Juan de Tassis y Acuña, 1st Count of Villamediana, (Valladolid, 15?? - Madrid, 1607) was a Spanish diplomat and official, awarded his title by king

Philip III of Spain Philip III (; 14 April 1578 – 31 March 1621) was King of Spain and King of Portugal, Portugal (where he is known as Philip II of Portugal) during the Iberian Union. His reign lasted from 1598 until his death in 1621. He held dominion over the S ...

in 1603, and the General Head of Spanish Post Offices.

Life

The family was originally Italian, and its members extended through Europe, from

Flanders Flanders ( or ; ) is the Dutch language, Dutch-speaking northern portion of Belgium and one of the communities, regions and language areas of Belgium. However, there are several overlapping definitions, including ones related to culture, la ...

Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...

. The Holy Roman Emperor

Charles V Charles V may refer to: Kings and Emperors * Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor (1500–1558) * Charles V of Naples (1661–1700), better known as Charles II of Spain * Charles V of France (1338–1380), called the Wise Others * Charles V, Duke ...

awarded them positions as heads of public lodgings (''Hostes'') and postal offices (''postas''). was the head of the

Kaiserliche Reichspost ''Kaiserliche Reichspost'' (, ''Imperial Mail''), originally named ''Niederländische Postkurs'' (Low Countries' postal route), was the name of the international Mail, postal service of the Holy Roman Empire, founded in 1490. Often considered th ...

. His oldest son, Raymond (Ramón) de Tassis Wachtendonk (circa 1515-1579), went to Spain and became postmaster general of the kingdom. Raymond married Catalina de Acuña (circa 1515 - 1579). Juan de Tassis was his son and heir.
Juan is not to be confused with his paternal uncle (1530-1610), who was Spanish Ambassador in France between 1581-1584 and 1598-1604. Under 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 ...

he was in the service of the unfortunate Prince

Don Carlos ''Don Carlos'' is an 1867 five-act grand opera composed by Giuseppe Verdi to a French-language libretto by Joseph Méry and Camille du Locle, based on the 1787 play '' Don Karlos, Infant von Spanien'' (''Don Carlos, Infante of Spain'') by Fried ...

, who died as a teenager. He participated in the war fighting the

Morisco revolt ''Moriscos'' (, ; ; "Moorish") were former Muslims and their descendants whom the Catholic Church and Habsburg Spain commanded to forcibly convert to Christianity or face compulsory exile after Spain outlawed Islam. Spain had a sizeable Mus ...

Granada Granada ( ; ) is the capital city of the province of Granada, in the autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Andalusia, Spain. Granada is located at the foot of the Sierra Nevada (Spain), Sierra Nevada mountains, at the confluence ...

and in North African towns such as

Oran Oran () is a major coastal city located in the northwest of Algeria. It is considered the second most important city of Algeria, after the capital, Algiers, because of its population and commercial, industrial and cultural importance. It is w ...

, now in

Algeria Algeria, officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It is bordered to Algeria–Tunisia border, the northeast by Tunisia; to Algeria–Libya border, the east by Libya; to Alger ...

. He was made a Knight of the

Order of Santiago The Order of Santiago (; ) is a religious and military order founded in the 12th century. It owes its name to the patron saint of Spain, ''Santiago'' ( St. James the Greater). Its initial objective was to protect the pilgrims on the Way of S ...

, serving the

3rd Duke of Alba Third or 3rd may refer to: Numbers * 3rd, the ordinal form of the cardinal number 3 * , a fraction of one third * 1⁄60 of a ''second'', i.e., the third in a series of fractional parts in a sexagesimal number system Places * 3rd Street (dis ...

in the conquest of

Lisbon Lisbon ( ; ) is the capital and largest city of Portugal, with an estimated population of 567,131, as of 2023, within its administrative limits and 3,028,000 within the Lisbon Metropolitan Area, metropolis, as of 2025. Lisbon is mainlan ...

, Portugal, 29 June 1581. While he was there, his only son,

Juan de Tassis, 2nd Count of Villamediana Don (honorific), Don Juan de Tassis y Peralta, 2nd Count of Villamediana (Spanish language, es: ''Don Juan de Tassis y Peralta, segundo conde de Villamediana''; baptised 26 August 1582 – 21 August 1622) was a Spanish poet of the Baroque ''Culte ...

was born. In 1583 Tassis returned to Madrid with the king. He was created the 1st Count of Villamediana by king

on 12 October 1603, confirming him as Correo Mayor, or Head of the Postal Communications within the Spanish Empire. He was married to Maria de Peralta Muñatones.

Embassy to England

The Somerset House Conference 19 August 1604

Tassis headed a Spanish-Flemish delegation which visited England in 1603 to seek an end to the war with England which had begun in 1585.

Elizabeth I Elizabeth I (7 September 153324 March 1603) was List of English monarchs, Queen of England and List of Irish monarchs, Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death in 1603. She was the last and longest reigning monarch of the House of Tudo ...

had recently died and her successor James I sought to end the long and draining conflict with Spain which he inherited. There was a false rumour of his arrival in England in June 1603. He arrived at Dover on 23 August. The

Earl of Devonshire The title of Earl of Devonshire has been created twice in the Peerage of England, firstly in 1603 for the Blount family and then recreated in 1618 for the Cavendish family, in whose possession the earldom remains. It is not to be confused with, ...

brought him to lodge at

Christ Church, Oxford Christ Church (, the temple or house, ''wikt:aedes, ædes'', of Christ, and thus sometimes known as "The House") is a Colleges of the University of Oxford, constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. Founded in 1546 by Henry V ...

before meeting King James and

Anne of Denmark Anne of Denmark (; 12 December 1574 – 2 March 1619) was the wife of King James VI and I. She was List of Scottish royal consorts, Queen of Scotland from their marriage on 20 August 1589 and List of English royal consorts, Queen of Engl ...

Woodstock Palace Woodstock Palace was a royal residence in the English town of Woodstock, Oxfordshire. Henry I of England built a hunting lodge here and in 1129 he built of walls to create the first enclosed park, where lions and leopards were kept. The lodg ...

. Efforts were made to ensure his reception was equal to that given to the French ambassador, the Marquis of Rosny. However, one of his entourage died of the plague at Oxford, and so his audience with the King was deferred.

Arbella Stuart Lady Arbella Stuart (also Arabella, or Stewart; 1575 – 25 September 1615) was an English noblewoman who was considered a possible successor to Queen Elizabeth I of England. During the reign of King James VI and I (her first cousin), she marrie ...

wrote that he brought perfumed leather goods as gifts for courtiers. Tassis moved to Southampton, and was received by King James and

Winchester Winchester (, ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city in Hampshire, England. The city lies at the heart of the wider City of Winchester, a local government Districts of England, district, at the western end of the South Downs N ...

on 24 September. He gave a speech in Spanish which was translated into Italian for King James.

Lewes Lewknor Sir Lewes Lewknor (c.1560–1627) was an English courtier, M.P., writer, soldier, and Judge who served as Master of the Ceremonies to King James I of England. M.P. for Midhurst in 1597 and for Bridgnorth 1604–10. His career has been desc ...

gave the King's reply in Spanish. At Salisbury, landlords were dissatisfied with payments for lodging his retinue, and there was a riot during which a Spanish man was killed. When James and Anne of Denmark planned to make a

Royal Entry The ceremonies and festivities accompanying a formal entry by a ruler or their representative into a city in the Middle Ages and early modern period in Europe were known as the royal entry, triumphal entry, or Joyous Entry. The entry centred on ...

to Southampton on 30 October, Villamediana rented window space along the route to watch the procession. Tassis attended the court masque ''

The Vision of the Twelve Goddesses ''The Vision of the Twelve Goddesses'' was an early Literature in English#Jacobean literature, Jacobean-era masque, written by Samuel Daniel and performed in the Great Hall of Hampton Court Palace on the evening of Sunday, 8 January 1604. One o ...

'' in January 1604, and danced with Lucy, Countess of Bedford. The French ambassador

Christophe de Harlay, Count of Beaumont Christophe de Harlay, Count of Beaumont (1570–1615) was a French politician and diplomat who served as ambassador to England. He was the son of Achillee de Harlay, seigneur de Beaumont (1504–1572) and Catherine de Thou. He married Anne Rabot i ...

was not invited. In April, Tassis asked King James if the Constable

Velasco Velasco (also Belasco or Belasko) is a Basque family name. According to the academy of Basque language, it is derived from the Visigothic name 'Vela' (Vigila) and the Basque suffix ''–sco''.https://www.euskaltzaindia.eus/en/ (Onomastics, Belasc ...

could be lodged at

Somerset House Somerset House is a large neoclassical architecture, neoclassical building complex situated on the south side of the Strand, London, Strand in central London, overlooking the River Thames, just east of Waterloo Bridge. The Georgian era quadran ...

, and Anne of Denmark granted his request. In June, as the Constable had not yet arrived, Tassis moved into the lodging at Somerset House that had been prepared for Velasco. Tassis and the Constable bought jewels as gifts for the ladies of the court of Denmark, some from

Arnold Lulls Arnold Lulls (floruit 1580–1625) was a Flemish goldsmith and jeweller in London. He served the court and made several pieces intended as diplomatic gifts. Career He was born in Antwerp, and settled in London before 1585, and became a denizen of ...

in London, several from goldsmiths in Brussels. The Constable came to London in August 1604, and the Anglo-Spanish peace treaty was successfully signed on 28 August. When Tassis left England, Anne of Denmark gave him a chain of gold fashioned like snakes, enamelled green and set with diamonds, supplied by a London goldsmith. Nicholas Howker, for £180. After the

Gunpowder Plot The Gunpowder Plot of 1605, in earlier centuries often called the Gunpowder Treason Plot or the Jesuit Treason, was an unsuccessful attempted regicide against James VI and I, King James VI of Scotland and I of England by a group of English ...

, the Jesuit

Henry Garnet Henry Garnet (July 1555 – 3 May 1606), sometimes Henry Garnett, was an English Jesuit priest executed for high treason in the United Kingdom, high treason, based solely on having had advance knowledge of the 1605 Gunpowder Plot and having ...

was arrested at

Hindlip Hall Hindlip Hall is a stately home in Hindlip, Worcestershire, England. The first major hall was built before 1575, and it played a significant role in both the Babington and the Gunpowder plots, where it hid four people in priest holes. It was H ...

. He was brought to the

Tower of London The Tower of London, officially His Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress of the Tower of London, is a historic citadel and castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London, England. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamle ...

and questioned. He mentioned visiting Tassis two or three times, at

Walsingham House The Walsingham House or Walsingham House Hotel was located at 150-4 Piccadilly on the site of what is now The Ritz Hotel, London and was adjacent to the Bath Hotel. The Ritz's financial backers began negotiations in 1901 and purchased the Wals ...

and at Somerset House.Henry Foley, ''Records of the English Province'', 4 (London, 1878), p. 156.

Later life

Tassis died in 1607 and was buried at the Principal Chapel of the Convento de San Agustín,

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 ...

. His son,

, inherited the Villamediana title and the position of head of the Imperial Posts, before being assassinated in 1622.

References

*Otis H. Green, "Villamediana as Correo mayor in the Kingdom of Naples", ''Hispanic Review'' 15:2 (Apr., 1947), pp. 302–306. {{DEFAULTSORT:Tassis, Juan de, 1st Count Of Villamediana 1607 deaths People from Valladolid Tassis y Acuna, Juan de Spanish politicians Spanish diplomats Ambassadors of Spain to the Kingdom of England Year of birth unknown