The ancient and illustrious Solar* and Lordship of Tejada, the most ancient nobility institution in Spain, is celebrating their third social meeting in the city of Seville.

The Solar de Tejada was founded according to the legend in the year 844 by the hero of the Reconquista Sancho Fernández, a member of the Royal House of Asturias who was also the courageous General of the Christian Army in the legendary Battle of Clavijo.

Summary of its history: In the year 1460 the King of Castile Henry IV confirmed the privileges of this ancient house and its members who bear the title of “Señores Caballeros Diviseros”. An approximation of the meaning of this title is that of Feudal Lords related by blood who possess in equal measure rights over their lands but ruled by a council made of their own members. In this document of 1460 is mentioned a previous confirmation of the year 872 that specifies for the first time the foundation of the House of Tejada and their privileges: the house of Tejada would be inherited by the descendants of Sancho Fernández de Tejada until the end of times. All of them are recognized as noblemen and noblewomen, lords of their lands who would also have the right to bear the coat of arms as it is described in the confirmation of Henry IV of Castile.

Since that time all the descendants of Sancho Fernández de Tejada are inscribed in the famous Libros Becerros as Lords and then given the right to bear the coat of arms of Tejada.

The Solar de Tejada is located in Cameros, La Rioja surrounded by Pinillos, Almarza de Cameros, Muro de Cameros, Cabezón de Cameros and Laguna de Cameros. Tejada has a size of 500 Hectares (5.500.000 Square Meters) and has a house where the ceremonies of new Lords and Ladies are celebrated every October (Among them you can find the late Queen Fabiola of Belgium, D. Froilán and Victoria de Marichalar y Borbón, nephew and niece of King Felipe VI of Spain, Francisco López-Becerra de Solé, Duke of Maqueda and Erik Andrés and Rodrigo Guillermo de Reynoso, President and President of PR of IAGS, and many others).

On June 2018 new investigations of great genealogical value shed light to its origin separating legend from history and pointing that the Lords of Tejada where also Lords of the neighbouring zone of Pinillos. This primitive lordship of the land of Tejada and Pinillos called behetría apparently coexisted with the jurisdictional lordship of the Lord of Cameros.

In recent times ties have been strengthened between the Lords of Tejada sparking grand social meetings or gatherings to discuss new information and promote this nobility institution. The first social gathering happened in Zafra (2009), the second in Antequera (2013) and this new social event will occur on the 22nd of June 2019 in Seville.

The gathering starts in the hall of the Foundation Valentín de Madariaga y Oya and then there will be lunch in the Palace-Cortijo of the Dukes of Maqueda.

* Solar meaning primitive noble house or noble house of origin.