House of Mendoza facts for kids
The Mendoza family was a very powerful group of nobles in Spain. They had a lot of influence, especially from the 1300s to the 1600s in a region called Castile. The family started in a village named Mendoza. This village is in the province of Álava, located in the Basque countries. The name Mendoza comes from the Basque words mendi (mountain) and oza (cold), meaning 'cold mountain'.
The Mendoza area became part of the Kingdom of Castile when Alfonso XI was king (1312–1350). After this, the Mendozas became very involved in Castilian politics. They served as important advisers, administrators, and church leaders. Over time, different branches of the family grew, and their name became well-known far beyond their original home.
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Early History of the Mendoza Family
Álava is a hilly region with a flat central area called the Plains of Álava. In the 1200s and 1300s, it was bordered by the Kingdom of Castile and the Kingdom of Navarre. Álava had its own special customs and traditions. The town of Mendoza and the province of Álava were often battlefields. Here, powerful noble families like the Ayala, Orozco, and Velasco fought to settle their disagreements.
By 1332, the Mendozas had been in Álava for at least 100 years. They were constantly struggling with rival clans. The Mendozas believed they came from the House of Haro, another strong Basque family.
When the Castilian Civil War ended with Queen Isabella of Castile winning, the fighting between Basque clans mostly stopped. Even before this, since the 1300s, the Mendozas worked hard to gain power and special rights in Castile. Castile was a growing military power. Because the Mendozas were knights and free men, they became Castilian nobles (called hidalgos) when Álava joined Castile.
All nobles were knights, administrators, or lawyers. They served in the government of the kingdom. A main job for the biggest noble families was to create and keep a local army. They would make this army available if the king needed it. The highest nobles became direct supporters of the king.
Important Mendozas in the 14th Century
Gonzalo Yáñez de Mendoza's Achievements
Gonzalo Yáñez de Mendoza was the first Mendoza to hold a high position in Castile. During the Reconquista, he fought against the Muslim kingdoms of Spain. He was in the Battle of Río Salado in 1340 and the Siege of Algeciras (1342–44).
He served as the chief huntsman for King Alfonso XI. He settled in Guadalajara and ruled there after marrying the sister of Íñigo López de Orozco. Orozco, also from Álava, had become mayor as a reward for his military service. This became a common pattern for the Mendoza family. They would serve the king in war, get important positions, and then marry into powerful and wealthy families.
Pedro González de Mendoza's Heroism
Pedro González de Mendoza (1340–1385) was Gonzalo's son. He greatly helped his family's future by supporting his stepbrother Henry II against Pedro the Cruel. Henry's side eventually won the Castilian Civil War.
Pedro was captured by Edward, the Black Prince at the Battle of Najera. This was a big defeat for Henry's forces. However, Pedro was later released when Edward returned to England. Pedro was remembered as a hero for his actions in the Battle of Aljubarrota. This was another major defeat for Castile. When King John I's horse died, Pedro gave him his own horse so the king could escape. Pedro was then killed in the battle, as he had no way to flee. His brave service was remembered, and the Mendoza family continued to gain power and wealth.
Pedro was also a poet. He wrote poems in the Galician style, a serrana, and coplas about love.
Diego Hurtado de Mendoza's Influence
Diego Hurtado de Mendoza inherited his father Pedro's wealth and status. He first married the illegitimate daughter of King Henry II. Later, he married Leonor Lasso de la Vega, a very powerful and well-connected widow. She was the head of the important House of Lasso de la Vega. This marriage brought both families and their titles together under the House of Mendoza.
King Henry III made him Admiral of Castile. He commanded the fleet in battles against Portugal. However, his forces lost in all three battles he led. When he died, he was considered one of the richest men in Castile.
The Mendoza Family in the 16th Century
The strong family loyalty seen in the children of Santillana (Íñigo López de Mendoza, marqués de Santillana) did not last into the next generation. After the cardinal died, the family's leadership shifted. It went to Bernardino Fernández de Velasco, Santillana's son, who was the constable of Castilla living in Burgos. This was unusual, as the Duke of the Infantado, Íñigo López de Mendoza y Luna, whose home was in Guadalajara, was expected to lead.
Bernardino guided the Mendozas through important years. During this time, the crown passed from the Trastámara family to the Habsburgo family. But the constable found that the Mendozas were less willing to follow a single leader. The great power the cardinal had secured for the younger generation allowed family members to pursue their own political paths.
Changes in Family Unity
The Palace of Infantado in Guadalajara remained the family's main home. The Mendozas who stayed in Castile accepted the constable's leadership. However, even within this group, disagreements arose. Especially between the Infantado and the Count of Coruña, which weakened the family's unity as a political and military force. The family's unity was further challenged by two of Santillana's grandsons: Rodrigo, marquis of the Cenete, and the second Count of Tendilla.
Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar y Mendoza's Bold Actions
Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar y Mendoza, the marquis of Cenete, acted very independently from the main Mendoza group. He was known for his bold and confident personality. From his bases in Granada, where he had large lands thanks to his father, the cardinal, he became the prison governor of Guadix. He also joined the Council of Granada. Cenete had a career marked by daring choices and taking opportunities.
In 1502, he secretly married. In 1506, he took the woman whom Queen Isabel the Catholic had forbidden him to marry. In 1514, the Crown accused him of entering the city of Valencia fully armed without royal permission. In 1523, he joined forces with his younger brother, the Count of Mélito, again without permission, to stop the Revolt of the Brotherhoods. In 1535, his second daughter, who inherited his title and wealth, married the heir of the Count of Infantado. This brought the titles back to the main Mendoza family line.
Diego Hurtado de Mendoza, Count of Mélito
The career of Diego Hurtado de Mendoza, 1st Count of Melito, who was the older brother of the Marquis of Cenete, was quite different. Mélito played a moderately important role as viceroy of Valencia during the early years of Charles V's reign. This was during the Revolt of the Brotherhoods.
Ana de Mendoza y de la Cerda's Political Influence
Ana de Mendoza y de la Cerda was the granddaughter of the Count of Mélito. In 1553, she married Ruy Gómez de Silva, who was a favorite of King Felipe II. In 1559, the couple received the title of Princes of Éboli. They became the center of a political group in the royal court. While the Duke of Alba promoted a "closed Spain" policy, the Mendozas supported an "open" Spain, welcoming new ideas.
This period, from 1555 until Ruy Gómez's death in 1573, was marked by the Éboli family's growing influence in Castile. This "open Spain" policy was not typical of the entire Mendoza family. Instead, it came from the family branches that descended from Cardinal Mendoza. He had created strong power bases for them in the kingdoms of Granada and Valencia.
Íñigo López de Mendoza y Quiñones's Loyalty
The most famous and skilled of Santillana's grandsons was Íñigo López de Mendoza y Quiñones, the second Count of Tendilla. Thanks to his uncle, Cardinal Mendoza, Tendilla was named captain general of the kingdom of Granada. He also became the prison governor of Alhambra.
He was capable of dazzling actions, like his cousin the Marquis of Cenete. However, he was extremely loyal to Ferdinand the Catholic. During the disputes over who would be king after 1504, he was one of the few Castilian nobles who stayed loyal to Ferdinand. He opposed the efforts of Felipe I of Castile to take over the kingdom.
As he became more involved with the problems in the kingdom of Granada, Tendilla grew distant from the rest of his family. He became more traditional and believed his family line was the only one that truly followed the Mendoza family's old traditions.
Lope Hurtado de Mendoza's Career
Lope Hurtado de Mendoza was born in 1499. He was the youngest son of Juan Hurtado Díaz de Mendoza y Salcedo. Since he was not the main heir, he was sent to the royal court. There, he succeeded and held important positions. He became a member of the Council of the Kingdom and the Main Butler to Margarita de Austria.
He also served as governor of Oran and as an ambassador to the courts of Portugal, Germany, and Rome. He inherited the Lordship of the Bujada from his father. In 1539, Emperor Carlos V named him commander of Villarubia de Ocaña. He first married Teresa Ugarte, who inherited the Lordship of Astobiza. His second wife was Margarita de Rojas. With her, he had Fernando de Mendoza, who became a distinguished military general. Fernando was General of the coast of Granada and a Knight Commander of Sancti Spiritus in Alcántara. Lope Hurtado de Mendoza died in October 1558.
Family Politics and Challenges
During most of the reign of the Catholic Monarchs, there were no major conflicts among the nobles. There were also no national crises that would truly test the family's unity. Tendilla and his cousins, who were separated from the main family branch due to the family's growth and their spread across different political careers, focused on their own success. They did not always consider the family as a whole.
When legal disputes over inheritance caused serious conflicts in Castile, the Mendoza family could not, or would not, act as a single group. Tendilla, in particular, took positions against the rest of the family.
After Queen Isabella's death in 1504, Castile faced a time of crisis and rebellion. The Mendoza family had to choose between supporting the Trastámara dynasty, which had helped their success in the past, or supporting the new Burgundy dynasty. The third Duke of the Infantry, who was the official head of the Mendozas, and the constable, who actually managed the family's affairs, favored the Burgundy dynasty. Tendilla chose to stick with the old tradition.
While Castile was under Trastámara rule, Tendilla's policy was successful. However, when it became clear that the dynasty would end in Castile, Tendilla's choice hurt his political and financial well-being. It also prevented the family from acting together, weakening the Mendoza family's overall effectiveness.
See also
In Spanish: Casa de Mendoza para niños
