Merindad (Spanish pronunciation: [meɾinˈdað]) is a Mediaeval Spanish administrative term for a country subdivision smaller than a province but larger than a municipality.[1] The officer in charge of a merindad was called a merino, roughly equivalent to the English count or bailiff.[2][3]
It was used in the kingdoms of Castile and Navarre. Connected to the birth of Castile, the Merindades, standing for a northernmost comarca of the province of Burgos, was part of the creation of the administrative division by King Peter.[2]
Currently, the Foral Community of Navarre is still divided into five merindades standing for different judicial districts.[2] The historic Merindad de Ultrapuertos lying to the north of the Pyrenees is nowadays Lower Navarre.[4][5]
Administratively, they have been substituted by the partido judicial. In Biscay, the mancomunidades comarcales keep the place of the old merindades, such as Duranguesado.
See also[edit]
- Partidos of Buenos Aires, a second-level administrative subdivision
- Partidos of Chile in Colonial Chile, a second-level administrative subdivision
References[edit]
- ^ "MERINDAD - Spanish open dictionary". amp.wordmeaning.org. Retrieved 2024-04-14.
- ^ a b c "MERINO - Auñamendi Eusko Entziklopedia". aunamendi.eusko-ikaskuntza.eus. Retrieved 2024-04-14.
- ^ https://en.bab.la/dictionary/spanish/merindad
- ^ "Gran Enciclopedia de Navarra | BAJA NAVARRA". Retrieved 2024-04-14.
- ^ "Gran Enciclopedia de Navarra | ULTRAPUERTOS". Retrieved 2024-04-15.