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TheHouse of Lara (Spanish:Casa de Lara) is anoble family from the medievalKingdom of Castile. Two of its branches, one of the Dukes of Nájera and one of the Marquises of Aguilar de Campoo were consideredGrandees of Spain. The Lara family gained numerous territories inCastile,León,Andalucía, andGalicia and members of the family moved throughout the formerSpanish colonies, establishing branches as far away as thePhilippines andArgentina.
The House of Lara were most prominent in the history of Castile and León from the 11th to the 14th century.Álvaro Núñez de Lara served as regent forHenry I of Castile. They were dispossessed of much of their land byPeter the Cruel, but most was returned byHenry II.
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The family arose in 11th century Castile through a marriage that united the paternal lands aroundLara de los Infantes belonging toGonzalo Núñez with the inheritance of his wife, Goto Núñez, representing the holdings of the noble Álvarez and Alfonso families.[1] By the 13th century, the Lara family origin had been linked to the protagonists in the epicCantar de los Siete Infantes de Lara (Song of the Seven Lara Princes), a 10th-century tale of revenge set around the lands subsequently held by the Lara family, but there is no evidence that the tale reflected historical events and the names in the legend cannot be matched with the family's known ancestry.[2]
From the 12th through 15th centuries, members of the Lara family found themselves at different times either supporting of or opposing their monarch. In 1113,Pedro González de Lara supported QueenUrraca of Castile in her struggles against her former husband,Alfonso I of Aragon. Pedro and his brother, Rodrigo, also confronted her sonAlfonso VII in 1130. Rodrigo later helped Alfonso counter the rise of theAlmoravids.Manrique Pérez de Lara, Álvar Pérez andNuño Pérez de Lara disputed the regency ofAlfonso VIII, andFernando Núñez de Lara was Alfonso'salférez.Álvaro Núñez de Lara became regent ofHenry I.Nuño González de Lara servedFerdinand III andAlfonso X, but in 1270 led an alliance of nobles against the same king.Juan Núñez I de Larael Gordo,Señor de Albarracín, opposed the enthronement ofSancho IV, and had to temporarily flee to France.Juan Núñez II de Lara headed various rebellions againstAlfonso XI. Ultimately, the family suffered greatly after the victory of KingPeter against his usurping half-brother,Henry II.

The only branch of the family to survive the Middle Ages were the Manrique de Lara, who supported theCatholic Monarchs in their war against the supporters of the contenderJoanna la Beltraneja,Queen consort of Portugal and formerPrincess of Asturias.
In 1520,Emperor Charles V raised this collateral line of the House of Lara to the position ofGrandee, asDukes of Nájera andMarquises of Aguilar de Campoo. Members of the family were to serve the crown as viceroys, captain generals, ambassadors and cardinals.María Luisa Manrique de Lara y Gonzaga,Vicereine of New Spain and patron ofJuana Inés de la Cruz, matrilineally descends from this branch of the family.
The first Count of Paredes de Nava became Master of theOrder of Santiago. The authorsGómez Manrique andJorge Manrique belong to this branch of the Lara.
The original coat of arms is supposed to represent two cauldrons, which represent the ability of the family to sustain many followers.
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