The House (Casa) de Silva Fernández de Híjar (or Ixar) Portugal had its origin from the marriage ties of the house de Silva, with the house of Fernández de Ixar “Recuerdos de Híjar” (1980) di Mariano Laborda Gracia [from doña Isabel (1620–1700)José Casaus Ballester “Relaciones Familiares Nobilaras: El Entronque De La Casa De Silva Con La De Híjar (Siglo XVII)” descendant of don Pedro Fernández de Ixar (1245–1299), natural child of the king don Jaime I d'Aragon called "The Conqueror" and of doña Bereguela Fernández, granddaughter of don Alfonso IX de Leon, by matrilineal descent] and the House de Portugal [from doña Ana (1570–1629) (descendant from doña Isabel de Portugal (1364–1395) natural child of don Fernando I of Borgogna king of Portugal]. Marriage ties which created one of the most ancient, important, and richest families of Spain and Portugal (probably descendant from Visigothic kings).Luis de Salazar y Castro “Historia genealogica de la casa de Silva” (1685) A family which has given a great number of Grandes of Spain, viceroys, famous military figures, politicians, statesmen, clergymen, saints, scholars, artists, architects; to the kingdom first and to the Spanish Empire later, to nowadays.
History In this house, inheritance took place by matrilineal descent thanks to the royal concession granted by Ferdinand the Catholic in 1483, to natural children, legally recognised, of Kings.
The origins of the House de Silva, are, like all the origins of the ancient aristocratic families of the High Middle Ages, uncertain as far as documentation is concerned.
Gutierre Peláez de Silva, Lord of Lugares, Alderete de Insam y Sufam y de la Quinta and Torre de Silva, was a knight who became "Ricohombre", who probably, took part in the conquest of Cordoba, too, in 1064.
But whatever his historical origins were, one of the most famous descendants of Don Gutierre Peláez de Silva was Don Ruy Gomez II de Silva y Meneses (1517–1573) Grande of Spain, Prince of Eboli, first Duke of Pastrana, V Lord of Ulme and Chamusca; statesman and best friend/counsellor of Philip II of Asburgo, King of Spain.
From his marriage with Doña Ana de Mendoza de la Creda y de Silva Cifuentes [(1540–1592), one of the most beautiful women of Spain], there were born ten children. One of them, Don Rodrigo de Silva y Mendoza (1562–1596) II Duke of Pastrana, marrying Doña Ana de Portugal y Borja (1570–1629), descendant from the King Ferdinand I of Portugal, gave origin to the lineage De Silva Portugal; whereas another son, Don Diego de Silva y Mendoza (1564–1630), I Marquess of Alenquer and III Duke of Francavilla, gave origin to the lineage De Silva Alenquer. Lineage that from the marriage between his son Don Rodrigo de Silva Mendoza y Sarmiento (1600–1664) and Doña Isabel Fernández de Ixar [(1603–1642) V Duchess of Ixar, who by her own decree created her husband Duke of Ixar,The Royal concession of 1483 not only gave the faculty to the House of Híjar, then de Silva Fernández de Híjar, to transmit the name by matrilineal descent but also, and to their pleasure, all the titles and feuds in their possession. For example, under the title of the Duke of Híjar, the titles always passed to the firstborn (male or female): majorat. Among the many titles there are four which are very important: Count Duke of Aliaga, Count of Palma del Rio, Count de Belchite, Marquess of Orani. These titles-feuds were completely in the hand of the Duke of Híjar, with absolute power as it happens nowadays too. The Duke could keep them for himself, as it usually happened, or give them over for a limited period. But, at the death of the usufructuary (usually a son or a daughter), they had to go back to the House of Híjar or to be reconfirmed to the grandson/granddaughter or great-grandson/great-granddaughter as the titles were always tied to the dukedom of Híjar.] became De Silva Fernández de Ixar.
The union of the two lineages, which brought to the birth of the House de Silva Fernández de Híjar Portugal, took place when don Fabrique III de Silva (1672–1700) IV Marquess of Orani, in the second half of the 17th century, married his IV degree cousin Doña Juana Petronilla de Silva Fernández de Ixar (1669–1710) VII Duchess de Ixar or Híjar.
The following division of the House De Silva Fernández de Híjar Portugal into three lineages (two Spanish and one ItalianHistorical Archive De Silva Fernández de Portugal Híjar of Turin, years 1801-1951. Original documents not present in the Historical Archive of the Province of Zaragoza and in the Ducal Archive of Híjar.), was due to three children born from the two marriages of Don Andres Avelino de Silva Fernández de Híjar Portugal y Fernández de Cordoba (1806–1885)Don Andrés Avelino de Silva Fernández de Ixar Portugal y Fernández de Cordoba XIV Count-Duke of Aliaga and Count of Palma del Rio. From the first wedding with Doña Josefina de Ferrari y Bonet (1819–1876)Doña Josefina de Ferrari y Bonet (daughter of Don Jeronimo de Ferrari of Parma, "Kapellmeister" of King Ferdinando VII of Borbone) was born Doña Josefa Maria del Carmen de Silva Fernández de Híjar Portugal (1837–1906);Archivo Historico Provincial de Zaragoza - Archivo Ducal de Hijar who, with her daughter -doña María Dolores (1861–1923)- and with Doña María Dolores's son Don Vittorio Umberto de Silva Fernández de Híjar Portugal (1881/1954) [illegitimate son whom Doña Maria Dolores de Silva Fernández de Híjar Portugal had with Don Carlos Maria Fitz James Stuart y Portocarrero Palafox (1849–1901)XVI duke of Alba] by matrilineal descent gave origin to the Italian lineage still in existence.Municipal Historical Archive of Milan. Complete Family status 11.09.1869 (family coming from Paris) From his second wedding with Doña Mary Caroline Elisabeth Campbell y Vincent (1820–1894)doña Mary Caroline Elisabeth Campbell y Vincent were born ten children of whom two, [Alfonso I (1848–1930)Alfonso I de Silva y Campbell and Jaime (1852–1925)Jaime de Silva y Campbell], gave origin to the two Spanish lineages still in existence, too. The Spanish lineage of Alfonso I, like it had already happened to the House De Silva Fernández de Ixar Portugal with two unions between the De Silva and the Fitz James Stuart, rejoined the descendants of James Fitz-James I Duke of Berwick (1670–1734) [illegitimate son, who James II Stuart (1633–1701) King of England had with Arabella Churchill y Drake (1648–1730) sister of John Churchill I Duke of Marlborough] when Doña Maria del Rosario de Silva Fernández de Híjar Portugal y Guterbey (1900–1934) married Don Jacob Fitz James Stuart (1878–1953) IX Duke of Berwick and XVII Duke of Alba. In this way, by matrilineal descent, the Spanish lineage of the De Silva joined the dukedom of Híjar and its titles with the House Fitz James Stuart y de Silva Fernández de Híjar Portugal. Whereas the descendants of Don Jaime have just the titles of Dukes of Lecera and Dukes of Bournonville, the Fitz James Stuart y de Silva hold, actually, the majority of the titles of the House De Silva.
Heraldry
De Salazar, in his "Historia Genealogica de la Casa de Silva" writes that "the Casa de Silva, like many in Spain, uses a heraldic device very different from the name by which it is known. Don Melchor de Teves refers (in the book de la Casa de Lerma) that on an ancient tomb of the de Silva family there is a rampant Crowned Lion. It seems that the first to use on his shield the symbol of the Lion was the Count don Gomez Paéz de Silva, who lived in the 12th century. He did it to remind his origin from the Royal House (Casa de Leon); to wear in their honour the same device as the House princes and to hand down to posterity the memory of his evident descendance from it... Drawing and painting the weapon (a rampant Lion of crimson colour, golden crowned on a silver background) exactly in the same way as the kings de Leon, Ovjedo and Galizia".
Others say that the count don Gomez Paéz de Silva was, for the same reasons, referring to the house of Borgogna, being his grandfather Gutirrez Pelaéz de Silva (1030–1110) the first to use the patronymic De Silva, vassal and counsellor of Henry of Borgogna count of Portugal.
Other primary Heraldries which characterize the House de Silva Fernández de Híjar Portugal are the ones of both the Fernández de Híjar house and of the Portugal family.
The first, of the Fernández de Híjar , shows the fusion of the lineages of Aragon and Navarra. In the shield of Pedro Fernández de Híjar (the bastard son who king Jaime I of Aragon had from doña Isabel Berenguela Fernández, granddaughter of the king of Navarra) we can see the five golden vertical bands alternated by four red vertical bands (de cuatro palos gules) symbol of Aragon and the golden chains, symbol of Navarra, framed and cross-shaped with, in the middle, an emerald on a red background.
The second, of the Portugal-Noronhas , in the I and IV quarters, shows five blue shields cross-shaped, each with five silver bezants, placed to quincunx of the house De Portugal and, in the II and III quarters, the castle with the three golden towers surmounted by two crimson lions of the house of Castiglia and of Leon. The quarter is framed by nine golden squares alternated by nine blue towers. doña Isabel de Portugal, bastard daughter of king Ferdinand I, married don Alfonso count of Gíjon Noronha, bastard son of the king Enrico II di Castiglia. Heraldry joins the symbols by matrilineal descent: Portugal-antigo (only because of the matrilineal line of the descendants of doña Isabel, daughter recognized by the king Ferdinando I) with that of the Noronhas.Armando de Mattos "A heráldica dos bastardos reais portugueses" 1940
The three ancient heraldries, in different periods, belonging to different lineages of the House de Silva, were joined to make the emblems of the: De Silva Portugal, De Silva Cifuentes, De Silva Alénquer, De Silva Alvarez de Toledo, De Silva Infantado, De Silva Fernández de Hijar, De Silva Fernández de Híjar Portugal, De Silva Pastrana and so on. Still, always in the shape where the crowned Lion of the ancient kings of Leon dominates.
Viceroys, Military men, Politicians
Don Gutiérre Pelaéz de Silva (1030–1110). Lord of Lugares, alderete de Insam y Sufam, y de la Quinta, y torre de Silva. It is certain that he went with King Ferdinand the Great to the conquest of Coimbra in the war against the Moors. He is considered the forefather of the House de Silva and such fact is proved in various genealogies both Castilian and Portuguese. He got married with Doña Maria Perez de Ambia. He had just one son: Don Pelayo Gutiérrez de Silva. Don Gomez Paez de Silva (1110–1170) Don Gomez, in the year 1166, had the dignity of count that, as in those days it was not yet hereditary, was given to the "Ricos Hombres" of high lineage who were ruling either over a seigniory (dominion) or, however, a very important territory. Don Gomez Paez possessed the castle of Santa Olaya and its territory, as Major Alcade. Earlier on, he had taken part in important battles: in 1139 in the battle of Campo di Orique. In 1160, together with his brother Don Pedro Paez de Silva, in two battles that the adelantado Don Gonzalo Mendez de Maya fought against the Moors at Campos de Beja, where the Christian armies defeated, in the same day, two Muslim armies. He married with Doña Urraca Nunéz Vello. His successor was his second son: Don Pelayo Gomez de Silva.