House of Zamora
“Numantia Nova”
Origin: Lords of Zamora, city that humbled El Cid
The lords of Zamora defended the city that famously resisted El Cid's seven-month siege. The saying "Zamora was not won in an hour" became proverbial in Spanish.\n\nTheir Romanesque churches—over twenty survive—constitute the finest collection of 12th-century architecture in Spain. The family patronized many of these remarkable buildings.\n\nStrategically positioned on the Duero, they controlled river crossings vital to the power balance between León and Castile.