Francisco de Mendoza facts for kids

Portrait of Francisco de Mendoza by a painter of the school of Daniël van den Queborn

Francisco López de Mendoza y Mendoza (born in Granada, 1547 – died in Madrid, 1 March 1623), often called Francisco de Mendoza, was an important Spanish nobleman, diplomat, and general. He later became a bishop and played a brief but key role in the Eighty Years' War.

Biography

Early Life and Family

Francisco de Mendoza was born in 1547 in Granada, Spain. His father, Iñigo López de Mendoza y Mendoza, was the 3rd Marquess of Mondéjar. His mother was María de Mendoza y Aragón. At the time of Francisco's birth, his father was a military leader in Granada, a city that Spain had recently conquered.

When he was about 15, Francisco began studying Classics at the University of Alcalá and philosophy at the University of Salamanca. These studies were paused when he joined his father on a trip to the Holy See (the Pope's government) from 1560 to 1562.

In 1568, Francisco joined his father again during a rebellion in the Alpujarras. He served as a captain and was rewarded for his service with land called an encomienda in Valdepeñas. He had been a knight of the Order of Calatrava since he was 12 years old. Mendoza continued to work for his father in administrative roles when his father served as Viceroy (a governor) in Valencia (1572-1575) and later in Naples (1575-1579).

In 1584, Mendoza married María Ruiz de Liori Colón and Cardona. Her father, Sancho Folch de Cardona, had no sons. So, the marriage contract said that Mendoza would use his wife's family name, Cardona, and their family crest. When María's father died soon after, María inherited his title, and Mendoza became the Marquess of Guadelest through his marriage. María's father had also been the "Admiral of Aragon," a title that María and then Mendoza inherited. Because of this, Mendoza became known as the "Admiral of Aragon," even though he never commanded a navy.

The marriage brought some legal challenges related to his wife's previous short marriage. These legal cases were expensive and took a long time. Sadly, Francisco and María had a daughter, Maria José de Cardona Mendoza, who died young in 1590.

In the same year, Mendoza faced issues with King Philip II of Spain. He had helped arrange a marriage for his uncle's daughter without the king's permission. This upset the king, and Mendoza was put in jail in the castle of Turégano in July 1590. He was released in August 1592. While he was in prison, his wife died in August 1591.

After his release, Mendoza tried to arrange another marriage, which helped him regain the king's favor, even though the marriage did not happen.

In the Netherlands (1595 - 1603)

In 1595, Mendoza became a senior official in the household of Albert VII, Archduke of Austria. When Albert became the Governor General of the Spanish Netherlands in 1595, Mendoza helped organize the journey to Brussels.

Soon after arriving in the Netherlands, Mendoza became the general of cavalry for the Army of Flanders in 1596. He also helped negotiate the Peace of Vervins, which ended the war with France. He went on another diplomatic mission to Poland to try and stop their trade with the Dutch Republic.

The peace with France allowed the Spanish army to focus on the war against the Dutch Republic. In late 1598, Archduke Albert planned a new attack. A problem was that the Spanish soldiers had not been paid and were upset. Mendoza, as temporary commander, decided to attack the Dutch Republic. He led his army across the Meuse and Rhine rivers. He captured towns like Alpen, Germany and Moers, and retook Rheinberg. From there, his army captured Doetinchem and Rees, Germany. The Spanish army then settled for winter, causing hardship for the German countryside. This led German princes to raise their own armies in 1599 to push the Spanish out.

Meanwhile, King Philip II had died, and his son Philip III of Spain became king. In 1599, Mendoza was ordered to invade the Bommelerwaard and lay siege to Zaltbommel. This campaign did not go well. However, two Spanish fortresses, Crevecoeur and San Andreas, were built. The fortress of San Andreas was captured by Maurice, Prince of Orange, the Dutch army leader, in 1600.

The Spanish army was having trouble with soldiers refusing to fight because of pay issues. This allowed Maurice to invade the Spanish Netherlands in the summer of 1600. Archduke Albert managed to get the Spanish soldiers to return to duty. Albert then advanced on the Dutch army near Nieuwpoort, Belgium, with Mendoza leading his cavalry. On 2 July 1600, the Battle of Nieuwpoort took place, and the Spanish army was defeated. Mendoza was captured by the Dutch.

Mendoza was a prisoner of war for two years, first in Woerden and then in The Hague. He was eventually released in 1602 in exchange for many Dutch prisoners and a large payment. After his release, Mendoza was immediately sent by the Archduke to stop a Dutch invasion towards Maastricht. Mendoza's forces were too small to fight Maurice directly, so he waited for more soldiers. When reinforcements arrived, Maurice retreated to Grave, which he then besieged.

In Spain (1603 - 1623)

King Philip III called Mendoza back to the court in Valladolid, where he arrived in February 1603. Mendoza faced financial difficulties at this time.

In 1606, he was arrested after one of his servants had an argument with a doorman. He was jailed in Torrejón de Velasco but released in January 1607.

A few years later, he accused a powerful official of corruption. This led to Mendoza's arrest again, this time on false accusations. He was jailed in Santorcaz in May 1609. He was later moved to monasteries in Guadalajara, Castilla–La Mancha because his health was getting worse. He was released after five years in prison without ever being found guilty of anything.

In 1617, at the age of 70, Mendoza decided to become a priest. The new king, Philip IV of Spain, recognized the unfair treatment Mendoza had received. On 8 August 1622, the king proposed that Mendoza become the bishop of Sigüenza.

Mendoza died on 1 March 1623 in Madrid. He was first buried in a chapel at the college of the Society of Jesus in the University of Alcalá. In 1632, he was reburied in front of the main altar.

See also

In Spanish: Francisco López de Mendoza y Mendoza para niños