House of Piña

The House of Piña [English peen-yuh]; Spanish pronunciation: [ pee-nyah ]; was a Spanish noble family and later royal house that first began to gather prominence under Sancho de Piña during the second half of the thirteenth century. The family originated in the region of Aragón in the northern Spanish countryside. The Spanish surname Piña is of toponymic origin, deriving from the place name where the initial bearer lived or held land. In this instance, the surname Piña derives from "Pina" which is the name of a town located in the province of Huesca, in the region of Aragón. Therefore, the first bearer of the surname Piña was someone who was identified by the members of his community as "one who came from Pina". According to etymologist, the place name Pina derives from the word "piña" which signifies "pine cone".

Rise to Power

Piña is the name of a noble family from Aragón, a descendent of this house, Sancho de Piña served under James I The Conqueror. King of Catalonia and Aragón, in the conquest of Valencia, in the thirteenth century. He was celebrated for his braveness during the siege of Puig and later that of Valencia. He fought also against Alima-Buig the Moor in Cocentaina (currently Alicante). The King rewarded him for his services with the town and title Marquis of Benidoleig, in the province of Alicante. Another member of this family Ximén Perez Piña also took part in the conquest of Valencia. He fought very bravley during the siege of Játiva. He died suddenly and was greatly mourned by King James I who generously rewarded Ximén's son. Another member of this house, Fernando de Piña, captain of the personal guards of James I, Fernando took part in the conquest the balears islands and in that of Valencia. Fernando Fernandes de Piña, a descendent of the same house, took part in the battle of Salado under Alfonso XI of Castille and went to Portugal in 1282 as an ambassador of Peter III, King of Aragón. He was also member of the entourage of Queen Isabel of Aragón, wife of Dinis, King of Portugal.

Lord Ademar Renaldo de Piña was the last known descendent whom took part in the Colonial expansion under the crown of Castile, initiated by the Spanish conquistadores in 1492 continuing for over three centuries, the Spanish Empire would expand across the Caribbean Islands, half of South America, most of Central America and much of North America (including present day Mexico, Florida and the Southwestern and Pacific Coastal regions of the United States). It is estimated that during the colonial period (1492–1832), a total of 1.86 million Spaniards settled in the Americas and a further 3.5 million immigrated during the post-colonial era (1850–1950).

Present day

The family disappeared from the public after Lord Benidoleig's relocation to Central America ( present day Mexico ) during the Colonial expansion under the crown of Castile, until a recent resurfacing of the family in the early 2000's; His Excellency Don Ronald Armando de Piña ( 1958–present ) is a direct descendent of Sancho de Piña, and current head of the family. Lord Diego Andrés de Piña ( 1999–present ) is the sole heir to his father's title as The Marquis of Benidoleig. The family currently resides in Spain, however the family is believed to travel back and forth between houses in The United States and England.

See also

• Battle of the Puig
• Benidoleig

References

• John Forster. CHRONICLE OF JAMES I. KING OF ARAGON,: Surnamed the Conqueror (Classic Reprint). FORGOTTEN BOOKS, 2015.
• James, et al. The Chronicle of James I., King of Aragon. Surnamed the Conqueror. Gregg International Publishers, 1968.