The House of Romay is a Spanisharistocratic family that descends from 8th-century nobility of pre-ReconquistaGalicia, in northern Spain. According to historians, it descends from King Alfonso I the Catholic, through his illegitimate son Román de Romaes, Count of Monterroso and Santa María de Hortigueira. The principal family seats are the Palace of Cadro and the Castle of Sotomayor, both in Pontevedra, Galicia. The current head of the family is Don Ricardo de Romay y Hernandez-Chazaro, 47th Señor de Cadro and Monterroso.
Origins
The Romay family's origins precede historical records, dating back to the Roman occupation in the area, and for this reason the family was awarded the distinction of Hidalgo de Sangre to its members in the legitimate male line, with the title of Don for junior members and the denomination "Most illustrious", abbreviated Ilmo. Sr., or Ilustrisima Señora or the honorific prefix of "The Most Excellent", abbreviated Excmo. Sr., or Excelentísima Señora for the heads of the different branches of the family and their consorts, depending on the title. 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, in Marín, Galicia. This is the oldest pazo'' in that region.
Doña Antonia de Romay-Sotomayor y Varela-Ulloa, Countess of Villanueva de San Bernardo
From whom descend the Marquises of Castro Serna and Counts of Adanero, and with the marriage between the current Duchess of Arcos and the XI Marquess of Castro, also the future Dukes of Osuna.
Doña Josefa de Romay y de España, Grandee of Spain, Baroness of Casa do Ria
From whom descend the Marquesses of San Martín de Hombreiro.
Don Alonso Enriquez Sarmiento Valladares y Romay IV Marquess of Valladares, III Viscount Meira
From whom descend the Marquesses of Mos and Valladares.
Doña Ines de Arines Troncoso y Romay, Lady of Camos and of Casa de las Torres Blancas
From whom descend the Dukes of Atrisco, Marquesses of Valladares and Mos and the Viscounts of Meira.
Doña Juana de la Torre de Romay-Sotomayor, II Marquise de Bendaña
Don Diego de Romay, VIII Marquess of Camos, designer and architect.
Doña María Romay Torrado, XVI Viscountess and Lady of la Pedreira
The last heads of the House of Romay have maintained residence in Mexico:
Don Ricardo de Romay y Wisbrun Chacon, XLVI Lord of Cadro and Monterroso, married in Mexico City in 1948 with Doña Ofelia Hernandez-Chazaro Lemus de Mier,. They had six children, among them Don Ricardo de Romay y Hernandez-Chazaro, who succeeded to the title in 2018.
The first registered settlement of the Romay family can be found in the archives of the 13th-century Palace of Cadro, the original family seat in Marin, Pontevedra, where they exercised civil and criminal jurisdiction. They also ruled the Castle-Fortress del Monte, near Padron; the Palace of El Rosal in Morrazo, as well as the lordships of Adam, Seixo, Marín de Arriba and other dominions in that region, where government archives document that “the House of Romay can be traced back to the beginning of The Reconquista”, in other words before the year 711. In New Spain, the family amassed a considerable dominion as a result of their political influence in the colonies, with members such as the 1st Duke of Atrisco that held the uppermost rank of Viceroy of New Spain. The current and 47th title holder, Don Ricardo de Romay, inherited in 2018 one of the largest property holdings in Mexico, mostly concentrated in the Yucatán Peninsula, passed down from his ancestor the first Duke.
Arms
The first record of the Romay heraldic arms can be found in the Castle-Fortress of Romay in 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 RampantGules, under whose claws two Fig Leaves Saber and an ‘M' Gules under a Baronial Coronet Or”. The crowned M and the Lion Rampant in Or allude to the royal lineage of Alfonso I
