Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar y Mendoza, ( c. 1466,

Guadalajara Guadalajara ( , ) is a metropolis in western Mexico and the capital of the list of states of Mexico, state of Jalisco. According to the 2020 census, the city has a population of 1,385,629 people, making it the 7th largest city by population in Me ...

– February 22, 1523,

Valencia Valencia ( va, València) is the capital of the Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Valencian Community, Valencia and the Municipalities of Spain, third-most populated municipality in Spain, with 791,413 inhabitants. It is ...

) was a Spanish noble of the

House of Mendoza The Mendoza family was a powerful line of Spanish nobles. Members of the family wielded considerable power, especially from the 14th to the 17th centuries in Castile. The family originated from the village of Mendoza (Basque ''mendi+oza'', 'c ...

. He was the firstborn son of the powerful Cardinal

Pedro González de Mendoza Pedro González de Mendoza (3 May 1428 – 11 January 1495) was a Spanish cardinal, statesman and lawyer. He served on the council of King Enrique IV of Castile and in 1467 fought for him at the Second Battle of Olmedo. In 1468 he was named bi ...

and went on to become the 1st Conde del Cid and the 1st Marquis of Cenete, a title he held from 1491 until his death.

Life

Rodrigo was the illegitimate son of Cardinal

and Mencía de Lemos. He was a member of the powerful

family. Rodrigo was schooled by his father and his uncle

Diego Hurtado de Mendoza y Quiñones Diego Hurtado de Mendoza y Quiñones (b. Guadalajara, Castile-La Mancha, Guadalajara, Spain, 1444 – d. Madrid, October 14, 1502) was a Spanish noble from the House of Mendoza and the Archbishop of Sevilla. Biography He was the son of Íñigo ...

, and was the brother of Diego Hurtado de Mendoza, 1st Count of Melito. Rodrigo began his military career in the Granada War under the command of his uncle,

Íñigo López de Mendoza y Quiñones Íñigo López de Mendoza y Quiñones, (1440 – 20 July 1515) was the first Marqués de Mondéjar, and second Conde de Tendilla. He was known as ''El Gran Tendilla'', and was a Spanish noble of the House of Mendoza. He was the son of Íñig ...

, the 2nd Count of Tendilla. In 1492, Rodrigo married Leonor de le Cerda in a secret wedding. They would go on to live in the Castle of Jadraque which belonged to her family. After her death in 1497, he went to

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...

where he became familiar with the architecture of the

Italian Renaissance The Italian Renaissance ( it, Rinascimento ) was a period in Italian history covering the 15th and 16th centuries. The period is known for the initial development of the broader Renaissance culture that spread across Europe and marked the trans ...

. After Rodrigo returned to

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

, he married a second time with María de Fonseca y Toledo, ignoring the express wishes of the

Isabella I of Castile Isabella I ( es, Isabel I; 22 April 1451 – 26 November 1504), also called Isabella the Catholic (Spanish: ''la Católica''), was Queen of Castile from 1474 until her death in 1504, as well as List of Aragonese royal consorts, Queen consort ...

who forbade the marriage. As punishment, he was incarcerated until the death of the queen in 1504. Upon his release from prison, he commissioned

Lorenzo Vázquez de Segovia Lorenzo Vázquez de Segovia was a 15th-century Spanish architect and builder noted for completing the Santa Cruz Palace in 1491 in Valladolid and a number of other handsome buildings in the Castile region of western Spain (Palace of the Dukes ...

to build his wife the magnificent

Castillo de La Calahorra Castillo de La Calahorra is located in La Calahorra, in the province of Granada, Spain. It is situated in the Sierra Nevada foothills. Built between 1509 and 1512, it was one of the first Italian Renaissance castles to be built outside Italy. It wa ...

in the

Province of Granada Granada is a province of southern Spain, in the eastern part of the autonomous community of Andalusia. It is bordered by the provinces of Albacete, Murcia, Almería, Jaén, Córdoba, Málaga, and the Mediterranean Sea (along the Costa Tropical). ...

. Before long, he left the palace for his dominions in Ayora in the Province of Valencia due to a confrontation between him and his uncle,

. Rodrigo was favored in the dispute by Philip I of Castile and Íñigo by

Ferdinand II of Aragon Ferdinand II ( an, Ferrando; ca, Ferran; eu, Errando; it, Ferdinando; la, Ferdinandus; es, Fernando; 10 March 1452 – 23 January 1516), also called Ferdinand the Catholic (Spanish: ''el Católico''), was King of Aragon and Sardinia from ...

. Rodrigo moved permanently to

after his brother was named

Viceroy A viceroy () is an official who reigns over a polity in the name of and as the representative of the monarch of the territory. The term derives from the Latin prefix ''vice-'', meaning "in the place of" and the French word ''roy'', meaning "k ...

. He played an active political and military role in the quelling of the Revolt of the Brotherhoods. He there displayed great diplomatic skill which in turn kept him in Valencia even after the death of his brother.

Issue

Rodrigo and María de Fonseca y Toledo had: *

Mencía de Mendoza Mencía de Mendoza y Fonseca (30 November 1508 - 4 January 1554) was a Dutch culture patron. She was a leading figure of the Renaissance in the Netherlands and known for her progressive opinions of the education of women. Life Mencía was the da ...

, (1508–1554), campaigned for women's rights, renowned for her great sensibility and cultural prowess. * María de Mendoza, (1510-1580), who inherited the titles of Marquis of Cenete and Conde del Cid, married

Diego Hurtado de Mendoza, 4th Count of Saldaña Diego is a Spanish masculine given name. The Portuguese equivalent is Diogo. The name also has several patronymic derivations, listed below. The etymology of Diego is disputed, with two major origin hypotheses: ''Tiago'' and ''Didacus''. E ...

, first-born son of

Íñigo López de Mendoza Inigo derives from the Castilian rendering (Íñigo) of the medieval Basque name Eneko. Ultimately, the name means "my little (love)". While mostly seen among the Iberian diaspora, it also gained a limited popularity in the United Kingdom. Ear ...

, the

Duke of the Infantado Duke of the Infantado ( es, Duque del Infantado) is a Spanish peerage title that was granted to Diego Hurtado de Mendoza y Figueroa, son of Íñigo López de Mendoza, 1st Marquis of Santillana, by the Catholic Monarchs, Ferdinand II of Aragon an ...

. The aforementioned titles would pass onto the Dukes of the Infantado.

References

Sources

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Vivar Y Mendoza, Rodrigo Diaz De 1466 births 1523 deaths Marquesses of Spain Rodrigo Diaz