About the Kingdom of Castile and Leon
In 1312, the westernmost part of Europe, the Iberian Peninsula, was divided into the united Christian Kingdom of Castile and Leon and the independent Christian kingdoms of Aragon, Navarra, Portugal and the Muslim Emirate of Granada.
Many scholars from Europe saw the Iberian Peninsula as part of Africa, the world of the Orient. It was a place where cultures clashed and where the books of ancient Greece and the technical achievements of the Arab world penetrated Europe.
The richest families in Castile were Haro, Lara, Castro and Manuel. Haro family practiced marriage policy with the royal families in Castile and Portugal. In addition to Castile, the Lara family was strong in the Kingdom of Aragon, where they also had kinship in the royal lineages. The nobles of the Lara and Haro families held high positions of royal butler, chancellor, alférez (commander-in-chief of troops), guardian of the royal treasures, commander of all royal cities, etc.
The Haro family comes from Vizcaya province, a short distance from Bilbao, which they founded on the north coast of Castile. The village of Haro is still there.
