Wikipedia

Diego López de Medrano y Vergara

In this Basque name, the first surname is Medrano and the second is Vergara.

Diego López de Medrano y Vergara[1] (c. XV century - June 7, 1487) was a noble from the House of Medrano, Lord of San Gregorio and Cavañuelas, knight, a member of the 12 lineages of Soria and a ricohombre of Castile. He died at the siege of Malaga on 7 June 1487.[2]

Diego López de Medrano y Vergara
Lord of San Gregorio and Cavañuelas
Coat of arms of Diego López de Medrano at the Castle of San Gregorio
Other titlesRicohombre
BornKingdom of Castile
Died7 June 1487
Noble familyHouse of Medrano
Spouse(s)Magdalena Bravo de Lagunas y Cienfuegos
IssueDiego López de Medrano, Garcí Bravo de Medrano, Francisco de Medrano, María Bravo de Medrano, Leonor de Medrano, Luisa de Medrano, Luis de Medrano, Isabel Bravo de Medrano, Catalina de Medrano
FatherDiego López de Medrano
MotherJuana de Vergara
Occupationknight, lord

Diego López de Medrano had many notable descendants, including his namesake son Diego López de Medrano, mayordomo mayor of Empress Isabella of the Holy Roman Empire, wife of Charles V; his daughter Luisa de Medrano, the first female professor in Spain; his great–great–grandson García de Medrano y Castejón, a counselor in the Council of Castile; his 3rd–grandson García de Medrano y Alvarez de los Rios, a regent of Navarre and Seville; and his 4th–grandson García de Medrano y Mendizábal, I Count of Torrubia and an oidor in the Spanish Empire, among many others.

Background

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Diego López de Medrano was born into the noble Medrano family. The House of Medrano was one of the most powerful in the Sierra de Cameros [es] and in Soria.[3] Their livestock grazed in those lands, and hundreds of times they walked to the pastures of Extremadura or the royal valley of Alcudia, in La Mancha.[3][4] The House of Medrano, Lords of the towns of Cabanillas, Cavañuelas, San Gregorio, and Lords over many other entailed estates of the Medrano lineage in Soria and its region, are knights of great antiquity and nobility.[5]

Family

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View of Atienza, in Guadalajara

Diego López de Medrano was a prominent ricohombre, Lord, knight, and noble in the Kingdom of Castille. His father in-law Garcí Bravo de Lagunas migrated from Soria (or Sigüenza) to establish an estate in Atienza. When Garcí Bravo took on the role of Alcaide of Atienza Castle, he moved with his whole family. He brought along his wife, children, and sons-in-law.[6] Among those who came with him were his daughter Magdalena Bravo de Lagunas and her husband, Diego López de Medrano, as well as their children: Diego, Garci, Luis, Catalina, and Isabel. After settling in Atienza, Magdalena and Diego had at least four more children.[6]

Ancestry

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Coat of arms on display at Diego's castle of San Gregorio. 1st quarter: argent field, sable bend, gules border with 8 Or crosses of San Andres; 2nd quarter: castle in Or, with bridge; 3rd quarter: goshawk and prey, from the progenitor; 4th quarter: hollow cross of Calatrava in Or, on a gules field, with latin script.

Diego López de Medrano was the son of Diego López de Medrano, Lord of San Gregorio [es] and Cavañuelas de la Torre and Almarza de Cameros, and Juana de Vergara, from the aristocratic Vergara family.[1][7] His mother Doña Catalina de Vergara was the daughter of the heir to the mayorazgo and the Vergara estate in the mountains.[5]

Diego was the grandson of Don Garcia González de Medrano, Lord of San Gregorio, and the great-grandson of Doña Catalina Rodríguez de Medrano, founder of the Mayorazgo of San Gregorio in 1394, in favor of her son Don Garcia González de Medrano.[1][8] Don Diego López belongs to the prestigious Medrano family, one of the most ancient lineages from the Kingdoms of Navarre and Castile.[9]

Siblings

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Diego's brother Francisco de Medrano was the Lord of Cabanillas. Francisco married Doña María de Vinuesa, sister of Juan de Vinuesa, known as "the old one." Their offspring included Diego López de Medrano, who inherited the title of Lord of Cabanillas. Diego's sister Doña Francisca de Medrano later married Tristán del Arco in Borja.[5]

Diego López de Medrano was also the brother of Don García de Medrano, from Soria, who married a woman from the House of Barrionuevo, one of the 12 main lineages of Soria.[1] A table of genealogy exists for García de Medrano, it begins with himself, as the brother of the Lord of San Gregorio. It ends with his seventh grandson, Martín de Castejón e Ibáñez de Leguizamón, the second Marquess of Velamazán.[10]

Confirmation of nobility

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On September 1, 1552, Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, issued the Carta Ejecutoria de Hidalguía to confirm the noble status of his family. Detailed genealogical records are presented to support his family's claim to nobility. The document, created in Valladolid and Arenas, Spain, concludes with official signatures and seals, affirming their noble status. It contains copies of documents issued in the names of the Countess Juana Pimentel, King Henry III, Álvaro de Luna, and others.[11]

This document, written in clear round Gothic script on 4 blank sheets, which features a large coat of arms of the Holy Roman Emperor and gold floral decorations, establishes the Medrano family's noble status through a comprehensive presentation of genealogical records and legal proceedings.[11] The opening lines honor Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor:

"To the esteemed and powerful Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, King of Spain, etc., this carta ejecutoria confirms the noble status of Bernardino de Medrano, Pedro López de Medrano, Francisco de Medrano... tracing the lineage of the noble Medrano family, with records dating back to Juana Pimentel and King Enrique III, hereby proving their status..."[11]

Construction of the castle of San Gregorio

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The Castle of San Gregorio (Casa Fuerte de San Gregorio) built by Don Diego López de Medrano in 1461

Diego's castle of San Gregorio was catalogued as a National Monument in 1949 and declared a Cultural Interest Asset in 1980.[12] The lordship of San Gregorio is located in the Almarza region (Comarca de Almarza). Above the door is the coat of arms of the Medrano family.[13]

Origin of the castle

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The origin of the castle of San Gregorio is recorded in the document drawn up in Medina del Campo and dated July 29, 1461, by which King Henry IV gave Diego López de Medrano y Salvadores permission to build this fortified house on the lands of the mayorazgo established by his ancestor Doña Catalina Rodríguez de Medrano in favor of her son Garcia Gonzalez de Medrano, lord of San Gregorio.[14][15] Doña Catalina was the widow of Don Gregorio Gil de Cabanillas, lord of las Amayuelas,[8] in 1394.[13][16][17]

A license was granted to build this medieval castle, signed by Juan de Oviedo, secretary to King Henry IV, in favor of Diego López de Medrano, the owner of the mayorazgo estate founded in 1394 by Catalina Rodríguez de Medrano.[18] This license allowed him:

to make, work on, and build the said house and tower with its barrier in the place of San Gregorio...[18]

 
Tower at the castle of San Gregorio, built by Don Diego López de Medrano in 1461

Diego López de Medrano chose to build a solid square house with a coat of arms, a central courtyard, defended with a barrier, part of which still exists, along with battlements on its walls, and round towers on three of its corners that still retain the stone-carved gargoyles and the artillery tubes from the 15th century.[17][18] The castle of San Gregorio was designed in the medieval Gothic-style, attached to a Renaissance church and cloister.[18] The San Gregorio estate covers an area of more than 1,500 m2. It is a medieval architectural complex.[19]

 
The church of San Gregorio attached to the Castle of San Gregorio has a Latin cross plan

Later, under the protection of his son Don Francisco de Medrano, a Dominican convent was founded in the 16th century, giving up a house and a villa for its establishment.[17] The church has different rooms of various sizes and uses, with a total usable area of 430 m² and a maximum capacity for 300 guests.[19] Once Francisco de Medrano died, his heirs withdrew their support from the monks and they had to leave.[20]

The church and convent were built by Francisco de la Piedra, a master stonemason. The architectural complex is well preserved, due to recent restoration.[18] The church, attached to the Castle of San Gregorio, has a Latin cross plan and has a central nave with tiercerons, a wide dome and a beautiful portal. A classic polychrome choir is preserved under which there is a baptismal font from medieval times. The Church was a parish for many years under the patronage of the House of Medrano, Lords of San Gregorio. The cloister consists of two arcaded buildings at an angle and is paved with pebble stones in the traditional style of the great houses of Soria. It is now used for events and wedding ceremonies.[21]

Siege of Málaga and death (1487)

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As a knight, Don Diego López de Medrano and his father in-law Garcí Bravo died in the Queen's service at the Siege of Málaga in 1487.[1] The Chronicle of the Catholic Monarchs by Don Juan M. Carriazo confirmed the news that Garci Bravo de Lagunas and Diego López de Medrano had died in battle. Juan Bravo's wife Catalina Núñez de Cienfuegos, on the occasion of the death of her husband and son-in-law in that action, received a heartfelt letter of condolences and gratitude from the Catholic Monarchs on June 7, 1487.[22] The death of Diego López de Medrano during the siege of Malaga in 1487 is well-recorded.[23] Mosén Diego de Valera writes about this battle:

"And the Christians had received very great damage at the beginning and more than fifty of them were killed and others wounded. Among them, three principal men were killed: Garci Bravo, governor of Atienza; Diego de Medrano, his son-in-law; and Gabriel de Sotomayor, brave knights of noble lineage."[24]

Marriage and children

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Don Diego Lopez de Medrano married Dona Magdalena Bravo de Lagunas in 1476.[25][10][6] Dona Magdalena Bravo de Lagunas came from Berlanga de Duero and Atienza in the Kingdom of Castile and was the daughter of Don Garci Bravo de Lagunas, Alcaide of Atienza and Sigüenza, and his wife Catalina Núñez de Cienfuegos. Magdalena Bravo de Lagunas was the great-great-granddaughter of Don Alonso Pérez de Guzmán el Bueno, progenitor of the Dukes of Medina-Sidonia. His wife was also the first cousin of the comuneros captain of Segovia, Don Juan Bravo de Lagunas y Mendoza.[6]

The will of Magdalena Bravo de Lagunas was written in Atienza and dated December 1, 1527, and was opened on July 18, 1531, a few days after Magdalena's death. According to her will, the children who were still alive and had the right to their mother's inheritance in 1527 were Diego López, Garci Bravo, Catalina and Isabel. After her husband's death, she was received as the lady of the Queen's Palace, with Catalina de Medrano, the latter appearing constantly within the retinue of the king. The maternal majorat was founded on July 4, 1504, in Medina del Campo, in favor of Magdalena's second son Don Garci Bravo de Medrano, head of the House of Bravo in Atienza.[26]

Children

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Portrait of Diego's daughter Doña Luisa de Medrano (Atienza 9 August 1484 – 1527) by Juan Soreda. Her turban says "the soul made divine by God" in Latin

The history of Diego López de Medrano and Magdalena Bravo's children is traced through Magdalena's will, dictated in Atienza on December 1, 1527, and preserved in the Archive of the Dukes of Villahermosa. This document reveals that at least three of their children went to Salamanca University.[23] They had numerous children:[1]

  • Diego López de Medrano, heir to the paternal estate, and to the fortress of San Gregorio, near Soria. He was born on July 30, 1477. He died after 1531.
  • Garcí Bravo de Medrano, heir to the maternal estate, was born on November 20, 1478.
  • Francisco de Medrano, born on May 15, 1481, the date of his death unknown.
  • María Bravo de Medrano, born on May 9, 1492, a nun in Soria, according to the will of her sister Catalina.
  • Leonor de Medrano, the other nun sister, was born on June 14, 1483.
  • Luisa de Medrano, born in Atienza on August 9, 1484, first female professor at the University of Salamanca, died in 1527.
  • Luis de Medrano, rector of the University of Salamanca from 1507-1511,[27] born on November 9, 1485, and died before 1527.
  • Isabel Bravo de Medrano, born on January 6, 1487, and died after 1531.
  • Catalina de Medrano, born on October 31, 1479, and died without children, in Atienza, on December 2, 1541, being buried in San Francisco.

Diego López de Medrano

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Diego's namesake son and heir Don Diego López de Medrano y Bravo de Lagunas was the mayordomo mayor to Empress Doña Isabel, wife of Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor.[7]

On May 21, 1550, Diego López de Medrano, a resident and regidor of Soria and Lord of the house of San Gregorio, pursued a legal case against the council of Gallinero. The dispute centered on the price of meat supplies for the house of San Gregorio.[28]

He was the father of Diego López de Medrano, Lord of San Gregorio, Alcaide of Aranjuez and Chief Equerry of Philip II, and Francisco de Medrano, Accountant and Treasurer for Prince Don Carlos, son of Philip II.[7]

Luisa de Medrano

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Lucio Marineo Siculo, chaplain and royal chronicler of King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella, wrote a letter to Diego's daughter Luisa de Medrano, the first female professor in Spain at the University of Salamanca.[29] Part of it reads:

You are not only learned and eloquent, but also beautiful and charming, surpassing all the Spanish men in eloquence in the Latin language. O happy parents who have given birth to such a daughter! You, my dearest girl, owe much to the Almighty God, who has bestowed great talents upon you, and also to your parents, who have not assigned you to the ordinary duties of women, nor to the unpleasant toils of the body, which are quickly destroyed, but have freed you for the pursuit of the most illustrious studies and arts, and have consecrated you to eternal memory.[6]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f "Tabla genealógica de la familia de Medrano, condes de Torrubia, señores de San Gregorio. [Manuscrito]". www.europeana.eu. Retrieved 2024-08-08.
  2. ^ Index of the Salazar y Castro Collection: 28313. Royal Academy of History.
  3. ^ a b Revista Hidalguía número 9. Año 1955 (in Spanish). Ediciones Hidalguia. p. 181.
  4. ^ "Valle de Alcudia-Castilla La Mancha-Spain Natural Parks Natural Parks Project" (in Spanish). Retrieved 2024-04-27.
  5. ^ a b c The Pérez de Araciel de Alfaro By Manuel Luis Ruiz de Bucesta y Álvarez Member and Founding Partner of the ARGH Vice Director of the Asturian Academy of Heraldry and Genealogy Correspondent of the Belgian-Spanish Academy of History Pages. 50-51 https://dialnet.unirioja.es/descarga/articulo/3991718.pdf
  6. ^ a b c d e Oettel, Thérèse (1935). "Una catedrática en el siglo de Isabel la Católica: Luisa (Lucía) de Medrano". Una catedrática en el siglo de Isabel la Católica: Luisa (Lucía) de Medrano (in Spanish).
  7. ^ a b c Diccionario de appelidos enciclopedia heraldica y genealogica page. 188
  8. ^ a b "Tabla genealógica de la familia de Medrano, señores de las Amayuelas. [Manuscrito]". www.europeana.eu. Retrieved 2024-08-04.
  9. ^ "MEDRANO - Auñamendi Eusko Entziklopedia". aunamendi.eusko-ikaskuntza.eus. Retrieved 2023-11-01.
  10. ^ a b "Tabla genealógica de la familia de Medrano, vecina de Soria. [Manuscrito]". www.europeana.eu. Retrieved 2024-08-04.
  11. ^ a b c "Carta ejecutoria: Carta ejecutoria de hidalguia a pedimento de Bernardino de Medrano, Pedro López de Medrano y Francisco de Medrano by Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, 1500-1558 , 1552-09-01 · Special Collections and Archives". library.missouri.edu. Retrieved 2024-07-20.
  12. ^ https://www.casafuertesangregorio.es
  13. ^ a b "Castle Casa Fuerte de San Gregorio - OpenTripMap". OpenTripMap.com. Retrieved 2024-08-02.
  14. ^ Fayard, Janine (1979). Les Membres du conseil de Castille à l'époque moderne (1621-1746) (in French). Librairie Droz. pp. 254–255. ISBN 978-2-600-04529-2.
  15. ^ "Escudos de los Miranda, casa solariega y Capellanía en Santa Clara de Soria – elige.soria.es". elige.soria.es (in Spanish). 2020-11-13. Retrieved 2024-08-02.
  16. ^ "Casa Fuerte de San Gregorio - Historia". CasaFuerte San Gregorio (in Spanish). Retrieved 2024-08-02.
  17. ^ a b c "Fortified House / Convent / Church of San Gregorio". Official Portal of Tourism. Junta de Castilla y Leon. Retrieved 2024-03-03.
  18. ^ a b c d e "Casa Fuerte de San Gregorio" (in European Spanish). Retrieved 2024-08-02.
  19. ^ a b "Casafuerte San Gregorio". La Bastilla (in Spanish). 2017-06-08. Retrieved 2024-08-02.
  20. ^ "Castillos de Soria: San Gregorio". www.castillosdesoria.com. Retrieved 2024-08-02.
  21. ^ "Casa Fuerte de San Gregorio - Historia". CasaFuerte San Gregorio (in Spanish). Retrieved 2023-10-17.
  22. ^ The letter, dated in the Royal [Palace], regarding Málaga, on June 7, 1487, was signed by Their Highnesses and Fernán Álvarez, and it read as follows: "The King and the Queen. Doña María de Cienfuegos, you have already learned of the passing of Don Garci Bravo, your husband, which grieves us deeply, and we are left with a heavy burden, both for the loss we have suffered and for the great service he rendered during his life, as well as concerning you. Since he died as his duty required, fighting against the infidels and in our service, we are burdened to reward you, and we shall have your affairs, as they pertain to you and your relatives, carefully examined, with all due gratitude." Ápud T. Gismera
  23. ^ a b https://ceclmdigital.uclm.es/pdf.raw?query=id:0001785745&page=12&lang=en&view=prensa
  24. ^ Chronicle of the Catholic Monarchs, edition and study by Don Juan M. Carriazo, Madrid, 1927, page 253
  25. ^ Historia, Real Academia de la (2006). "Biblioteca Digital de la Real Academia de la Historia". bibliotecadigital.rah.es (in Spanish). Retrieved 2024-08-08.
  26. ^ Historical Archive in Madrid, 2.281, 2.290, leg. 37.662.
  27. ^ University Archive. Salamanca. Cloister Book, 1507-1511 (Tablet XV)
  28. ^ Diego López de Medrano, regidor of Soria, Lord of San Gregorio https://pares.mcu.es/ParesBusquedas20/catalogo/description/5706597
  29. ^ Singh, Saurav (2023-07-09). "Luisa de Medrano: A Legacy of Leadership and Resilience". Observer Voice. Retrieved 2024-08-02.
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