Álvaro Herraméliz facts for kids

Álvaro Herraméliz was a Spanish nobleman who lived around the years 923 to 931. He was a count in the areas of Lantarón and Álava, which are now part of the Basque Country in northern Spain.

Biography

Count Álvaro was the son of a nobleman named Herramel. His father was important in the Reconquista, which was a long period when Christian kingdoms in Spain fought to take back land from Muslim rulers. Herramel also helped to repopulate (bring people back to) lands in Álava, Burgos, and La Rioja. Two towns, Herramel and Herramélluri, are even named after him!

In 923, Álvaro helped King Ordoño II of León conquer the towns of Nájera and Viguera. On October 20 of that year, he also signed a document that officially started a monastery in Santa Coloma, La Rioja.

Even though records first show him as the Count of Álava on September 28, 929, he might have been a count earlier. After a big battle in 920, where the armies of León and Navarre were defeated, King Ordoño might have replaced the previous count, Munio Vélaz, with Álvaro. Álvaro was also a count in Lantarón. A document from August 28, 929, mentions him as "count Álvaro Herraméliz in Lantarón."

On January 11, 931, Álvaro signed his last known document as "Count Álvaro Herraméliz in Álava." Later that year, King Alfonso IV gave up his throne after his wife, Oneca, passed away. Oneca was also Álvaro's sister-in-law. King Alfonso's brother, Ramiro II, then became king.

King Alfonso later changed his mind about being a monk and tried to get his throne back. It's not clear what happened to Álvaro. He might have supported Alfonso IV because of their family connection. He might have been killed during the fight between the two brothers, or King Ramiro II might have replaced him with Fernán González of Castile. We know Álvaro died by 932 because his wife and her new husband appear in records together in 935, and they already had two children.

Marriage and descendants

Álvaro married Sancha Sánchez of Pamplona. She was the daughter of King Sancho Garcés I and Queen Toda. Sancha had been married before to Ordoño II. She was also the sister of Oneca, who married King Alfonso IV, and Velasquita, who married Count Munio Vélaz. After Álvaro died, Sancha married Fernán González of Castile.

Álvaro and Sancha had at least two sons who are mentioned in historical records:

• Herramel Álvarez: He was active from 956 to 995. He helped start the town of Villarramiel. He was probably the father of another Álvaro Herraméliz, who became an important official (called an alférez) for King Vermudo II of León in 996.
• Fortún Álvarez: He is mentioned in several documents from the Sahagún monastery. He signed papers with his brother and other important Basque-Navarrese nobles in the court of King Ramiro II of León.

Another possible son was Vela Álvarez. He appears in records in 947 with Fernán González. Some historians think he might be the Count Vela who lost his lands to the Castilian count.

See also

In Spanish: Álvaro Herraméliz para niños