Rodrigo Vélaz

Rodrigo Vélaz (died June 1144) was the "count of Galicia, who held Sarria" according to the near-contemporary Chronica Adefonsi imperatoris. During his long public career he was the dominant figure in mountainous eastern Galicia while the House of Traba dominated its western seaboard. He served under three monarchs—Alfonso VI, Urraca, and Alfonso VII—and was loyal to all of them. He figures largely in the contemporary Historia compostellana, an important fact considering the complete loss of all of his own charters.

He was a son of Count Vela Ovéquiz and Aldonza Muñoz, daughter of Count Muño Fernández and Elvira. Rodrigo married Urraca Álvarez, daughter of Álvar Fáñez and Mayor Pérez, a daughter of Pedro Ansúrez. Rodrigo and his wife were descended on all sides from the highest ranks of the nobility of León and Castile. The couple had three daughters—Aldonza, Berenguela, and Elvira—and one son, Álvaro Rodríguez, who was later a count like his father. On 6 August 1130 Rodrigo and Urraca made a donation to the Cathedral of Lugo, their first recorded act as husband and wife.

Rodrigo entered public life by 31 July 1092. He had received the rank of a count by late May 1112. Shortly before, that same month, he had received the tenencia, that is, a fief of the crown governed but not owned by the holder, of Sarria. By 1 April 1115 he had also been invested with the tenencia of Monteforte de Lemos, and on 12 September 1118 he was cited as holding Caldelas (although this is the only reference to this tenencia in his hands). The region of Lemos and Sarria was usually governed by a count. It was bounded to the west by the river Minho and to the south by the Sil. In 1120 a certain Pelayo Garciaz is recorded as merino serving both the queen and Rodrigo in Sarria. By 7 September 1127 Rodrigo had also received the rule of Rábade. The last record of his rule there dates from April 1142, although he continued to govern Sarria and Lemos until late September 1143. Royal documents usually refer to him as de or in Sarria (of or in Sarria), while private documents cite him as tenans or tenente (tenant, holder). There is a sole private document from 1137 that refers to Rodrigo's rule in Larín. There is no record of Rodrigo after 5 October 1143 and he had perhaps become too ill or too weak to take a part in public affairs. He was by that time quite old. His death is mentioned in a document of 22 June 1144 as having happened at that time.

...
Wikipedia