Ladrón Íñiguez facts for kids

Ladrón Íñiguez, also known as Ladrón Navarro, was an important nobleman in the Kingdom of Navarre. He lived during the time of King García Ramírez (1134–1150). Ladrón helped García become king. After 1135, he was often called a count, which was the highest rank in the kingdom. Old documents also called him princeps Navarrorum, meaning 'prince of the Navarrese'. From 1124 until he died, he was a powerful leader in the Basque country.

Becoming a Leader in Navarre

Ladrón was the oldest son of Íñigo Vélaz and Aurea Jiménez. We don't know exactly when he was born. But by 1135, his sons Vela and Lope were old enough to be mentioned in official papers. This means Ladrón must have been an adult by then.

After King Alfonso the Battler died, the Crónica de San Juan de la Peña says that Ladrón helped choose García Ramírez as the new king. The bishop of Pamplona, Sancho de Larrosa, and other important leaders also helped. In August 1134, Ladrón was listed right after the king and queen in a royal document. This shows how important he was.

In 1135, Ladrón was one of three Navarrese "good men" who tried to make peace with Ramiro II of Aragon. Ramiro claimed Navarre, but the peace talks failed. After this, King García made Ladrón a count in Pamplona. This happened when the king was preparing for a war with Aragon, which never actually took place.

Governing the Basque Country

In 1135, King García confirmed the rights of the Diocese of Pamplona. He did this based on the advice of his important leaders, and Ladrón was named first among them. On November 2, 1137, Ladrón was present when Alfonso VII of León made a gift to the San Millán de la Cogolla monastery.

In 1140, Alfonso VII invaded Navarre, including Ladrón's lands. The Chronica Adefonsi imperatoris describes this:

While these battles were happening, Emperor Alfonso was fighting in King García of Navarre's land. He captured some of the king's castles and some belonging to Count Ladrón Navarro. Ladrón was the most important prince in King García's court. The Emperor destroyed the land by stealing and burning things. He also cut down vineyards and orchards. Count Ladrón then promised to obey Alfonso VII because of all this destruction. He promised to serve him for the rest of his life.

The history of the Basque lordships in the early 1100s is not very clear. The areas of Biscay, Guipúzcoa, and Álava were controlled by Diego López I de Haro until 1124. Then, King Alfonso the Battler took them over. Ladrón became the count of Álava in 1131. Between 1135 and 1147, he controlled all three Basque lordships (Álava, Biscay, and Guipúzcoa) as a leader under Navarre. He was also known as the lord of Araquil, Leguín, and Estíbaliz. These Basque areas had a lot of freedom, even though they were under King García. Ladrón was also the lord of Guevara and started the Ladrón de Guevara family branch.

In September 1136, Alfonso VII made Ladrón the governor of Viguera. This might have stopped his rule in the Basque provinces for a while. During this time, his son Vela might have governed instead. Around 1140–1147, Ladrón appeared in the Basque country again. After February 1140, he also controlled Aibar. From 1143, he supported the monastery of San Miguel de Aralar.

Stories and Legends

Some old stories about Ladrón Íñiguez are not proven to be true. For example, Esteban de Garibay y Zamalloa wrote that King García VI created twelve special nobles in Navarre, like the twelve peers in France. According to this story, Ladrón Íñiguez was the first of them.

Garibay also wrote that Ladrón helped in the reconquest of Tudela in 1114. Another story says that in 1149, Ladrón and his wife Teresa started the important family estate of Oñate. This story is also likely not true.

See also

In Spanish: Ladrón Íñiguez para niños