Lordship of Álava , next to the
Ebro river , Álava's highest mountain List of rulers (modern Spanish names) : •
Eylo, up to 866 •
Rodrigo c. 867–870,
count of Castile •
Vela Jiménez 870–c. 887 •
Munio Velaz c. 887–c. 921 •
Álvaro Herraméliz c. 921–931, also count of Cerezo and Lantarón •
Fernán González 931–970, also count of Castile, Álava feudatory of Castile until 1030 •
García Fernández 970–995 •
Munio González 1030–1043 •
Fortunio Íñiguez 1043–1046 •
Munio Muñoz (co-lord) 1046–1060, Álava feudatory of Navarre, 1046–1085 •
Sancho Maceratiz (co-lord) 1046–1060 • Ramiro 1060–1075 • Marcelo 1075–1085 •
Lope Íñiguez 1085–?, Álava feudatory of Castile until 1123 •
Lope Díaz the White ?–1093 •
Lope González 1093–1099 •
Lope Sánchez 1099–1114 •
Diego López I 1114–1123 •
Ladrón Íñiguez 1123–1158, Álava feudatory of Navarre until 1199 •
Vela Ladrón 1158–1175 •
Juan Velaz 1175–1181 • Diego López II 1181–1187 •
Íñigo de Oriz 1187–1199 •
Diego López de Haro I 1199–1214, Álava feudatory of Castile until personal union of 1332 •
Lope Diaz de Haro I 1214–1240 • Nuño González de Lara 1240–1252 •
Diego López de Haro II 1252–1274 • Fernando de la Cerda 1274–1280 •
Lope Díaz II de Haro 1280–1288 •
Juan Alonso de Haro 1288–1310 •
Diego López de Salcedo 1310–1332 The title is attributed to the Castilian kings after 1332.
Ecclesiastical history , located in
Armentia, Vitoria-Gasteiz
Bishopric The Arab invasion of the
Ebro valley in the eighth century, many Christians of the
Diocese of Calahorra sought refuge in areas further north free of Arab rule. The diocese called Álava or
Armentaria was established in 870 on territory split off from the
Diocese of Calahorra. From then until the 11th century the names of several bishops of this see are recorded, the best known being the last, Fortún, who in 1072 went to Rome to argue before
Pope Alexander II in defence of the
Mozarabic Rite, which King
Alfonso VI of León and Castile had decreed should be replaced by the
Roman Rite. The see was suppressed in 1088, when it was merged into the
Diocese of Najéra, another
suffragan of the Metropolitan
Archdiocese of Tarragona. The territory of the diocese of Álava, which corresponded more or less to that of the present
Diocese of Vitoria, was reabsorbed into that of Calahorra when Najéra was suppressed in 1170, when King
Alfonso VIII of Castile conquered
La Rioja. ;
Suffragan Bishops of Álava (For a list, see Antonio Rivera, ed.,
Historia de Álava (2003), pp. 599–600.) • Bivere or Aivere (before 871 – after 876) • Álvaro (c. 881 – c. 888) • Munio I (937/956 – 971) • ? Julián (?–984) • Munio II (984–989) • García I (996 – c. 1021) • Munio III (c. 1024 – c. 1030) • García II (1037 – 1053/1055) • Fortún [Fortuño] I (1054/1055) • Vela (1056–1062) • Munio IV (1062 – c. 1065) • Fortún II (c. 1067 – 1088) since the diocese was nominally restored in 1969 as
Titular bishopric of Álava. It has had the following incumbents, so far of the fitting episcopal (lowest) rank: Vitoria was captured on 19 July 1936. In November 1936 an attempt by
Republicans to retake Vitoria was thwarted after being spotted by Nationalist reconnaissance aircraft. The 1937 Nationalist campaign in
Vizcaya was supported by 80 German aircraft based at Vitoria, where the
Condor Legion fighter wing was concentrated. == See also ==