Diego de Medrano
Diego Fernández de Medrano was a nobleman from the House of Medrano in the Kingdom of Castile, a knight of the Order of Santiago, and a prominent Spanish naval commander of the late 16th century. He played a significant role in several key military campaigns, including the battles of Cyprus, Lepanto, Navarino, and Tunis, as well as other expeditions in Italy and Barbary. Captain Diego de Medrano served as the Squadron General of four Neapolitan galleys while commanding the Fortuna de Napoli galley at the famous Battle of Lepanto in 1571. Diego de Medrano fought in the Mediterranean for twenty years before he was appointed commander of twelve galleys that joined Álvaro de Bazán, Marquess of Santa Cruz in the 1583 expedition to Terceira. As a Squadron General and Captain, Diego de Medrano commanded four galleys in the Spanish Armada, and on the voyage back to Spain, he became interim Admiral of the Spanish Armada.
Medrano personally oversaw the construction of the Port of Gibraltar and guarded its strait, including the coast of Andalusia. Diego de Medrano is noted for innovating naval warfare techniques by enhancing the design of his galleys, becoming the first person to successfully cross the ocean with this type of ship. He contributed to the surrender of Faial. For 25 years of service, he was awarded a habit of Santiago and the role as Squadron General and Captain of the São João galleys in the Spanish Armada by King Philip II of Spain.
Early life
Diego de Medrano was born in Hinojosa del Campo, Soria, in 1545. He was born into the ancient and noble Medrano family. He was the son of the nobleman Juan Fernández de Medrano. Diego was the brother of Tomás Fernández de Medrano, Lord and Divisero of Valdeosera, Francisco Fernández de Medrano, Lord and Divisero of Regajal, and Lázaro Fernández de Medrano, an ensign in the military.His brother Tomás, knight of the Order of Saint John, author of the political treatise República Mista, had been an advisor for the Habsburg monarchs of Spain; and an advisor and secretary of state and war for Charles Emmanuel I, Duke of Savoy, and Princess Catalina Micaela of Spain. Diego is the legitimate paternal uncle of Fray Juan Fernández de Medrano y Sandoval, a monk of the Order of St. Bernard of Cistercians at the Monastery of San Prudencio de Monte Laturce in Clavijo; and Ana María Fernández de Medrano y Sandoval, a lady-in-waiting for Queen Elisabeth of France, Queen of Spain, both children of Tomás Fernández de Medrano and Isabel Ibáñez de Sandoval, relatives of the 1st valido of Spain, Francisco de Sandoval, 1st Duke of Lerma.
Ancestry
Diego Fernández de Medrano was a nobleman with a prominent lineage in the navy and in the service and proximity of the royal monarchy. His ancestor Diego López de Medrano, chief equerry of the Prince of Spain, accompanied Prince Philip, the future Philip II of Spain, on his journey from Roses, Girona, to Genoa in November 1548, aboard the galley of Antonio de Toledo. Diego López de Medrano was the namesake son of Diego López de Medrano, mayordomo mayor of Empress Isabella of the Holy Roman Empire, the wife of Emperor Charles V; and the grandson of the ricohombre Diego López de Medrano y Vergara, Lord of San Gregorio, Cañaveruelas, and a member of His Majesty's Council.According to Licentiate Salinas, Diego and his brothers were also descendants of Sancho Fernández de Tejada, renowned knight and general of King Ramiro I of Asturias, who participated at the battle of Clavijo, culminating in the origin of the Lordship of Valdeosera.
Soria
The House of Medrano is notable for being one of the most powerful in the Sierra de Cameros and in Soria. The House of Medrano managed their lordships and maintained their main resources, maize cultivation and especially sheep farming. Their livestock, which included 15,000 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. The House of Medrano, Lords of the town of San Gregorio and many other entailed estates of the Medrano lineage in Soria and its region, are knights of great antiquity and nobility.Family
The Medrano family coat of arms in La Rioja is described as a shield divided in the middle: on the right side, an argent field with a sable bend, crossing from corner to corner with a gules border with 8 argent crosses of San Andres; on the left side, a gules field with an argent cross fleury, surrounded by an Or border and the Ave Maria family motto written in sable letters.The House of Medrano under the reign of a Holy Roman Emperor
Diego de Medrano was born during the reign of Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, who ruled as King of Spain from 1519 to 1556. On 1 September 1552, Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, issued the Carta Ejecutoria de Hidalguía to confirm the noble status of the Medrano 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.Siblings
Tomás Fernández de Medrano
According to Licentiate Pedro Fernández Navarrete and Licentiate Salinas, Captain Diego de Medrano was the brother of Tomás Fernández de Medrano, Knight of the Order of Saint John, Lord, High Magistrate, and Divisero of Valdeosera, Secretary of State and War to the Dukes and Princes of Savoy, etc. From 1579 to 1581, his brother Tomás served on the galleys of Genoa as a Secretary for Prince Giovanni Andrea Doria, Marquis of Torrilla and famous Italian Admiral. His nephew, Juan Fernández de Medrano y Sandoval, son of his brother Tomás, dedicated his father's political treatise República Mista to Francisco de Sandoval y Rojas, 1st Duke of Lerma.Diego de Medrano was the paternal uncle of Juan Fernández de Medrano y Sandoval and Maria Ana Fernández de Medrano y Sandoval, legitimate children of Tomas Fernández de Medrano and Isabel de Sandoval, his wife, a relative of Francisco de Sandoval y Rojas, 1st Duke of Lerma.
Francisco Fernández de Medrano
Diego's second brother Francisco Fernández de Medrano was the Lord and Divisero of Regajal, who fought during the French Wars of Religion under Alexander Farnese, Duke of Parma. Francisco Fernández de Medrano married Maria Ana de Espinosa. His brother Francisco was the ancestor of Diego Fernández de Medrano y Zapata, Lord and Divisero of Regajal, Governor of the Province of Carrión in the valley of Atlixco.Captain Diego de Medrano was the paternal uncle of Diego Fernández de Medrano y Espinosa and Don Francisco Fernández de Medrano y Espinosa, legitimate sons of Don Francisco Fernández de Medrano and Doña María Ana de Espinosa, his wife, Lords of the Solar and Divisa de Regajal. El Regajal is a unique estate located in the municipality of Aranjuez, at the southern border of the Community of Madrid. Diego Fernandez de Medrano y Espinosa was the father of Diego Fernández de Medrano y Zenizeros, Lord of Valdeosera, author and chaplain to Luis Méndez de Haro, Valido of Spain.
Diego's nephew Diego Fernández de Medrano y Espinosa was born in Logroño in 1564. In 1607, he was appointed chaplain of honor, judge of the royal chapel, administrator and deputy of the Royal Hospital of the court and even testamentary executor of Margaret of Austria, Queen of Spain.
Diego's brother Captain Francisco Fernández de Medrano was registered in the census of divisional knights: "captain, neighbor of Entrena. Registered on 1 May 1596. Divisa de Regajal."
In the lists of councilors in Logroño published by José María Bañuelos, his brother "Captain Francisco de Medrano" appears as a yearly councilor in 1606, along with "Captain Medrano" in 1612, 1615, and 1628.
Lázaro Fernández de Medrano
Diego's third brother Lázaro Fernández de Medrano served in the military as an ensign. Lázaro Fernández de Medrano, a resident of Entrena, was registered on May 1, 1596, in the land of Valdeosera, from the Velilla branch, lords of that town.Relatives
Captain Diego de Medrano was a close relative of García de Medrano y Castejón, lord of San Gregorio, a knight of the Order of Santiago, procurator of Soria, councilor of the Royal Council of Castile and minister of Justice.Diego was a contemporary and relative of Alonso Molina de Medrano, ambassador, inquisitor, Councilor of the Royal Council of Castile; he also served as a councilor and the first Chamberlain of the Royal Council of the Indies.
Captain Diego de Medrano was also a relative of Hernando de Medrano, lord of Fuenmayor and Almarza de Cameros in the Kingdom of Castile, paternal grandson of Diego López de Medrano y Zúñiga.
He was also a relative of the famous Captain Gonzálo de Medrano, who fought and died at the great siege of Malta in 1565, while leading his company from Sicily against the Ottoman Turks.
In the old Kingdom of Navarre, Diego had many relatives: the famous author, poet and explorer, Julián Íñiguez de Medrano, Lord of Maumusson; the merino and knight of Navarre, Juan Vélaz de Medrano y Echauz, Lord of Igúzquiza, Orendáin, Learza, etc., along with his brother Jaime Vélaz de Medrano y Echauz, alcaide of the royal castle of Maya and mayor of Amaiur-Maya. These three were distinguished leaders, defenders, and diplomats of the independent Kingdom of Navarre during the Spanish conquest, motivated by the dispute between the Beaumont and Agramont families.
In the late 15th and early 16th centuries, the Medrano family in the Kingdom of Castile maintained a very successful rope trading business under the direction of Diego's relative, Martine de Medrano. Martine was responsible for running his father's rope trading business from San Juan, Puerto Rico, the gateway to New Spain.
Martine de Medrano's sister Catalina de Medrano supplied fine cloth to the royal wardrobe of Queen Isabella I of Castile from 1497 to 1503 and was married to the conquistador Pedro Barba, and then married a second time to the famous maritime explorer Sebastian Cabot, son of the Italian navigator John Cabot.