Women in Power in Late Medieval Alava: María Sarmiento, mother of Pedro de Ayala, Count of Salvatierra

Abstract

María Sarmiento was the wife of Marshal García López de Ayala and the mother of Pedro de Ayala, Count of Salvatierra, known for his participation on the comunero side during the Revolt of the Comuneros. Upon her husband’s death in December 1485, María Sarmiento became the advocate of the second sons of the family, as well as Lady of Morillas and the valley of Cuartango. Litigations would accompany her for the rest of her life, the most important of which she took against her first-born, the Count of Salvatierra, for a redistribution of the Marshall’s inheritance that would better suit her interests. This confrontation, which actively involved their respective clienteles, resulted in violent clashes and the ensuing jurisdictional violations.