Juan Núñez II de Lara facts for kids
Juan Núñez II de Lara (born around 1276 – died 1315) was an important Spanish noble. People called him el Mozo (the Young One) or el de la Barba (the Bearded One). He led the powerful House of Lara family and served the Kingdom of Castile.
He held many important jobs for the king, like being the King's Chief Steward (Mayordomo Mayor del Rey) four times. He was also a top military leader in the border region of Andalusia (Adelantado Mayor de la Frontera de Andalucía). He was supposed to rule a place called Sinyoría d'Albarrazín, but it became part of the Kingdom of Aragon in 1300.
Contents
Juan's Family Background
Juan's parents were Juan Núñez I de Lara, who led the House of Lara, and Teresa Díaz II de Haro. His mother, Teresa, was the daughter of Diego López III de Haro, who was the seventh Lord of Biscay. She was also the sister of two other Lords of Biscay, Lope Díaz III de Haro and Diego López V de Haro.
Life and Important Events
Early Life and King Sancho IV
When Juan Núñez II was young, around 12 to 14 years old (about 1288), he met King Sancho IV of Castile. The king trusted Juan a lot.
King Sancho IV once told Juan Núñez:
Don Juan Nuñez, you know how you came to me as a young man without a beard, and I showed you much kindness. I gave you a very good marriage and wealth. I ask you, since I am so unwell as you see, that if I die, you never abandon my son, Infante Don Ferdinand, until he grows a beard. Also, that you serve the queen all her life, for she has deserved it greatly from you and your family.
This quote shows how much the king relied on Juan, even when Juan was still very young.
Marriage and Political Alliances
In 1290, Juan's father had a disagreement with the king. To solve this, Queen María de Molina suggested that Juan Núñez II marry Isabel Alfonso de Molina. Isabel was the daughter of Blanca Alfonso de Molina (the queen's half-sister) and Alfonso Fernández de Castilla el Niño (King Alfonso X of Castile's son).
Throughout his life, Juan Núñez was often in conflict with, or allied with, Diego López V de Haro and John of Castile, Lord of Valencia de Campos. They were all powerful nobles trying to gain more land and influence over King Ferdinand IV of Castile.
Losing and Regaining Land
This long struggle led to Juan Núñez losing most of his lands. He had to surrender to the king's forces after a long siege of his town, Tordehumos.
However, Juan managed to get back his status and some of his titles. This happened after he bravely fought in King Ferdinand IV's invasion of Granada. Even though the overall expedition didn't fully succeed, Juan Núñez had several important achievements. He helped capture the town of Gibraltar from the Moorish forces. He also took part in the difficult Siege of Algeciras in 1309 and retreated with the army in 1310. Juan Núñez was one of the few people who stayed loyal to the king during this war.
Juan's Death
According to the records of King Alfonso XI of Castile, Juan Núñez II de Lara died in 1315 during a meeting of the Cortes (a kind of parliament) in Burgos.
The records also state:
And he made his will, and because he had no son or daughter to inherit after his death, he left Lara, which was his, and all he had in the world, for his soul. And the nobles of Castile agreed that the honorable house of Lara should not remain without a lord, because it was anciently one of the three main houses of Castile; and with the king's consent and that of his guardians and all others in general, they gave an inherited lord to the house of Lara, and this was Don Joan Nuñez, nephew of this Don Joan Nuñez de la Barba who died, son of Joana his sister and of Don Fernando whom they called de la Cerda (...)
Marriages and What Happened Next
Juan Núñez II de Lara married three times, but he did not have any children who lived.
- In 1290, he first married Isabel Alfonso de Molina. She died in 1292.
- In 1295, he married María I Díaz de Haro. They also had no children.
- In 1300, he married for a third time to María Díaz III de Haro. This marriage also did not produce any children.
Since Juan had no children and his brother, Álvaro Núñez de Lara, had died earlier in 1287, all his titles and lands went to his sister, Juana Núñez de Lara, when he died. She was married to Ferdinand de la Cerda, Lord of Lara, who was the grandson of King Alfonso X of Castile.
| Preceded by Juan Núñez I de Lara |
Head of House Lara 1294–1315 |
Succeeded by Juana Núñez de Lara |
| Preceded by Juan Osórez |
Adelantado mayor de la frontera de Andalucía 1307–1309 |
Succeeded by Sancho Sánchez de Velasco |
| Preceded by Juan Osórez |
Mayordomo Mayor of the King 1302–? |
Succeeded by Infante Henry of Castile |
| Preceded by Pedro Ponce de León y Meneses |
Mayordomo Mayor of the King 1307–? |
Succeeded by Diego López V de Haro |
| Preceded by Diego López V de Haro |
Mayordomo Mayor of the King 1308–? |
Succeeded by Pedro de Castilla y Molina |
| Preceded by Don Juan Manuel |
Mayordomo Mayor of the King 1315–? |
Succeeded by Alfonso de Valencia |
See also
In Spanish: Juan Núñez II de Lara para niños
