House of Romay
The Romay family (Spanish: "Casa de Romay") is a Spanish aristocratic family that descends from 8th-century pre-Reconquista Galicia, in northern Spain. According to historians, the family descends from Román de Romae, Count of Monterroso and Santa María de Ortigueira, a natural grandson of King Alfonso I the Catholic"." The current head of the family is Don Ricardo de Romay y Hernandez-Chazaro, 47th Señor de Cadro and Monterroso. Origins. The indisputable line can be traced from the 13th-century records that coincide with the edification of the main family seat, the Palace of Cadro (Galician : "Pazo do Cadro"), in Marín, Pontevedra, Galicia. This is the oldest "pazo" in that region. History. The Romay family is distinguished by its multiple alliances with noble families, such as Sarmiento de Valladares, Suárez de Deza, Saavedra, Mendoza, Montenegro, Ulloa, Varela, Fernández de Córdoba, Duque de Estrada, Osorio de Moscoso and Sotomayor. Notable members: Dominion and influence. The best preserved registered settlement of the Romay family can be found in the archives of the 13th-century "Pazo" of Cadro, the original family seat in Marin, Pontevedra, where they would have exercised civil and criminal jurisdiction. Marín's council archives document  that “the House of Romay can be traced back to the beginning of The Reconquista”, in other words before the year 711. Arms. The first record of the Romay heraldic arms can be found in the fortress of Tras do Rio, in Frieiro, in the district of San Julian de Romay, Portas. As far as the armoury is concerned, the most ancient depiction dictates: «Coronet: That of a Lord. Crest: in a silver field a Lion Rampant Gules, under whose claws two Fig Leaves Saber and an ‘M' Gules under a Comital Coronet Or”.