, one of the most powerful men of the Navarrese court, was named Lord of Biscay. After his death, in 1155, his son

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 ...

, who at the time was also Lord of Álava and Guipúzcoa, became Lord of Biscay and ruled through the reigns of Alfonso the Battler, García Ramírez and Sancho VI. During that time, Lope Díaz I de Haro claimed the title of Lord of Biscay, though he never set foot on the land during his lifetime. In 1173

Alfonso VIII of Castile Alfonso VIII (11 November 11555 October 1214), called the Noble (''El Noble'') or the one of Las Navas (''el de las Navas''), was King of Castile from 1158 to his death and King of Toledo. After having suffered a great defeat with his own army at ...

attacked the Kingdom of Navarre and, a year later with the death of Vela Ladrón, occupied Biscay and restored the

Diego López II de Haro Diego López II de Haro called ''the Good'' or ''the Bad'' (c. 1152 – 16 September 1214). Son of Lope Diaz I de Haro, count of Nájera (b. 1126–1170) and of countess Aldonza. He was a first rank magnate in the kingdom of Castile under King ...

was named Lord of Biscay. In 1176 the kingdoms of Navarre and Castile signed a declaration of peace, agreeing to

arbitration Arbitration is a form of alternative dispute resolution (ADR) that resolves disputes outside the judiciary courts. The dispute will be decided by one or more persons (the 'arbitrators', 'arbiters' or 'arbitral tribunal'), which renders the ' ...

Henry II of England Henry II (5 March 1133 – 6 July 1189), also known as Henry Curtmantle (french: link=no, Court-manteau), Henry FitzEmpress, or Henry Plantagenet, was King of England from 1154 until his death in 1189, and as such, was the first Angevin king ...

. New borders were delimited and ratified in 1179. Biscay was divided, with the left bank of the River

Nervión , name_etymology = , image = Nervion.jpg , image_size = 300px , image_caption = River Nervion with Zubizuri footbridge. , map = , map_size = , map_caption = , pushpin_map ...

becoming part of Castile, while the rest of Biscay, Durangaldea and Álava (east from the Bayas River) were retained by Navarre. Diego López II, Lord of Biscay, swore fealty to the Navarrese monarchy and he ruled Biscay until 1183. The Lords of Biscay were vassals of the Kingdom of Navarre until 1206, when the Haro family were given the title of

alférez In medieval Iberia, an ''alférez'' (, ) or ''alferes'' (, ) was a high-ranking official in the household of a king or magnate. The term is derived from the Arabic ('' al-fāris''), meaning "horseman" or "cavalier", and it was commonly Latinised ...

at the Castilian court, and thereafter Biscay was in the area of influence of the Castilian kingdom, though it would not be wholly integrated into it until much later.

Crown domain

The Lordship of Biscay was in the hands of the Haro family and their descendants through 1370, when it passed to prince Juan of Castile, a distant kinsman with a maternal descent from the earlier Lords. He would subsequently succeed to his father's Kingdom of Castile, and from that time the Lordship remained bound to the Castilian kingdom, and from the reign of

Charles I Charles I may refer to: Kings and emperors * Charlemagne (742–814), numbered Charles I in the lists of Holy Roman Emperors and French kings * Charles I of Anjou (1226–1285), also king of Albania, Jerusalem, Naples and Sicily * Charles I of ...

, to the Spanish crown. However, the Lordship maintained a high degree of autonomy, through the Biscayan law, or

fueros (), (), () or () is a Spanish legal term and concept. The word comes from Latin , an open space used as a market, tribunal and meeting place. The same Latin root is the origin of the French terms and , and the Portuguese terms and ; al ...

. In 1874, after the abolishment of the

First Spanish Republic The Spanish Republic ( es, República Española), historiographically referred to as the First Spanish Republic, was the political regime that existed in Spain from 11 February 1873 to 29 December 1874. The Republic's founding ensued after th ...

and the beginning of the

Restoration Restoration is the act of restoring something to its original state and may refer to: * Conservation and restoration of cultural heritage ** Audio restoration ** Film restoration ** Image restoration ** Textile restoration *Restoration ecology * ...

Alfonso XII Alfonso XII (Alfonso Francisco de Asís Fernando Pío Juan María de la Concepción Gregorio Pelayo; 28 November 185725 November 1885), also known as El Pacificador or the Peacemaker, was King of Spain from 29 December 1874 to his death in 1885 ...

abolished the Biscayan law and

; putting the Lordship to an end. Since then, Biscay has been fully integrated into the Spanish crown as the

province of Biscay Biscay (; eu, Bizkaia ; es, Vizcaya ) is a province of Spain and a historical territory of the Basque Country, heir of the ancient Lordship of Biscay, lying on the south shore of the eponymous bay. The capital and largest city is Bilbao. ...

Territory

''Tierra Llana''

''Tierra Llana'' (literally, flatlands) refers to the territory that was not protected by stone walls, that is, mostly rural areas and

farms A farm (also called an agricultural holding) is an area of land that is devoted primarily to agricultural processes with the primary objective of producing food and other crops; it is the basic facility in food production. The name is used fo ...

. This territory was organized into 72 ''

elizate An (), ( es, anteiglesia) is an early form of local government in the Basque Country which was particularly common in Biscay but also existed in the other provinces. The terms (in Standard Basque) and (in Biscayan) literally translate as "chur ...

s'', grouped in six ''

merindad ''Merindad'' () is a Mediaeval Spanish administrative term for a country subdivision smaller than a province but larger than a municipality. The officer in charge of a merindad was called a merino, roughly equivalent to the English ''count'' or ...

es''. Each elizate had a representation in the

. * Merindad of Busturia (26 elizates):

Mundaka , population_note = , population_density_km2 = auto , blank_name_sec1 = Official language(s) , blank_info_sec1 = Basque Spanish , timezone = CET , utc_offset = +1 , timezone_DST ...

(1st), Sukarrieta (2nd),

Busturia es, busturiano , population_note = , population_density_km2 = auto , blank_name_sec1 = Official language(s) , blank_info_sec1 = Basque Spanish , timezone = CET , utc_offset = +1 , timezo ...

(3rd), Murueta (4th), Forua (5th), Lumo (6th),

Muxika Muxika is a town and municipality located in the province of Biscay, in the autonomous community of Basque Country, northern Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , ...

(7th),

Arrieta Arrieta (both in Basque and Spanish) is a town and municipality located in the province of Biscay, in the Basque Country, Spain. Arrieta is part of the ''comarca'' of Mungialdea. It had a population of 552 inhabitants as of 2007, and a populat ...

(8th),

Mendata Mendata is a village and municipality located in the province of Biscay, in the autonomous community of Basque Country, northern Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).sv ...

(9th), Arratzu (10th), Ajangiz (11th), Ereño (12th), Ibarrangelu (13th), Gautegiz Arteaga (14th), Kortezubi (15th), Natxitua (16th), Ispaster (17th), Bedarona (18th), Aulesti (19th), Nabarniz (20th), Gizaburuaga (21st),

Amoroto , population_note = , population_density_km2 = auto , blank_name_sec1 = Official language(s) , blank_info_sec1 = Basque Spanish , timezone = CET , utc_offset = +1 , timezone_DST ...

(22nd),

Mendexa Mendexa is a town and municipality located in the province of Biscay, in the autonomous community of Basque Country, northern Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg ...

(23rd),

Berriatua Berriatua is a town and municipality located in the province of Biscay, in the autonomous community of the Basque Country, in the north of Spain. Its neighbors are Ondarroa and the Bay of Biscay to the north, Markina-Xemein to the south, Mutrik ...

(24th), Ziortza (25th) and Arbatzegi (26th). * Merindad of Markina (2 elizates): Xemein (27th) and Etxebarria (28th). * Merindad of Zornotza (3 elizates): Amorebieta (29th), Etxano (30th) and Ibarruri (31st). * Merindad of Uribe (32 elizates): Gorozika (32nd),

Barakaldo Barakaldo ( es, Baracaldo; eu, Barakaldo ) is a municipality located in the Biscay province in the Basque Country. Located on the Left Bank of the Estuary of Bilbao, the city is part of Greater Bilbao, has a population at 100,881. Barakaldo ha ...

(33rd), Abando (34th), Deusto (35th), Begoña (36th), Etxebarri (37th), Galdakao (38th),

(39th), Arrankudiaga (40th),

Lezama Lezama is a town and municipality located in the province of Biscay, in the autonomous community of Basque Country, northern Spain. It is home to the training headquarters of the football team Athletic Bilbao, and is accessible by bus - Biz ...

(41st),

Zamudio Zamudio is a town and municipality located in the province of Biscay, in the Autonomous Community of Basque Country, northern Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , ...

(42nd),

Loiu Loiu ( es, Lujua) is a town and municipality located in the province of Biscay, in the autonomous community of Basque Country, northern Spain. The Bilbao Airport terminal lies within the municipality limits. Geography Loiu is located in the ...

(43rd),

Sondika Sondika ( Spanish, ''Sondica'') is a town and municipality located in the province of Biscay, in the Autonomous Community of Basque Country, northern Spain. Situated directly south of the runway of Bilbao Airport, it is the location of Bilbao ...

(44th),

Erandio Erandio is a town and municipality located in the province of Biscay, in the autonomous community of Basque Country, northern Spain. The name comes from euskera ARANDIO that means plum plantation or field. In 1415, during the War of the Bands, t ...

(45th),

Leioa Leioa ( es, Lejona) is a municipality in Biscay, Basque Country, in northern Spain. It is located south of Getxo and Berango delimitating east and south with Erandio, Portugalete and Sestao. Today it is part of the Bilbao conurbation. Its populat ...

(46th),

Getxo Getxo () is a town located in the province of Biscay, in the autonomous community of the Basque Country, in Spain. It is part of Greater Bilbao, and has 77,946 inhabitants (2019). Getxo is mostly an affluent residential area, as well as being th ...

(47th), Berango (48th), Sopelana (49th),

Urduliz , population_note = , population_density_km2 = auto , blank_name_sec1 = Official language(s) , blank_info_sec1 = Basque Spanish , timezone = CET , utc_offset = +1 , timezone_DST ...

(50th),

Barrika Barrika is a town and municipality located in the province of Biscay, Spain, in the autonomous community of Basque Country. It is considered one of the oldest municipalities of Biscay. It was founded by Sancho Vela. As it is placed next to the s ...

(51st), Gorliz (52nd), Laukiz (53rd),

Gatika , population_note = , population_density_km2 = auto , blank_name_sec1 = Official language(s) , blank_info_sec1 = BasqueSpanish , timezone = CET , utc_offset = +1 , timezone_DST ...

(54th), Lemoiz (55th), Maruri (56th),

Bakio Bakio ( eu, Bakio, es, Baquio) is a municipality in the province of Biscay, Basque Country, Spain. Location and characteristics It is a small valley which is drained inland by the River Estepona. This valley is surrounded by mountains to the ...

(57th), Morga (58th), Mungia (59th), Gamiz (60th), Fika (61st), Fruiz (62nd), Meñaka (63rd) and

Derio , population_note = , population_density_km2 = auto , blank_name_sec1 = Official language(s) , blank_info_sec1 = Basque Spanish , timezone = CET , utc_offset = +1 , timezone_DST ...

(72nd). * Merindad of Bedia (1 elizate): Lemoa (64th). * Merindad of Arratia (7 elizates): Igorre (65th),

Arantzazu Arantzazu ( Spanish, ''Aránzazu'') is a town and municipality located in the province of Gipuzkoa, in the Autonomous Community of Basque Country, northern Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escud ...

(66th), Artea (67th), Zeanuri (68th), Dima (69th), Zeberio (70th) and Ubide (71st). All these regions were governed by the Biscayan law, or fuero. There were five ''de facto'' elizates, who did not belong to any merindad nor have any representation in the Juntas. Those were Alonsotegi, Arakaldo, Basauri,

Zaratamo Zaratamo ( es, Zarátamo) is a town and municipality located in the province of Biscay, in the autonomous community of Basque Country, northern Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de Espa� ...

and Zollo.

Cities and towns

There were 21 walled cities and towns, all founded during the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire ...

. They were the towns of

, Bermeo,

Bilbao ) , motto = , image_map = , mapsize = 275 px , map_caption = Interactive map outlining Bilbao , pushpin_map = Spain Basque Country#Spain#Europe , pushpin_map_caption ...

Durango Durango (), officially named Estado Libre y Soberano de Durango ( en, Free and Sovereign State of Durango; Tepehuán: ''Korian''; Nahuatl: ''Tepēhuahcān''), is one of the 31 states which make up the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico, situated in ...

Ermua Ermua is a town and municipality located in the province of Biscay, in the autonomous community of Basque Country, northern Spain. In 2019, Ermua had 15,880 inhabitants. Ermua is a town in the Durangaldea comarca of the province of Biscay in nor ...

, Gernika, Lanestosa,

Lekeitio Lekeitio (; es, Lequeitio) is a town and Municipalities of Spain, municipality located in the province of Biscay, in the Spain, Spanish Autonomous Community of Basque Country (autonomous community), Basque Country, northeast from Bilbao. The mu ...

, Markina,

Ondarroa Ondarroa is a town and municipality located in the province of Biscay, in the autonomous community of the Basque Autonomous Community, northern Spain. Main sights *Church of St. Mary, in late Gothic style (late 15th century) *Likona Tower, a ty ...

, Otxandio, Portugalete, Plentzia, Mungia, Areatza, Errigoiti,

Larrabetzu Larrabetzu is a town and municipality located in the province of Biscay, in the autonomous community of Basque Country, northern Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg ...

, Gerrikaitz, Miraballes,

Elorrio Elorrio is a town and a municipality located in the eastern part of the province of Biscay, in the Basque Country, in northern Spain. , it has a population of 7,307 inhabitants. It covers an area of 37.20 square kilometers and it has a population ...

and Urduña. There towns had their own

municipal charter A city charter or town charter (generically, municipal charter) is a legal document (''charter'') establishing a municipality such as a city or town. The concept developed in Europe during the Middle Ages. Traditionally the granting of a charter ...

or ''carta puebla'', with their own set of laws different from those of the ''fueros''.

Enkarterri

The region known as

Enkarterri Enkarterri (Spanish: ''Las Encartaciones'') is a comarca of the province of Biscay, in the Basque Country, Spain. It is one of the seven ''eskualdeak/comarcas'' or districts that make up the province of Biscay. Its administrative centre is Balm ...

(''Encartaciones'' in

) is located at the west of the River

Nervión , name_etymology = , image = Nervion.jpg , image_size = 300px , image_caption = River Nervion with Zubizuri footbridge. , map = , map_size = , map_caption = , pushpin_map ...

and was incorporated into the Lordship in the 13th Century by the

. It was traditionally formed by 10 republics, that were united in councils, each with its own representation and government. Enkarterri had its own ''junta'' and ''fueros'', but eventually adopted the ones from Vizcaya. Their representatives held councils in

Avellaneda Avellaneda (, ) is a port city in the province of Buenos Aires, Argentina, and the seat of the Avellaneda Partido, whose population was 342,677 as per the . Avellaneda is located within the Greater Buenos Aires metropolitan area, and is connected ...

. A single common representative of all of them assisted the Biscayan Juntas Generales. In the 17th Century, five of the councils got their own representative in the Juntas. In 1804, the Junta of Avellaneda was dissolved and its councils incorporated into the ''Tierra Llana''. The Enkarterri had the following councils:

Karrantza Karrantza Harana/Valle de Carranza (in Basque ''Karrantza Harana'', in Spanish ''Valle de Carranza''), is a town and municipality located in the province of Biscay, in the Basque Country. It is located in the comarca of Enkarterri and it is the ...

, Trutzioz,

Artzentales Artzentales (Artzandaritz) is a municipality in the province of Biscay, in the autonomous community of Basque Country, northern Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg ...

Sopuerta , population_note = , population_density_km2 = auto , blank_name_sec1 = Official language(s) , blank_info_sec1 = Basque Spanish , timezone = CET , utc_offset = +1 , timezone_DST ...

, Galdames, Zalla, Güeñes, Gordexola, The Three Councils of the Somorrostro Valley (

Santurtzi Santurtzi ( es, Santurce; eu, Santurtzi ) is a port town in the province of Biscay, in the autonomous community of Basque Country, Spain. It is located in the Bilbao Abra bay, near the mouth of the Nervión river, on its left bank, 14 km do ...

, Sestao and Trapagaran) and The Four Councils of the Somorrostro Valley (

Muskiz Muskiz is a town and municipality located in the province of Biscay, in the autonomous community of Basque Country, northern Spain. Neighborhoods Muskiz is administratively divided into six neighborhoods or wards: Demography Economy ...

Zierbena Zierbena is a town and municipality located in the province of Biscay in the autonomous community of Basque Country, northern Spain. Ferry port The ferry port in Zierbena (which is known to some as Bilbao Ferry Port) has two departures and ar ...

, Abanto de Suso and Abanto de Yuso).

Durango

The region known as the

County of Durango The County of Durango ( eu, Durangoko Merinaldea), also known as ''Land of Durango'' and ''Merindad of Durango'', was the ancient political administration of the territory that is now known as Durangaldea, in the Basque region of Biscay. This poli ...

(''Merindad de Durango'' in Spanish) and currently known as

is a valley located along the upper river

Ibaizabal The Ibaizabal (''wide river'' in Basque) is a river that drains southeastern Biscay to the Estuary of Bilbao. It is long from its source at Elorrio to the Nervión, and it passes by the towns of Durango and Amorebieta and joins the Nervión riv ...

and had the traditional name of ''Merindad of Durango''. Durango and its valley were a semi-autonomous region, controlled by the

Kingdom of Pamplona The Kingdom of Navarre (; , , , ), originally the Kingdom of Pamplona (), was a Basque kingdom that occupied lands on both sides of the western Pyrenees, alongside the Atlantic Ocean between present-day Spain and France. The medieval state too ...

(later,

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, ...

) and had its own Foral law, and celebrated its own council mettings in Gerediaga. In 1200 it was conquered by the Kingdom of Castile, and in 1212

gives the land to

, Lord of Biscay, as a reward for his services in the

Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa The Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa, known in Islamic history as the Battle of Al-Uqab ( ar, معركة العقاب), took place on 16 July 1212 and was an important turning point in the '' Reconquista'' and the medieval history of Spain. The Chri ...

, being then incorporated into Biscay. The Merindad of Durango comprised the following

s: Abadiño,

Berriz Berriz (in Basque and officially, in Spanish: ''Bérriz'') is an elizate, town and municipality located in the province of Biscay, in the Basque Country, northern Spain. Berriz is part of the ''comarca'' of Durangaldea and has a population of 4 ...

Mallabia Mallabia (in Basque and officially, in Spanish: ''Mallavia'') is an elizate, town and municipality located in the province of Biscay, in the Basque Country, northern Spain. Mallabia is part of the ''comarca'' of Durangaldea and has a population ...

Mañaria Mañaria (both in Basque and Spanish) is an elizate, town and municipality located in the province of Biscay, in the Basque Country, Spain. Mañaria is part of the ''comarca'' of Durangaldea and has a population of 459 inhabitants as of 2006 ac ...

Iurreta Iurreta is a town and municipality located in the province of Biscay, in the autonomous community of Basque Autonomous Community, northern Spain. Incorporated into the municipality of Durango in 1926, Iurreta regained its independent status in 19 ...

, Garai,

Zaldibar Zaldibar (in Basque and officially, in es, Zaldívar) is an elizate, town and municipality located in the province of Biscay, in the Basque Country, Spain. Zaldibar is part of the ''comarca'' of Durangaldea and has a population of 3,043 inhabi ...

, Arratzola, Axpe,

Atxondo Atxondo ( es, Achondo) is a municipality located in the province of Biscay, in the Basque Country, Spain. Atxondo is part of the ''comarca'' of Durangaldea and has a population of 1,447 inhabitants as of 2007 according to the Spanish National Sta ...

, Izurtza and

Political institutions

''Juntas Generales''

The Biscayan ''Juntas Generales'' were the maximum governing body of the Lordship; in the Juntas were represented all the Biscayan territories. There were in total 72 representatives; each

had one, the towns and cities had one each.

Regiment

The ''Regimiento General'' (General Regiment) was established in 1500 and had the function of governing the territory when the Juntas were not meeting. It was formed by 12 ''regidores'' that were named by the Juntas and one ''

corregidor Corregidor ( tl, Pulo ng Corregidor, ) is an island located at the entrance of Manila Bay in the southwestern part of Luzon in the Philippines, and is considered part of the Province of Cavite. Due to this location, Corregidor has historically ...

''. The regiment meet three times each year, and eventually got the name of ''Universal government of the Lordship''. The ''Regimiento Particular'' (Particular Regiment) was established in 1570 and had the function of governing in the General Regiment's absence. It was formed by all the ''regidores'' that lived in

Bilbao ) , motto = , image_map = , mapsize = 275 px , map_caption = Interactive map outlining Bilbao , pushpin_map = Spain Basque Country#Spain#Europe , pushpin_map_caption ...

.''Historia General del País Vasco'', Manuel Montero, Txertoa, Andoin, 2008, pag. 150

''Diputación General''

It served as the fundamental political institution of the Lordship during the 18th Century. In 1645 the Particular Regiment changed its name to ''Diputación General'' and were granted autonomy from the General Regiment. It was formed by seven members; six ''general members'' and one president, who was the ''

''. Its function was to govern the ''Juntas Generales'', the Diputación had competences in military and financial issues, as well as the maintenance of the roads and charities.''Historia General del País Vasco'', Manuel Montero, Txertoa, Andoin, 2008, pag. 151

List of lords

Arms of the House of Haro, Lords of Biscay

The ''Lord'' of Biscay is the title that was granted to those who controlled the Biscayan territory. House of Haro * Íñigo López, 1040-1077 *

, 1077-1093, son of Íñigo López * Diego López I ''the White'', 1093-1124, son of Lope Íñiguez House of Vela * Íñigo Vélaz, 1124-c. 1131 * Ladrón Íñiguez ''Navarro'', c. 1131-1155, son of Íñigo Vela *

, 1155-1162, son of Ladrón Íñiguez House of Haro (restored) * Lope Díaz I, ''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 ...

'', 1162-1170, son of Diego López I * Diego López II ''the Good'', 1170-1214, son of Lope Díaz I * Lope Díaz II ''Brave Head'', 1214-1236, son of Diego López II * Diego López III, 1236-1254, son of Lope Díaz II * Lope Díaz III, 1254-1288, son of Diego López III * Diego López IV ''the Young'', 1288-1289, son of Lope Díaz III * María Díaz I ''the Good'', 1289-1295 (first tenure), daughter of Lope Díaz III * Diego López V ''the Intruder'', 1295-1310, son of Diego López III * María Díaz I ''the Good'', 1310-1322 (second tenure) *

Juan de Castilla y Haro Juan de Castilla y Haro, most commonly known as Juan el Tuerto (the one-eyed) (b. ? - d. 31 October 1326, Toro), was a Spanish noble of the House of Haro and of the royal line of the Kingdom of Castile descended from Alfonso X of Castile. He w ...

''the One-eyed'', 1322-1326 son of María Díaz I de Haro * María Díaz I ''the Good'', 1326-1333, (third tenure) Fernando El Catolico Guernica

House of Burgundy *

Alfonso XI of Castile Alfonso XI (13 August 131126 March 1350), called the Avenger (''el Justiciero''), was King of Castile and León. He was the son of Ferdinand IV of Castile and his wife Constance of Portugal. Upon his father's death in 1312, several disputes ...

, 1333-1334

House of Lara The House of Lara (Spanish: ''Casa de Lara'') is a Nobility, 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 ...

* Juan Núñez III de Lara, 1334-1350, great-grandson of Diego López III de Haro, jointly with wife María Díaz II de Haro, 1334-1348, daughter of Juan de Castilla y Haro * Nuño Díaz de Lara, 1350-1352, son of Juan Núñez de Lara and María Díaz II de Haro * Juana de Lara, 1352-1359, daughter of Juan Núñez and María Díaz II * Isabel de Lara, 1359-1361, daughter of Juan Núñez and María Díaz II House of Burgundy/ Trastamara * Tello Alfonso, 1366-1370, son of Alfonso XI of Castile, widower of Juana de Lara. On his death without legitimate children, the title passed to his nephew, who was also a kinsman of the Lara and Haro. * John I of Castile, 1370-1379, son of

Henry II of Castile Henry II (13 January 1334 – 29 May 1379), called Henry of Trastámara or the Fratricidal (''el Fratricida''), was the first King of Castile and León from the House of Trastámara. He became king in 1369 by defeating his half-brother Peter t ...

and grandnephew of Biscay lord Juan Núñez III de Lara. With the succession of John I as King of Castile in 1379, the Lordship of Biscay was united with the

. Subsequent Castilian monarchs as well as their successors who ruled all Spain have continued to claim the title of Lord of Biscay, down to the present king and current holder of the title,

Felipe VI of Spain Felipe VI (;, * eu, Felipe VI.a, * ca, Felip VI, * gl, Filipe VI, . Felipe Juan Pablo Alfonso de Todos los Santos de Borbón y Grecia; born 30 January 1968) is King of Spain. He is the son of former King Juan Carlos I and Queen Sofía, and h ...