The destiny of juana de lara, and the inheritance of the lordship of Vizcaya on the threshold of the trastamara period

Abstract

This paper poses crucial questions regarding the destiny of Juana de Lara, heiress to the estate of Lara and Vizcaya, who, according to Lopez de Ayala’s chronicles, was killed during the reign of King Pedro of Castile, leaving no heir. In spite of this information, a certain Juana de Lara – the true one or an impostor – later appeared in connection with the rising power of the new Trastamara monarchy in 1366. In 1373 a lady by the same name raised a claim to the inheritance of Vizcaya before the Pope at Avignon, and, nearly at the same time, another lady, the countess of Alençon, presented Henry II with similar claims. Ultimately, Lara and Vizcaya were incorporated into the direct domains of the Castilian crown, and whether or not the real Juana de Lara survived the “Trastamara revolution” remains an unsolved mystery.