Senhoria

Senhoria refers to a feudal lordship or seigneurie in Romance-language history, typically describing the territorial domain controlled by a lord or senor under higher sovereignty. The term derives from Latin roots and is used in various Iberian and Italian contexts to denote land, people, and jurisdiction within a manor or demesne. In historical practice, a senhoria included villages, farmland, and the right to administer justice, collect tolls, and levy military service from peasants and vassals, while the lord owed allegiance to a higher sovereign and provided protection and governance.

In fiction and worldbuilding, Senhoria is often the name of a small, semi-autonomous realm or principality. It is commonly portrayed as a compact territory featuring a coastal to inland geography, with a capital located at or near a castle or fortified seat. Governance is typically depicted as a hereditary or elective lordship, sometimes with a council or advisory body that manages local courts, taxation, and defense.

Economy commonly combines agriculture (notably wine and grain), forestry, and fishing with crafts and trade. Towns may prosper as waypoints along trade routes connecting inland resources with coastal markets. Cultural life centers on patronage of the arts, religious institutions, and regional festivals; local dialects or languages survive alongside a standard tongue.

Because of its flexible usage, Senhoria serves as both a historical term and a fictional proper noun in literature and role-playing contexts.