Álava (occupied)

Who he is

Name

Occupied by Alfonso VIII of Castile since spring 1199, except Vitoria (besieged), the castle of Treviño and the castles of Portilla and Ocio, which still hold for Sancho VII

Title

Land of Álava: Navarrese since the 1179 treaty, split by Sancho VI into several tenencias

Since

Castilian invasion spring 1199; siege of Vitoria from before 5 June 1199

Family

Before 1179 the county was held by the Ladrón and Vela line (Vela Ladrón, then his son Juan Vélaz, 1174-1179); Sancho VI took it over at the end of 1179 and broke it into smaller tenencias. Members of the Guevara line still held castles under Sancho VI (Pedro Ladrón at Arlucea 1191-1193 and at Aitzorrotz 1194).

Confidence

medium

Which Alavese tenentes held what in 1199 is not pinned; Fortún (2000) stresses that the Alavese nobility, hostile to the new Navarrese towns and to Navarrese tenentes, went over to Castile.

Overlord

Contested between Sancho VII (de iure) and Alfonso VIII (in fact)

What it holds

• Castilian-held: the Llanada alavesa and its villages; Zaitegui (Zigoitia); Arlucea; Atauri; Santa Cruz de Campezo; the Arana valley ('San Vicente' in the list is most likely San Vicente de Arana); Vitoria la Vieja; Ibida without Treviño castle; most likely La Puebla de Arganzón, Antoñana and Bernedo (not named in the list of gains, but surrounded by places that are).
• Navarrese and holding out: Vitoria (under siege), Treviño castle, the castles of Portilla and Ocio.
• Navarrese and safe for now: the Rioja Alavesa south of the crest (Laguardia, Labraza, Buradón), recorded separately.

How it was acquired

Navarre: by the 1179 treaty and the removal of Juan Vélaz. Castile: by conquest from spring 1199.

Allies and rivals

Alfonso VIII and his magnates (Diego López de Haro, lord of Vizcaya, gets tenencias in the conquered lands); the Alavese nobility, largely pro-Castilian; Sancho VII's tenentes (Martín Chipia in Vitoria).

How things stand that morning

OCCUPIED by Castile: the Llanada, Zuya and Cigoitia (Zaitegui), the Montaña (Arlucea, Atauri, Campezo, Arana), Vitoria la Vieja and Ibida except Treviño castle, very likely with Arganzón, Antoñana and Bernedo. CONTESTED: Vitoria (besieged, surrender in January 1200), Treviño castle, Portilla and Ocio castles. NAVARRESE: the Rioja Alavesa. Salvatierra (Agurain) is not yet a chartered town (Alfonso X founds it in 1256).

Wealth

Grain of the Llanada, the road from Castile to the Gascon ports through Vitoria and the passes, the iron and pasture of the Montaña. Salinas de Añana's salt lies on the Castilian side.

Military

Castles: Vitoria's walled hill town, Treviño, Portilla, Ocio, Arganzón, Zaitegui, Arlucea, Atauri, Vitoria la Vieja. Castile's siege army has been before Vitoria since before 5 June 1199, first assaulting with heavy losses, then blockading.

Threats

• Vitoria's hunger and the coming surrender.
• Treviño, Portilla and Ocio isolated behind Castilian lines.
• Castilian pressure next on the Sonsierra castles and the Rioja Alavesa.

What the year holds

What happened next, if nothing in play changes it. Each event carries what it depends on and what would stop it.

1. January 1200Vitoria surrenders with Sancho's leave.Depends on: The bishop's return with the king's consent; no relief. Stopped by: Relief, refusal of leave, or Castile breaking the truce.
2. 1200 or 1201 (not pinned)Treviño and Portilla (with Ocio) handed to Castile in exchange for Inzura and 'Miranda'.Depends on: A truce. Stopped by: A Navarrese recovery.
3. 1200 onwardDiego López de Haro and other Castilian magnates take tenencias in the conquered land; Alfonso VIII confirms local fueros.Depends on: Castile keeping the land. Stopped by: A reversal of the war.

Places of note

• Castle of Zaitegui: Taken by Castile in 1199-1200.
• Castle of Arlucea: Held by Pedro Ladrón (Guevara) for Navarre in 1191-1193; taken by Castile in 1199-1200.
• Castle of Atauri: Taken by Castile; listed in 1204 among places Alfonso VIII promised to return.
• Santa Cruz de Campezo: Taken by Castile in 1199-1200.
• Castle of Treviño: Navarrese garrison still holding on 1 January 1200.
• Castle of Ocio: Navarrese, still holding (Nabarlur).
• Castle of Portilla: Navarrese, still holding; exchanged later.
• Antoñana (fuero 1182): Probably in Castilian hands.

Where the sources disagree

• Auñamendi's older text says Castile took Treviño at the start of the campaign; the Crónica latina and Jiménez de Rada (via Orella and Auñamendi itself) say Treviño held out and was later exchanged. We follow the chroniclers.
• The 'San Vicente' among Castile's gains is read by Orella as San Vicente de Arana; San Vicente de la Sonsierra stayed Navarrese until the 1460s.
• Nabarlur (popular) adds Ocio to Treviño and Portilla as castles Castile had not taken; the chroniclers as summarised name only Treviño and Portilla.

Evidence: The list of places comes from the Castilian chronicles as summarised by Orella and Auñamendi; the 2000 RIEV studies could be seen only in abstract. Which places fell before 1 January 1200 rather than in January is inferred from the dating clause of September 1199 and the chroniclers' order of events.

On the map: The occupied block is traced along the crest of the Sierra de Cantabria and Toloño in the south and the Navarrese border in the east; the western limit (Kuartango, Arganzón) and the north (Legutio, Aramaio) are approximate, and the western valleys of Ayala and Añana, already outside Navarre, are left out. Vitoria is drawn in its own town record.