page_title: Lordship of Biscay
section_title: Tierra Llana
hierarchical_section_title: Lordship of Biscay / Territory / Tierra Llana
caption_attribution_description: Torre de Zamudio
context_page_description: The Lordship of Biscay was a region under feudal rule in the region of Biscay in the Iberian Peninsula between c.1040 and 1876, ruled by a political figure known as the Lord of Biscay. One of the Basque señoríos, it was a territory with its own political organization, with its own naval ensign, consulate in Bruges and customs offices in Balmaseda and Urduña, from the 11th Century until 1876, when the Juntas Generales were abolished. Since 1379, when John I of Castile became the Lord of Biscay, the lordship got integrated into the Crown of Castile, and eventually the Kingdom of Spain.
context_section_description: Tierra Llana (literally, flatlands) refers to the territory that was not protected by stone walls, that is, mostly rural areas and farms. This territory was organized into 72 elizates, grouped in six merindades. Each elizate had a representation in the Juntas Generales.
  Merindad of Busturia (26 elizates): Mundaka (1st), Sukarrieta (2nd), Busturia (3rd), Murueta (4th), Forua (5th), Lumo (6th), Muxika (7th), Arrieta (8th), Mendata (9th), Arratzu (10th), Ajangiz (11th), Ereño (12th), Ibarrangelu (13th), Gautegiz Arteaga (14th), Kortezubi (15th), Natxitua (16th), Ispaster (17th), Bedarona (18th), Aulesti (19th), Nabarniz (20th), Gizaburuaga (21st), Amoroto (22nd), Mendexa (23rd), Berriatua (24th), Ziortza (25th) and Arbatzegi (26th).
  Merindad of Markina (2 elizates): Xemein (27th) and Etxebarria (28th).
  Merindad of Zornotza (3 elizates): Amorebieta (29th), Etxano (30th) and Ibarruri (31st).
  Merindad of Uribe (32 elizates): Gorozika (32nd), Barakaldo (33rd), Abando (34th), Deusto (35th), Begoña (36th), Etxebarri (37th), Galdakao (38th), Arrigorriaga (39th), Arrankudiaga (40th), Lezama (41st), Zamudio (42nd), Loiu (43rd), Sondika (44th), Erandio (45th), Leioa (46th), Getxo (47th), Berango (48th), Sopelana (49th), Urduliz (50th), Barrika (51st), Gorliz (52nd), Laukiz (53rd), Gatika (54th), Lemoiz (55th), Maruri (56th), Bakio (57th), Morga (58th), Mungia (59th), Gamiz (60th), Fika (61st), Fruiz (62nd), Meñaka (63rd) and Derio (72nd).
  Merindad of Bedia (1 elizate): Lemoa (64th).
  Merindad of Arratia (7 elizates): Igorre (65th), Arantzazu (66th), Artea (67th), Zeanuri (68th), Dima (69th), Zeberio (70th) and Ubide (71st).
  All these regions were governed by the Biscayan law, or fuero. There were five de facto elizates, who did not belong to any merindad nor have any representation in the Juntas. Those were Alonsotegi, Arakaldo, Basauri, Zaratamo and Zollo.
caption: Vigil tower in Zamudio.
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