Juan Vázquez de Coronado y Anaya (; 1523–1565) was a Spanish

conquistador Conquistadors (, ) or conquistadores (; ; ) were Spanish Empire, Spanish and Portuguese Empire, Portuguese colonizers who explored, traded with and colonized parts of the Americas, Africa, Oceania and Asia during the Age of Discovery. Sailing ...

, remembered especially for his role in the colonization of

Costa Rica Costa Rica, officially the Republic of Costa Rica, is a country in Central America. It borders Nicaragua to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the northeast, Panama to the southeast, and the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, as well as Maritime bo ...

, in

Central America Central America is a subregion of North America. Its political boundaries are defined as bordering Mexico to the north, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean to the east, and the Pacific Ocean to the southwest. Central America is usually ...

, where he gained a reputation for fairness, effective administration, and good relationships with the native population. He was a nephew of Francisco Vázquez de Coronado y Luján, who explored the southwestern

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

between 1540 and 1542. By a decree given at

Aranjuez Aranjuez () is a city and municipality of Spain, part of the Community of Madrid. Located in the southern end of the region, the main urban nucleus lies on the left bank of the Tagus, a bit upstream of the discharge of the Jarama. , the munici ...

by King

Philip II of Spain Philip II (21 May 152713 September 1598), sometimes known in Spain as Philip the Prudent (), was King of Spain from 1556, King of Portugal from 1580, and King of Naples and List of Sicilian monarchs, Sicily from 1554 until his death in 1598. He ...

on 8 April 1565, Juan Vásquez de Coronado was appointed as the first royal governor and first ''

Adelantado ''Adelantado'' (, , ; meaning 'advanced') was a title held by some Spain, Spanish nobles in service of their respective kings during the Middle Ages. It was later used as a military title held by some Spanish ''conquistadores'' of the 15th, 16th a ...

'' (a hereditary title) of the province of Costa Rica, but his ship disappeared in a storm off the coast of southern Spain while he was on his way to receive his appointments from the monarch. He was married to Isabel, a niece of

Pedro Arias Dávila Pedro Arias de Ávila (c. 1440 – 6 March 1531; often Pedro Arias Dávila or Pedrarias Dávila) was a Spanish soldier and colonial administrator. He led the first great Spanish expedition to the mainland of the Americas. There, he served as go ...

, the principal conqueror of

Panama Panama, officially the Republic of Panama, is a country in Latin America at the southern end of Central America, bordering South America. It is bordered by Costa Rica to the west, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north, and ...

. The Vázquez de Coronado Canton, one of the administrative divisions of the Province of San José, in the Republic Costa Rica, was named in his honor.

Life

Juan Vázquez de Coronado was born in

Salamanca Salamanca () is a Municipality of Spain, municipality and city in Spain, capital of the Province of Salamanca, province of the same name, located in the autonomous community of Castile and León. It is located in the Campo Charro comarca, in the ...

, Spain, the out of wedlock son of a prominent nobleman, Gonzalo Vásquez de Coronado y Luján ( –

Valladolid Valladolid ( ; ) is a Municipalities of Spain, municipality in Spain and the primary seat of government and ''de facto'' capital of the Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Castile and León. It is also the capital of the pr ...

, 1540), sixth

Lord Lord is an appellation for a person or deity who has authority, control, or power (social and political), power over others, acting as a master, chief, or ruler. The appellation can also denote certain persons who hold a title of the Peerage o ...

of Coquilla and la Torre de Juan Vásquez, perpetual ''Alguacil-Mayor'' of the Royal Audiencia (i.e., appellate court) of

, by an extramatrimonial relationship with Catalina de Anaya, from whom there are no further details but undoubtedly belonged to one of the most principal families of

. Vázquez de Coronado went very young to America, at only 17 years old, and established first in

Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...

and then in

Guatemala Guatemala, officially the Republic of Guatemala, is a country in Central America. It is bordered to the north and west by Mexico, to the northeast by Belize, to the east by Honduras, and to the southeast by El Salvador. It is hydrologically b ...

, where he started to fulfill official charges, such as

Deputy Deputy or depute may refer to: * Steward (office) * Khalifa, an Arabic title that can signify "deputy" * Deputy (legislator), a legislator in many countries and regions, including: ** A member of a Chamber of Deputies, for example in Italy, Spain, ...

of the '' Cabildo'' of the City of

Santiago de los Caballeros Santiago de los Caballeros ("James, son of Zebedee, Saint James of the Knights"), often shortened to Santiago, is the second-largest city in the Dominican Republic and the fourth-largest city in the Caribbean by population. It is the capital of ...

and Ordinary ''

Alcalde ''Alcalde'' (; ) is the traditional Spanish municipal magistrate, who had both judicial and Administration (government), administrative functions. An ''alcalde'' was, in the absence of a corregidor (position), corregidor, the presiding officer o ...

'' of

. In 1548 he married Isabel Arias-Dávila, the daughter of Captain Gaspar Arias-Dávila, and a first cousin to Pedrarias Dávila, both of whom were amongst the most prominent Conquerors of

New Spain New Spain, officially the Viceroyalty of New Spain ( ; Nahuatl: ''Yankwik Kaxtillan Birreiyotl''), originally the Kingdom of New Spain, was an integral territorial entity of the Spanish Empire, established by Habsburg Spain. It was one of several ...

and

. Having issue, he passed to

El Salvador El Salvador, officially the Republic of El Salvador, is a country in Central America. It is bordered on the northeast by Honduras, on the northwest by Guatemala, and on the south by the Pacific Ocean. El Salvador's capital and largest city is S ...

, where he enjoyed of an ''

encomienda The ''encomienda'' () was a Spanish Labour (human activity), labour system that rewarded Conquistador, conquerors with the labour of conquered non-Christian peoples. In theory, the conquerors provided the labourers with benefits, including mil ...

'' at Naolingo and was appointed ''

Mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a Municipal corporation, municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilitie ...

'' of

San Salvador San Salvador () is the Capital city, capital and the largest city of El Salvador and its San Salvador Department, eponymous department. It is the country's largest agglomeration, serving as the country's political, cultural, educational and fin ...

in 1549. Later he appears occupying the same charge in

Honduras Honduras, officially the Republic of Honduras, is a country in Central America. It is bordered to the west by Guatemala, to the southwest by El Salvador, to the southeast by Nicaragua, to the south by the Pacific Ocean at the Gulf of Fonseca, ...

in 1556 and in

Nicaragua Nicaragua, officially the Republic of Nicaragua, is the geographically largest Sovereign state, country in Central America, comprising . With a population of 7,142,529 as of 2024, it is the third-most populous country in Central America aft ...

in 1561 and finally in Costa Rica in 1562. In the country he distinguished himself for the pacific and fair way with which he executed the tasks of the conquest, being very respected and esteemed either by the Indians and by the Spanish colonists. In 1565 he traveled to Spain where for his merits King Philip II granted him the charge of Governor of Costa Rica and the hereditary title of ''

'' of Costa Rica. However, in the return voyage to take possession of his charges, his ship disappeared in a

storm A storm is any disturbed state of the natural environment or the atmosphere of an astronomical body. It may be marked by significant disruptions to normal conditions such as strong wind, tornadoes, hail, thunder and lightning (a thunderstor ...

in front of the coasts of southern Spain.

One of the most relevant characters of Costa Rican history is without doubt Juan Vásquez de Coronado, conqueror, first Governor and first Adelantado of Costa Rica. Despite his historical transcendency as one of the main builders of the nation, Vásquez de Coronado is one of the main genearchs of the costarican population, to such a point that a widespread study evidences that he is the progenitor of a true elite, that which until 1975 has given 29 of its 44 Heads of State, and more than two hundred Parliamentaries.Herrera, Federico Mata (Académico de Número de la Academia Costarricence de Ciencias Genealógicas), ''Nuevos Hallazgos en la Ascendencia del Adelantado de Costa Rica Juan Vázquez de Coronado''

Issue

He and his wife had at least one son, , who married Ana Rodríguez del Padrón and had: * Diego Vázquez de Coronado Rodríguez, married to Francisca del Castillo Hoces, and had: ** Gertrudis Vázquez de Coronado y del Castillo, married to Pedro Ocón y Trillo, and had: *** Juan Vázquez de Coronado married to Maria de Madrigal and they had /''María Ocón y Trillo Vázquez de Coronado, married to Diego Vásquez de Montiel, and had: '' **** Maria Vázquez de Coronado y Madrigal married to Pedro Durán de Chaves and they had,/''Diego Vázquez Ocón y Trillo, married to Sebastiana Echavarría Navarro, and had: '' ***** Juan Durán Vasquezdez married to Maria Josefa Munoz Jan Duráan Vasquezde Coronado married, Maria de la Rosa Munoz and they had/''Micaela Montiel Echavarria, married to Simón Lacayo de Briones Pomar, and had: '' ****** Joseph Francisco married to Juana Maria Cervantes Leon''Gabriel Lacayo Vázquez, married to Manuela Marenco Alarcón y Guerrero, and had: '' ******* Margarita Acuna Cervates married to Jose Angel Lisondro Monge''Francisca Lacayo Marenco, married to Blas de la Cerda Aguilar, and had: '' ******** Guadalupe Elizondo Acuna married to Cayetano Mora Fallas''Cayetano de la Cerda Lacayo, married to María de Jesús Taborga ..., and had: '' ********* Marcelino Mora married to Maria Josefa Barrientos Campos''Manuel Antonio de la Cerda Taborga'' * Isabel Ulloa Mora married to Jose Jesus Martinez Arguello /Andrea Vázquez de Coronado Rodríguez, married to Diego Peláez de Lermos, and had: ** Julia Martinez Ullia married to Emilio Erasmo Morice Belmonte''Antonia Peláez Vázquez de Coronado, married to Portuguese Sebastián (Sebastião) Pereira Cardoso, and had: '' *** Josefa Morice Martinerz married to Alvaro Soto Estrada/''Isabel Pereira Peláez, married to José Sandoval Ocampo, and had: '' **** Ana Lorena Soto de Morice married to Mike Izadi/''Inés Sandoval Pereira, married to José Guevara Maldonado, and had: '' ***** Anahita Izadi married to Guillermo Perez /''Alvaro Guevara Sandoval, married to María Sáenz Vásquez, and had: '' ****** ''Ángela Guevara Sáenz, married to Pedro Alvarado Vidamartel, and had: '' ******* ''Pedro Alvarado Guevara, married to Manuela Baeza Baroto, and had: '' ******** ''Jacoba Alvarado Baeza, married to Francisco Carazo Soto, and had: '' ********* ''Lorenzo Carazo Alvarado, married to María del Rosario Aranda Muñoz, and had: '' ********** '' Evaristo Carazo Aranda, 42nd

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television *'' Præsident ...

Ancestors

Notes

References

External links

Origin of Vásquez de Coronado family
{{DEFAULTSORT:Vasquez de Coronado, Juan 1523 births 1565 deaths People from Salamanca Spanish conquistadors 16th-century Spanish people Mayors of places in New Spain Mayors of places in Guatemala Mayors of San Salvador