The entailed estate of Ayamonte: succession conflict between the X duke of Béjar and the III marchioness of Villamanrique (1662-1676).

Abstract

In 1498, Teresa de Zúñiga y Guzmán, the Duke of Medina Sidonia’s daughter, founded the entailed estate of Ayamonte, linking the towns of Lepe, Ayamonte and La Redondela in favour of her second son, Francisco de Guzmán y Zúñiga, who became the first Marquis of Ayamonte. More than a century later, in 1662, a complex succession dispute took place between the different branches of the lineage over the entailed estate. After the death of the last holder, Brianda de Zúñiga y Guzmán, VI Marquise of Ayamonte, without leaving a succession, the vacant bond was disputed by the collateral lines of the family. On this way, the litigation was led by the 10th Duke of Béjar and the 3rd Marquise of Villamanrique, who faced each other in the legal process to obtain the important entailed estate and marquisate of Ayamonte. In this work, the foundation of the bond is analysed, as well as the complex succession lawsuit that took place, in which transcendental issues such as the incompatibility of the entailed estates and the arms and surnames of the lineage were dealt with.