Diego López de Medrano y Vergara

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 titles	Ricohombre
Born	Kingdom of Castile
Died	7 June 1487
Noble family	House of Medrano
Spouse(s)	Magdalena Bravo de Lagunas y Cienfuegos
Issue	Diego 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
Father	Diego López de Medrano
Mother	Catalina de Vergara
Occupation	knight, lord

Diego López de Medrano y Vergara^[1] (c. XV century - August 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 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 and Europe; his great–great–grandson García de Medrano y Castejón, a knight of the Order of Santiago and a councilor in the Royal Council of Castile; his 3rd–great-grandson García de Medrano y Alvarez de los Rios, a knight of Santiago and the regent of Navarre and Seville; and his 4th–great-grandsons García de Medrano y Mendizábal, I Count of Torrubia and Andrés de Medrano y Mendizábal, 2nd Count of Torrubia, knight of the Order of Calatrava, among many others.

Diego López de Medrano y Vergara was born into the noble Medrano family, the son of Diego López de Medrano and Catalina de Vergara. The House of Medrano was one of the most powerful in the Sierra de Cameros [es] and in Soria.^[3] Their sheep 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 Cavañuelas, Cabanillas, San Gregorio, and many other entailed estates of the Medrano lineage in Soria and its region, are knights of great antiquity and nobility.^[5]

Diego López de Medrano was a prominent ricohombre, Lord, Knight, and noble in the Kingdom of Castile. 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]

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.^[7]

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.^[7] 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..."^[7]

Diego's legitimate brother Francisco de Medrano y Vergara was the Lord of Cabanillas. Francisco married Doña María de Vinuesa, sister of Juan de Vinuesa. 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.^[8]

At the onset of Queen Isabella the Catholic's rule in Castile, Atienza, like the rest of the kingdom, faced the choice between loyalty to the reigning king and the prospect of allegiance to the prospective queen, Isabella. In the Castilian War of Succession, Diego's father in-law Garcí Bravo de Lagunas, alcaide of Atienza, played a pivotal role in securing the city of Sigüenza for Queen Doña Isabel.^[9]

Engaging in a noteworthy act during the conflict, Garci Bravo de Lagunas and his relative Pedro de Almazán courageously scaled Sigüenza Castle, capturing Bishop Diego López of Madrid, a supporter of the Beltraneja, thereby aiding the cause of Queen Isabella I. Don Juan Bravo, Alcaide of Atienza Castle, and Pedro de Almazán facilitated the ascent of Garci Bravo's men, securing the castle and town, aligning it with the sovereignty of Queen Isabella I.^[6]

Consequently, the descendants of Garci Bravo wielded considerable influence in Sigüenza and Atienza. Following the city's restoration to the Catholic Monarchs, Garci Bravo de Lagunas assumed the role of Alcaide of Sigüenza maintaining a prominent position in the castle of Atienza.^[6]

Diego's castle of San Gregorio was catalogued as a National Monument in 1949 and declared a Cultural Interest Asset in 1980.^[10] 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.^[11]

The illustrious lord Garcia de Medrano, of the Royal Council and Chamber of Castile, commissioned a renovation or construction at the castle of San Greogrio in 1677, which was commemorated in stone above the entrance.

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.^[12][13] Doña Catalina was the widow of Don Gregorio Gil de Cabanillas, lord of las Amayuelas,^[14] in 1394.^[11][15][16]

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.^[17] This license allowed him:

to make, work on, and build the said house and tower with its barrier in the place of San Gregorio...^[17]

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.^[16][17] The castle of San Gregorio was designed in the medieval Gothic-style, attached to a Renaissance church and cloister.^[17] The San Gregorio estate covers an area of more than 1,500 m². It is a medieval architectural complex.^[18]

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.^[16] The church and convent has different rooms of various sizes and uses, with a total usable area of 430 m² and a maximum capacity for 300 guests.^[18] Once Francisco de Medrano died, his heirs withdrew their support from the monks and they had to leave.^[19]

The church and convent were built by Francisco de la Piedra, a master stonemason. The architectural complex is well preserved, due to recent restoration.^[17] 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 special events and wedding ceremonies.^[15]

Don Diego Lopez de Medrano married Dona Magdalena Bravo de Lagunas in 1476.^[20][8][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, preserved in the Archive of the Dukes of Villahermosa, 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.^[21]

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.^[22] 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,^[23] 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.

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.^[24] 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]

Diego's namesake son and heir Don Diego López de Medrano y Bravo de Lagunas was the mayordomo mayor (High Steward) to Empress Doña Isabel, wife of Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor.^[25] 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.^[26]

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.^[25] In November 1548, Diego López de Medrano, the prince's chief equerry, traveled with Prince Philip—who would later become Philip II—from Rosas to Genoa aboard the galley belonging to Don Antonio de Toledo, the senior equerry.^[27] He is also a maternal ancestor of Don Francisco Antonio de Agurto Salcedo Medrano, 1st Marquess of Gastañaga, Governor and Captain General of the Habsburg Netherlands and patron and protector of the Royal Military and Mathematics Academy of Brussels established by Sebastián Fernández de Medrano in 1675.

Diego's father in-law Juan Bravo de Lagunas made a military testament in the royal style, which was later legally recorded on May 31, 1570, by Juan Sánchez Canales, a notary in Toledo. Through this disposition, he established a trust for a third and a fifth of his assets and the perpetual alcaidía (wardenship) of Atienza in Garci Bravo de Medrano, his grandson, the second son of his daughter Magdalena and Diego López de Medrano. This marked the origin of the Bravo estate in Atienza.^[28] Diego's son Garci Bravo de Medrano (b. November 20, 1478) was the perpetual Alcaide of the Atienza castle and lord of the house of Bravo in Atienza, linked to him by his mother and grandfather Don Juan Bravo de Lagunas. Garci Bravo de Medrano married Catalina de Mendoza, daughter of Íñigo de Molina, III lord of the towns of Embid, Santiuste and El Pobo in the Molina lordship. Catalina was the granddaughter of Pedro Carrillo de Mendoza, second Count of Priego, and María de Quiñones, his wife was the sister of Diego Fernández de Quiñones, the first Count of Luna, chief merino of León and Asturias. Garcí Bravo de Medrano and Catalina de Mendoza were the parents of Garci Bravo de Medrano y Mendoza and Diego López de Medrano y Mendoza.

Garcí Bravo de Medrano's first son Garci Bravo de Medrano y Mendoza married Dona Ana Sarmiento de Ayala y Rojas. Their daughter Doña Luisa Bravo de Lagunas married Pedro de Guzmán, Lord of Olmedilla. They were the direct ancestors of Doña Luisa Bravo de Guzmán (b. Alcalá de Henares 1595 - Madrid November 24, 1661), IV Marchioness of Lanzarote, Countess of Fuerteventura in the canary islands. The IV Marchioness Doña Luisa Bravo de Guzman was the granddaughter of Don Pedro de Guzmán, Lord of Olmedilla, and Doña Luisa Bravo de Lagunas, who in turn was the daughter of Garci Bravo de Medrano y Mendoza, Alcaide of Atienza and Doña Ana Sarmiento de Ayala y Rojas. In 1622 Don Agustín de Herrera y Rojas, the second Marquess of Lanzarote, married Doña Luisa Bravo de Guzmán, daughter of Jerónimo de Guzmán and Antonia Bravo del Castillo. Doña Luisa Bravo de Guzmán became the IV Marchioness of Lanzarote after the death of her son Agustín de Herrera y Rojas, III Marquess of Lanzarote. Martín Manuel González de Castejón-Medrano y Ibáñez, I Marquess of Velamazán became the IX Marquess of Lanzarote.^[29][30]

Garcí Bravo de Medrano's second son Diego López de Medrano y Mendoza was the lord of San Gregorio, he married Francisca de Vinuesa. Their son García de Medrano y Vinuesa married with Catalina de Castejón. They inherited many lands in Soria, and their heir and son succeeded them. From them, the counts of Torrubia are descended.^[1] The Counts of Torrubia from the Medrano family are united in marriage with the Dukes of Villahermosa, Dukes of Sotomayor, Dukes of Alba, Marquesses of Villamayor, Marquess of Salamanca and the Marquessate of Las Nieves.^[31]

His son Garcia de Medrano y Vinuesa later played a significant political role: he was a member of the Cortes of Segovia from 1592 to 1593, and the speeches he delivered are preserved in the protocols of those Cortes. In the trial against Don Rodrigo Calderón, Marquis of the Seven Churches, judge Don Garcia de Medrano y Vinuesa was one of the few who voted against the Marquis's death.^[32]

Diego López de Medrano y Mendoza's grandson García de Medrano y Castejón was a professor at the University of Salamanca and married Maria de los Rios y Mendoza, this marriage was the root and origin of one of the most widespread families of legal professionals serving the monarchy during the 17th and 18th centuries.^[33] García's son Garcia de Medrano y Alvarez de los Rios, lord of San Gregorio, became regent of Navarre and Seville.^[34] Likewise, his son was named García de Medrano y Mendizábal, I Count of Torrubia. The county of Torrubia is a Spanish noble title created on August 29, 1694, by King Carlos II in favour of García de Medrano y Mendizábal.^[35]

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.^[36] The death of Diego López de Medrano during the siege of Malaga in 1487 is well-recorded.^[22] 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."^[37]

Diego López de Medrano y Vergara died in battle and was buried in the convent of San Francisco in Atienza, together with his wife Dona Magdalena Bravo de Lagunas (d. 1531) and later his daughter Catalina de Medrano was buried alongside them (d. 1541).^[38]

Diego López de Medrano was the son of Diego López de Medrano, Lord of San Gregorio [es], Cavañuelas de la Torre and Almarza de Cameros, and Catalina de Vergara, from the aristocratic Vergara family.^[1][25][39] 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 Diego López de Medrano, alcaide of the castle of Medinaceli, who died before 1482.^[39]

Diego was also 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][14] Don Diego López belongs to the prestigious Medrano family, one of the most ancient lineages from the Kingdoms of Navarre and Castile.^[40]