The Aza Lineage. Origin, Evolution and Impact of an Aristocratic Family in South-Eastern Castile

Abstract

This article analyzes the trajectory of the Aza aristocratic lineage and its impact on a sector of the eastern Castilian Extremadura between the 12th and mid-13th Centuries. Its originality resides in the focus on the role of an external aristocratic lineage, when previous studies of such areas have tended to focus on the dynamics of local concejil government. Whilst recent studies highlight the importance of local elites in the process of territory building prior to royal intervention, the projection of some of those groups was relatively limited at a national scale and was circumscribed in many cases to areas controlled by the local councils. This was the case with the Riaza Valley, similarly split into small territorial enclaves, in which the influence of an external aristocratic lineage, the Azas, became stronger with the passage of time.

Keywords

• extremadura castellana
• valle del riaza
• linaje de aza
• relaciones de parentesco
• redes clientelares.