Juan Núñez III de Lara facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Juan (III) Núñez de Lara y de la Cerda
Arms of the House de la Cerda before 1376
Spouse(s)	Maria Diaz de Haro II
Issue
Juana Lope Diaz Isabel Nuno Diaz (illeg.) Pedro
Noble family	House de la Cerda
Father	Ferdinand de la Cerda
Mother	Juana Núñez de Lara
Born	1313
Died	28 November 1350 (aged 37) Burgos

Juan III Núñez de Lara y de la Cerda (born 1313 – died November 28, 1350, in Burgos) was an important noble in medieval Spain. He was the Lord of Lara and Vizcaya. His father was Ferdinand de la Cerda (1275–1322) and his mother was Juana Núñez de Lara, known as the Little Dove.

Juan belonged to the House de la Cerda, a powerful family. He even hoped to become king of Castile and León during the reigns of Sancho IV of Castile, Ferdinand IV of Castile, and Alfonso XI of Castile. However, he used his mother's family name, Lara, because it was linked to his main lands.

He became the Lord of Biscay when he married Maria Diaz de Haro II. She was the daughter of Don Juan de Haro the Eye. Juan III also owned many other important towns and castles, like Villafranca, Oropesa, and Lerma. He held important positions for King Alfonso XI, serving as the King's Ensign and Lord Steward. Juan III was a great-grandson of two famous kings: Alfonso X the Wise of Castile and León, and Louis IX of France.

Family and Early Life

Juan III Núñez de Lara was the son of Ferdinand de la Cerda (1275–1322) and Juana Núñez de Lara the Little Dove. This meant he had a strong claim to the throne through his father's side. His paternal grandfather, the Infante Ferdinand de la Cerda, was the oldest son of King Alfonso X the Wise.

Juan also inherited lands and power from his mother's family. He was the heir to the Lara lands from his maternal grandfather, Juan Núñez de Lara "the Fat". He also had a claim to the lordship of Vizcaya through his maternal grandmother, Teresa Díaz of Haro.

Becoming a Lord

When his uncle, Juan Núñez de Lara the Younger, died in 1315, Juan III became the head of the House of Lara. He was very young at the time. His uncle had wanted his lands to be sold. But the nobles of Castile did not want to be without a Lord. So, they asked the king to make Juan III the master of the House of Lara, even though he was a child.

The King agreed. The nobles then gathered money, land, castles, and towns to create the lordship of Lara for him. By 1326, Juan III was signing important documents. In 1328, he was named the King's Ensign, a very high position, showing his importance among the nobility.

In 1329, a powerful noble named Don Juan Manuel was upset with King Alfonso XI of Castile. The king had imprisoned Don Juan Manuel's daughter, who was married to a prince. Don Juan Manuel suggested that Juan III marry Maria Diaz de Haro II. Maria's mother approved the marriage. Don Juan Manuel promised to fight King Alfonso XI until Maria's family lands, including the lordship of Vizcaya, were returned.

After this agreement, Juan Núñez de Lara and Don Juan Manuel traveled to Bayonne. Maria Diaz de Haro had been taken there after her father was killed, as people feared King Alfonso XI. In 1331, Juan Núñez de Lara and Maria Diaz de Haro II were married in Bayonne.

Soon after, Don Juan Manuel arranged for his daughter Constance to marry Prince Pedro of Portugal. This gave Don Juan Manuel the support of Portugal, which had been allied with Alfonso XI. The Sultan of Granada also agreed to help Don Juan Manuel and Juan Núñez de Lara. Their goal was to make Alfonso XI return the lands he had taken from Maria's family.

Fighting King Alfonso XI

Arms of Juana Núñez of the House of Lara, mother of Juan Núñez III.

In 1332, King Alfonso XI was crowned. He also created a new group of knights called the Knights of the Band. Juan Núñez de Lara and Don Juan Manuel did not attend these ceremonies. This showed they were unhappy with the king. Both nobles strengthened their castles and tried to get the king's officials to join them. For example, Juan Martinez de Leyva left his job as the king's Chamberlain to become Juan Núñez de Lara's chief steward.

Soon, Don Juan Manuel and Juan Núñez de Lara began to fight Alfonso XI. Don Juan Manuel fought from his Castle of Peñafiel, and Juan Núñez de Lara from the city of Lerma. The king responded by taking castles that supported the rebels.

In 1333, Muslim forces surrounded the city of Gibraltar. King Alfonso XI was still fighting the two rebel nobles. He sent his military leaders to help Gibraltar. Meanwhile, he tried to make peace with Don Juan Manuel and Juan Núñez de Lara. The king asked for their help to save Gibraltar.

Don Juan Manuel told the king he would help if he was made a Duke, could decide who inherited his lands, and could make his own money. Juan Núñez de Lara asked for the Lordship of Biscay to be returned to his wife. He also wanted all the towns and castles that had belonged to her father, Juan de Haro. Alfonso XI took time to answer these demands.

While the king was negotiating, Juan Núñez de Lara's troops attacked the region of Tierra de Campos. The king learned that Gibraltar was in great danger. Alfonso XI insisted that Juan Núñez de Lara and Don Juan Manuel join him. But Gibraltar surrendered to the Muslims. Alfonso XI then tried to take it back, but had to stop when more Muslim troops arrived. Soon, Juan Alfonso de Haro, who was also against the king, joined Don Juan Manuel and Juan Núñez de Lara.

In 1334, a messenger from Juan Núñez de Lara gave Alfonso XI a letter. The letter said that Juan Núñez was no longer loyal to the king. The king was very angry and punished the messenger severely. The king then decided to attack Juan Núñez de Lara. Juan Núñez was at the town of Cuenca de Campos. The king took some towns and tried to ambush Juan Núñez, but he escaped.

Alfonso XI then decided to take the strongholds in Vizcaya that were still loyal to Maria Diaz de Haro II, Juan Núñez de Lara's wife. The king besieged and took several castles. He even ordered one to be torn down. After leaving some troops to continue a siege, Alfonso XI returned to Castile. In the town of Agoncillo, he ordered the execution of Juan Alfonso de Haro. This was for his actions against the kingdom and for supporting the rebels.

After this, Alfonso XI surrounded the town where Juan Núñez de Lara was. Juan Núñez de Lara was surrounded and could not get help from Don Juan Manuel. So, he decided to make peace with the king. Alfonso XI confirmed that Juan Núñez de Lara would keep the lordship of Biscay. Juan Núñez de Lara promised to be loyal to Alfonso XI in the future. Soon after, Don Juan Manuel also made peace with the king.

Later Years and Battles

In June 1336, King Alfonso XI again surrounded the town of Lerma, where Juan Núñez de Lara was. Other armies were besieging his other castles. Juan Núñez de Lara was surrounded and could not get help. He agreed to talk peace with Alfonso XI.

They agreed that Juan Núñez de Lara would keep his lands. But his castles in Lerma, Busto, and Villafranca would be torn down. He could not build new forts without the king's permission. To make sure he kept his word, Juan Núñez gave the king hostages. After agreeing, Alfonso XI made Juan Núñez de Lara the King's Ensign again. He also returned some royal lands and gave him new towns.

In 1339, the King of Aragon offered to help Alfonso XI fight the Muslims in southern Spain. That same year, Alfonso XI made Juan Núñez de Lara a knight in Seville. In 1339, Alfonso XI invaded Muslim lands, and Juan Núñez de Lara joined him.

In 1340, the King of Morocco invaded Spain. After a sea battle, he defeated Alfonso XI's fleet and surrounded the city of Tarifa. Alfonso XI asked for help from the kings of Aragon and Portugal. In the Battle of Río Salado, Juan Núñez de Lara fought bravely alongside other nobles. They helped the Christian armies win a great victory. In 1341, Alfonso XI conquered the town of Alcalá la Real, and Juan Núñez de Lara was there as the king's lieutenant.

Siege of Algeciras

During the Siege of Algeciras (1342–44), King Alfonso XI surrounded the city of Algeciras, which was held by Muslims. Many important people joined the siege, including Juan Núñez de Lara, Don Juan Manuel, and even King Philip III of Navarre. In June 1342, Pedro Fernández de Castro, another important noble, died from a disease. Alfonso XI divided Pedro's duties and lands among Don Juan Manuel, Juan Núñez de Lara, and Fernando Ruiz de Castro. In March 1344, after almost two years, Algeciras surrendered.

In 1349, after some years of quiet life, Juan Núñez de Lara was called by Alfonso XI again. The king wanted him and other nobles to help besiege Gibraltar. Alfonso XI went to Andalusia and surrounded Gibraltar. The Castilian nobles, including Juan Núñez de Lara, asked Alfonso XI to stop the siege. They worried he might die if he continued.

Despite their pleas, Alfonso XI kept trying to take Gibraltar. He died there in March 1350. After King Alfonso XI died, his oldest son Pedro became king. Juan Núñez de Lara and the other nobles ended the siege of Gibraltar. They took Alfonso XI's body to Seville, where he was buried. After the funeral, King Pedro I confirmed Juan Núñez de Lara in his important roles as lieutenant of the King and Lord Steward.

On November 28, 1350, Juan Núñez de Lara died suddenly and mysteriously in Burgos. Many of his supporters believed he had been poisoned.

Burial

Juan Núñez de Lara was buried in the Convento de San Pablo in Burgos. This monastery belonged to the Dominicans, who had strong ties to his family. His tomb held his remains, as well as those of his parents and his maternal grandfather.

Marriage and Children

In 1331, Juan Núñez de Lara married María Díaz II de Haro. She was the Lady of Vizcaya and the daughter of Juan de Castilla y Haro and Isabel of Portugal. They had four children:

• Juana de Lara (1335 – died 1359): She became Lady of Lara and Vizcaya after her father. She married Infante Tello of Castile, an illegitimate son of King Alfonso XI. She was killed in Seville during a civil war when she was 24.
• Lope Diaz de Haro (1336–1343): He was the heir to Biscay but died at age 7.
• Isabel de Lara (1340 – poisoned 1361): She became Lady of Lara and Vizcaya after her sister Juana. She married Prince Juan de Aragon, son of Alfonso IV of Aragon.
• Nuno Diaz de Haro (1348–1352): He became Lord of Lara and Vizcaya after his father but died at age 4.

Juan Núñez de Lara also had a son with a lady named Mayor Leguizamon:

• Pedro de Lara (1348–1384): He became the Count of Mayorga. He married Beatriz de Castro.

See also

In Spanish: Juan Núñez III de Lara para niños