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THE LIBRARY OF IBERIAN RESOURCES ONLINE

The Mendoza Family in the Spanish Renaissance 1350-1550

Helen Nader

2

The Mendoza Rise to Poer

!"#$The Mendoza came originally from the province of Alava and incorporated themselves into

Castilian society during the reign of Alfonso XI (131213!"#$(1#Alava a mountainous region

%ounded %y Castile& 'avarre& and Aragon is one of the as)ue provinces incorporated into theCastilian monarchy *ithfueros(royal charters# during the reign of Alfonso XI$ efore the Mendoza

moved to Castile& Alava had %een a %attleground for generations in the feuds of the local seigneurial

families$ y 1332& the Mendoza had %een feuding *ith the +uevara clan for at least a century, and

other Alavese clans that moved to Castile in the fourteenth century including the Ayala& the -elasco&and the .rozco had all shed %lood in these feuds and suffered a high death toll in incidents ranging

from night am%ushes to pitched %attles in full armor$ .nce the Alavese moved to Castile& they ended

their feuds& incorporated themselves into the Castilian fighting force& and clim%ed the ladder of re*ardsavaila%le to those *ho gave military service to the /ing$

y virtue of %eing ca%alleros& the Alavese *ho moved to Castile in the fourteenth century *ere

hidalgos(gentry#$ All mem%ers of the hidalgo class ca%allero or letrado shared a common

responsi%ility for the res pu%lica0 they *ere the pu%lic administrators of Castile$ The ca%alleros firstresponsi%ility *as to recruit& maintain& provision& and command an army that could %e put at the

disposal of the cro*n in *artime$ The ca%alleros provided these armies to the cro*n not %ecause of

feudal o%ligation %ut as military entrepreneurs$ The top ran/s of the ca%alleros %ecame vasallos del rey

*hile the lo*er ran/s served in the armies of the vasallosor in the /ings guard$ According to thethirteenthcentury definition of Alfonso X el a%io& vasallos del rey*ere those !"%$*ho received

horses& money& or lands in return for outstanding military service$(2#In practice& the /ing usuallyre*arded a vasallo del rey after each occasion on *hich he presented himself and his army to the /ing

prepared for *ar$ In addition to re*ards presented in the form listed %y Alfonso X& the cro*n assigned

ca%alleros to posts in the royal administration& *ith their respective incomes and per)uisites$ The

ca%alleros therefore held the over*helming maority of royal administrative posts0 they *ere the

admirals of the fleets, adelantados(military governors#(3#and notarios mayores(chief notaries# of the

provinces, corregidores(royal administrators# of the cities, and alcaides(military governors# of the

royal fortresses& including %oth the *alls& to*ers& and %ridges of the cities and the royal castles andfortified to*ers of the countryside$ Ca%alleros also received positions in three of the corporate

urisdictions the municipalities& the Mesta& and the military orders$ y right& hidalgos held onehalfthe regimientos(seats *ith full voting rights# in the city councils, and the t*o procuradores each citysent to the Cortes had to %e hidalgos$ Ca%alleros held the highest offices in the Mesta and e4ercised a

monopoly on the encomiendas(commanderies# of the military orders$ Ca%alleros also had the right to

possessseoro(urisdiction#& *hich they ac)uired either %y purchase or through royal merced(gift#and *hich usually coincided *ith the lands they o*ned$ 5ach of these officials appointed his o*n

client ca%alleros as tenientes(administrators# of the offices he held in a%sentia& as holders of the

su%ordinate offices under his patronage& and as go%ernadores of his seigneurial estates$ Thus ca%alleros

filled the royal& corporate& and seigneurial administrations from top to %ottom& from the national to the

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local level& in city and countryside$ In the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries& only the urisdictions of

the universities& the church& and the Audiencia remained outside the grasp of the ca%alleros$

In the offices they held& the ca%alleros e4ercised udicial& e4ecutive& legislative& and military functions,

for the panish concept of the separation of po*ers tended to distri%ute po*er among various corporategroups and allo* them to e4ercise all the functions of government rather than to distri%ute the functions

themselves$ Thus the ca%alleros *ere udges of the first instance in criminal cases *ithin the

urisdictions of their pu%lic offices and udges of the first and second instance in criminal and civilcases *ithin their o*n se6or7os$ ecause Castilian practice udged criminal and civil cases according tocustom through a process of deposition and ar%itration& a university education in 8oman la* *as not

necessary for a ca%allero properly to fulfill the udicial functions of his office$ Thus& *hen the Mendoza

and other ca%allero families !"&$from Alava moved to Castile& they %ecame participants in the pu%liclife of the /ingdom through a range of activities impossi%le in a more feudalized or more centralized

monarchy$

The first Mendoza to appear in the service of Castile *as +onzalo 9:6ez de Mendoza$ ;e fought

against the Muslims at the %attle of Algeciras along *ith Chaucers parfit gentil /nyght served asmontero mayor(chief huntsman# to Alfonso XI& moved to the Castilian province of +uadalaara& and

settled in the city of +uadalaara *here he %ecame a regidor(city councilman# after marrying a sister

of I6igo edro +onz:lez de Mendoza (d$ 13?!#& *as particularly adept at choosing the *inning

side at a propitious moment, and under his leadership& the Mendoza %ecame esta%lished as one of therich and po*erful families in fourteenthcentury Castile$ >edro +onz:lez accomplished this %y

a%andoning /ing >edro in 13@@ and supporting the illegitimate pretender to the throne& 5nri)ue de

Trast:mara$ The Trast:mara revolt had its roots in the private life of Alfonso XI$$(#

Bhen Alfonso diedof the plague *hich had devastated his army at the siege of +i%raltar (13!"#& he left only one legitimateson the si4teenyearold >edro *ho %ecame /ing of Castile$ ut Alfonso also left seven illegitimate

children %y his mistress& edros principal counselor& uan

Alfonso de Al%ur)uer)ue& the *ido*ed )ueen Mar7a ordered the murder of her hated rival& edros reign$ edro counterattac/ed %y summarily e4ecuting any vasallo del rey he suspected of allying *ith the

ep7gonos$ In his t*enty years as /ing (13!"13@D#& >edro murdered more than si4ty vasallos del rey&

some of them in such a cruel *ay that he has %een given the epithet >edro the Cruel$ Although the

ep7gonos enoyed the support of a fe* great families especially the Manri)ue& !"'$la -ega& Me47a&and Al%ornoz they *ere una%le to match >edros superior forces$ Eearing for their o*n lives& they

spent much of their time in e4ile in Erance or Aragon& especially after >edro /illed 5nri)ue de

Trast:maras t*in& Eadri)ue& master of the .rder of antiago (13!?#$

Furing the first si4teen years of >edros violent reign& >edro +onz:lez de Mendoza and his uncle& I6igo

edro& receiving privileges and income in return for military service$(!#

This pattern *as %ro/en in 13@@& *hen 5nri)ue de Trast:mara raised an army of Castilian& Aragonese&

and Erench /nights& invaded northern Castile& and marched on urgos& site of >edros campaignhead)uarters$ Although >edros vasallos del rey& including the Alavese& had mo%ilized for the campaign

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and *anted to ma/e their stand there& >edro a%andoned urgos to 5nri)ue& *ho entered the city and

proclaimed himself /ing$ In the face of >edros desertion& Mendoza& .rozco& and the other Alavese

ca%alleros pro%a%ly acting under the leadership of Eern:n >Grez de Ayala refused to follo* >edro$

Ayalas son& >edro edro$ Mendoza and .rozco& spea/ing for the city of +uadalaara&

proclaimed their allegiance to 5nri)ue& promptly receiving e4tensive lands and privileges from him and

incurring >edros undying hatred$ 5nri)ue also gave Mendoza t*o strategic to*ns north of Madrid&;ita and uitrago$ ecause these fortified to*ns remained loyal to >edro& Mendoza had to con)uer

them in order to gain his *ar prizes$(@#Mendoza %ecame mayordomo mayor to 5nri)ues son& and

.rozco %ecame a regular mem%er of 5nri)ues council$

Bhile 5nri)ue and his supporters triumphantly marched south through Toledo& >edro too/ ship ineville and fled to ayonne& *here he formed an alliance *ith the 5nglish cro*n prince 5d*ard& the

lac/ >rince$ The Trast:mara civil *ar no* %ecame part of the ;undred 9ears Bar& Erance ta/ing the

side of 5nri)ue and 5ngland supporting >edro$(H#The lac/ >rince regarded >edros cause as ust and pro%a%ly profita%le and invaded Castile %y *ay of Alava$ 5nri)ue& after achieving some success

in small s/irmishes against this much larger& more e4perienced& and more modern army& decided to

engage in fullscale %attle$ Although the resulting %attle of ':era (3 April 13@H# *as a disaster for the

5nri)uistas& the events immediately follo*ing it precipitated the formation of the Mendoza family as apolitical party and %ecame the inspiration for the 8enaissance in Castile$

5nri)ue escaped to Erance& *hile .rozco& Mendoza& >edro edro Manri)ue& >edro

Eern:ndez de -elasco& and most of the !()$other 5nri)uista captains *ere ta/en prisoner$ >edromurdered .rozco in cold %lood after he surrendered on the %attlefield& and only the intervention of the

lac/ >rince saved the other 5nri)uista captains from the same fate$ Fisgusted *ith their allys

%ehavior& the 5nglish returned to more pressing affairs in Erance& assured of a profit from their panishventure *hen they received the ransoms of the Trast:mara captains$ The prisoners soon paid up&

5nri)ue returned to Castile *ith Erench and Aragonese reinforcements& and in the ne4t t*o years the

5nri)uistas defeated >edros armies and isolated him from outside assistance$ 5nri)ue murdered >edro

in 13@D and consolidated his po*er in the peninsula through the help of the Mendoza and otherca%alleros& *hom he re*arded for their services$ 5nri)ues mercedes& or re*ards& formed the core of

the Mendoza patrimony, and in the fifteenth century& they *ere to %ecome the %asis for the greatest

fortune in Trast:mara Castile$(?#The Mendoza fortune *as thus %uilt upon their adherence to theTrast:mara cause at a critical moment$ As military entrepreneurs& they offered their services to the most

profita%le cause and in so doing acted as a political party$ As their fortune and po*er gre* during the

ne4t century& the mere fact of their choosing one side over another %ecame enough to tip the %alance infavor of the side they chose$

The events at ':era& more than any other single event& shaped Trast:mara society and Mendoza

politics throughout the fifteenth century$ Mendozas shift from >edro to 5nri)ue in 13@@ had %een a

shre*d and hardheaded move to the *inning side$ Modern historians of the Mendoza claim that >edro

+onz:lez de Mendoza deserted >edro %ecause he *as disgusted *ith the /ings murderous disregardfor ustice& %ut this claim does not e4plain *hy Mendoza served >edro loyally and profita%ly for fifteen

years after the /ing committed his first murder that of +arcilaso de la -ega in 13!1$ Mendozadeserted >edro only after the /ings %lundering resulted in the loss of urgos and it appeared that he

*ould not %e a%le to *in the *ar$ A rather tenuous adherence to 5nri)ues cause *as converted into

fervent commitment at ':era *hen Mendozas uncle& I6igo

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oon after the disaster at ':era& the freed captives %egan to form a series of marriage alliances *ith

one another and *ith the ep7gonos$ The leaders of the Trast:mara revolution thus sealed their political

!(*$alliances through marriage ties$ The e4tended family that gre* out of the ':era group& formed %y

a uni)ue common historical e4perience& %ecame a closed corporation *ithin the Castilian aristocracy$Furing thee fifteenth century& the ':era prisoners and their descendants *ould marry into other

Castilian families and ally themselves *ith a variety of political forces *ithin and *ithout the /ingdom$

ut throughout the Trast:mara period& the descendants of the ':era prisoners remained set apart fromother mem%ers of the aristocracy %y their common ancestry& ine4trica%ly %ound up *ith the e4perience

at ':era and a common interpretation of its political implications$

In supporting 5nri)ues re%ellion& the captives at ':era committed themselves to a /ing *ho acted as if

the monarch had a contractual relationship *ith his su%ects and as if services not included in thesu%ects contractual o%ligations had to %e re*arded in material *ays$ In his first grant of lands to >edro

+onz:lez de Mendoza&(D#5nri)ue argued that loyalty to ones lord must %e maintained as zealously as

ones eyesight& for loyalty *as the cement *hich %ound men together into society& *ithout *hich noone could survive alone$ ut he also claimed that /ings and lords are o%ligated %y the loyalty of their

su%ects to re*ard them and increase their fortunes$ The very origins of their dynasty %ound the

Trast:mara /ings to this contractual relationship *ith the ':era prisoners and their descendants$ The

natural conse)uences of this fact for the Mendoza *ere enormous$ Erom the time >edro +onz:lez deMendoza committed himself to the 5nri)uista cause at ':era& the Mendoza %ecame the pillars of the

Trast:mara dynasty$ They *ere also the prime %eneficiaries of the Trast:mara re*ards$

efore ':era& >edro +onz:lez de Mendoza had formed a marriage alliance *ith the >echas& a+uadalaara family prominent in the Castilian government$ ;is *ife died *ithout issue, and after

':era Mendoza married again& this time to a *oman from Toledo& a daughter of Eern:n >Grez de Ayala

a prisoner at ':era and leader of the Alavese clans in Castile$ The eldest son of this second marriage

married an illegitimate daughter of 5nri)ue II& and the youngest son married a close relative of5nri)ues )ueen$ Mendozas eldest daughter& uana& married Fiego +=mez Manri)ue& a %rother of

>edro Manri)ue& one of the first supporters of 5nri)ues revolt$ Manri)ue *as also a relative of the

)ueen and a prisoner at ':era$ The other daughters married men less *ealthy and po*erful %ut e)ually5nri)uista in their politics$ Among his inla*s& >edro +onz:lez de Mendoza could count a niece and a

nephe* of the /ing and )ueen& the /ings daughter& and five men *ho had died or %een ta/en prisoner at

':era$ Bith these marriages& !(2$Mendoza %uilt a net*or/ of 5nri)uista connections that %ound hisdescendants to the party that had triumphed in the civil *ar and to the prisoners at ':era$

The most important alliance >edro +onz:lez de Mendoza formed after ':era *as his marriage to

5lvira de Ayala$ The Ayala had %een among the first of the Alavese clans to immigrate to Castile, and

%y the time of the revolt& they had already achieved a high social status and a claim to leadership$ TheMendozas alliance *ith this aggressive and up*ardly mo%ile Ayala clan& rather than their alliance *ith

the royal family& proved decisive, for apart from the fact that a num%er of the Ayala *ere e4ceptionally

shre*d and successful political figures& the Trast:mara no%ility %ecame involved in a series of

internecine feuds that led to their decline in influence in the generation after ':era$ (1"#Most importantof all& the Ayala Eern:n >Grez and his son& >edro edro +onz:lez de Mendoza

himself *as mayordomo mayor to uan I (133HD13D"#, and his %rotherinla*& >edro edro +onz:lez de Mendoza and his in

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la*s thus held the t*o highest political offices of the /ingdom and t*o of the territorial military

commands$

This profita%le policy of active military and political support of the ne* dynasty *as continued %y

Mendozas eldest son& Fiego ;urtado de Mendoza& admiral of Castile$ The admirals pu%lic life *as aglorious succession of victories& %ut his private %lunders cost the Mendoza their alliance *ith the Ayala

clan$ As admiral of Castile& he rendered valua%le military services in the *ars against >ortugal&

defeating >ortuguese fleets in three separate naval engagements$ In the po*er struggle during theminority of 5nri)ue III (13D"1"@#& he supported the *inning side %y allying himself *ith his uncles&>edro edro

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antillana (13D?1!?#$ antillanas reputation in panish history rests on his great literary

achievements$ In the history of the Mendoza& his reputation also rests on his great political achievement

the recuperation and preservation of the Mendoza fortune during a period of internal and e4ternal

attac/s on the 5nri)uista political order$

efore the admiral died in 1"& he tried to assure the inheritance of his small children %y naming t*o

of his po*erful relatives as their tutors0 his uncles& >edro

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Trast:mara *ere mostly minors ruled %y s)ua%%ling regents or *ea/ characters controlled %y their

favorites$ Eurthermore& the Trast:mara dynasty *as split in 112 *hen uan Is younger son& Eernando

de Ante)uera& *as elected /ing of Aragon$ As regent for his nephe*& uan II& Eernando had provided

each of his sons *ith a rich estate$ The eldest& Alfonso& *as to inherit his fathers vast holdings inCastile$ The second& uan& received the lordship of some of the richest cities in Castile (including

Medina del Campo#& %ecame du/e of >e6afiel& and married the heiress to the cro*n of 'avarre$ The

third son& 5nri)ue& not only %ecame master of antiago in 1"D %ut also received a num%er of richestates& including Al%ur)uer)ue&

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Eernando de Ante)uera (*hom the Mendoza idolized#& to Alfonso (*ho a%andoned the peninsula to

pursue his 'eapolitan *ars#& to the infante 5nri)ue (*hom the Mendoza admired *ith some

reservations#& to the infante uan& the future uan II of Aragon (*hom they disli/ed#$ The death of the

infante 5nri)ue in 1H also changed the legality of the infante uans position$ 5nri)ue had foughtuan II of Castile largely to retain his Castilian possessions as master of antiago and count of

Al%ur)uer)ue$ Although these possessions gave him a dangerously po*erful political%ase in Castile&

the legality of his claim *as clear$ Bhen the infante uan claimed that as 5nri)ues heir he shouldinherit these nonherita%le possessions& the Mendoza supported uan II of Castle against him$ This

reversal& ho*ever& raised another conflict for the Mendoza it %rought them into alliance *ith don

Alvaro de

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%uy the prince %ac/ %y persuading uan II to give him the !('$city of +uadalaara$ Bhen don Alvaros

agents arrived in +uadalaara to ta/e possession in the name of the prince& ho*ever& antillana

retreated to uitrago and declared open *ar on don Alvaro$ The /ing )uic/ly relented and e4iled don

Alvaro from the court& and antillana *ent to the court to represent himself and his allies$ uans angeragainst don Alvaro *as shortlived& ho*ever, and *hen the favorite returned to the court& antillana

retreated to his fortress at uitrago$ Erom that time on& antillana refused to perform military service

for the /ing unless he first received land or titles$(22#

Bhen uan II *as ta/en prisoner %y the infante uan (no* de facto /ing of 'avarre# in 13& antillana

refused to fight for the /ing until his o*nership of the -ega lands *as confirmed$ The ne4t year&

'avarre threatened another invasion, and *hen Manri)ues allies organized a re%ellion in support of

'avarre& antillana helped organize the Castilian defense and defeat the re%els$ In anticipation of thisservice& he *as given the hereditary titles mar)uis of antillana and count of 8eal de Manzanares$

Through these and other military services& antillana and his allies increased their fortunes& %ut they

also increased the suspicions and hostility of don Alvaro$

In 1D& don Alvaro in alliance *ith the )ueens favorite& uan >acheco persuaded the /ing toimprison five no%les& including Al%a$ .n 2@ uly 1D& antillana oined in a mutual assistance

alliance against all enemies e4cept the /ing$ This alliance did not result in military action& and a truce

seems to have prevailed until *ell into 1!3$ In that year& *hen the alliance of 1D *as invo/ed %yone of the allies& antillana sent one of his /nights (the famous chronicler& Fiego de -alera# to pledge

his assistance and his eldest son to help capture don Alvaro$

.n the order of the /ing& don Alvaro *as %eheaded %y the royal guards$ This e4ecution shoc/ed

fifteenthcentury society& first %ecause the /ing had /illed the man *ho had %een his closest friendsince childhood and second %ecause for the first time since the reign of >edro the Cruel a Castilian /ing

had e4ecuted a vasallo del rey$ The Mendozas resistance to don Alvaro de edro +onz:lez de Mendoza& %ishop of Calahorra$ Al%a *as finally released afe* months later *hen antillana gave his oath of loyalty to the ne* /ing& 5nri)ue I-$

!+)$Furing the period of invasions from 'avarre and Aragon& the /ing granted antillana clear legal

title to most of the disputed -ega lands in Asturias and t*o titles of no%ility confirming his possession

of antillana and 8eal de Manzanares$ In addition to this recuperation and guarantee of his estate&

antillana added an important ne* %loc of lands to the family possessions, t*elve to*ns around thecity of +uadalaara given to him *hen uan II distri%uted the Castilian possessions of the infantes of

Aragon among the Castilian no%ility$ ince the infantes continued to claim these lands as part of their

heritage& antillana had to fight to ta/e possession of them$ antillanas ac)uisition of the %ishopric ofCalahorra the Mendozas first move into the church hierarchy& later to %e an important source of

*ealth and po*er for the family also added to the family *ealth& as did his persistent %uying and

trading of land$

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antillanas Manri)ue relatives *ere claiming and occupying his estates$ It *as also natural for those

families that had profited most from the reigns of uan I and 5nri)ue III& as the Mendoza had& not to

*ant their positions superseded %y those of the infantes or of don Alvaro$ Eor their part& the Manri)ue&

*ho had lost *ealth and po*er during the previous t*o reigns& *anted the redistri%ution of po*er that*ould result if the infantes *ere victorious$ Although antillana *as in fact selling his loyalty and

military services to the highest %idder& only the /ing of Castile could offer the price antillana *anted

confirmation of his possessions and privileges$'evertheless& the choice %et*een the t*o %ranches of the Trast:mara dynasty *as difficult forantillana$ As the political situation %ecame more comple4 and the factors involved in ma/ing political

decisions more conflicting& antillana and his allies *ithdre* more and more from an active role in the

formation of royal policy$ In %oth military and political affairs& they follo*ed a policy of conserving*hat resources they !+*$already held& avoiding the larger issues (*hich seemed insolu%le#& and turning

their attention to smaller& more managea%le pro%lems$ antillana continued the family policy of

forming marriage alliances to strengthen political alliances& %ut he formed alliances *ith a greater

variety of political groups than had his father and grandfather$(23#

In contrast to the small families of three previous generations& ten of antillanas children lived to

adulthood$ edro +onz:lez de Mendoza& for

a slo* and deli%erate re%uilding& consolidation& and preservation of the familys military andseigneurial control over local affairs$

After antillanas death in 1!?& the titular leadership of the family passed to his eldest son& the second

mar)uis of antillana, %ut the effective leadership *as carried %y one of the younger sons& >edro+onz:lez de Mendoza& %ishop of Calahorra$ Three other sons& >edro ;urtado de Mendoza& ortuguese e4traction$ Bhen 5nri)ue divorced his first *ife and married again and uana *as %orn tohis ne* )ueen& uan >acheco and his party continued to support Alfonso as heir& claiming the

superiority of male inheritance& *hile the /ing and Cortes recognized princess uana as heiress$ Most ofthe no%ility& as usual& shifted support from one party to another and signed confederations in an effort togain a political advantage if a crisis should arise$ Bhen 5nri)ue I- replaced uan >acheco *ith a ne*

favorite& eltr:n de la Cueva& >acheco tried to recoup his losses %y denouncing %oth !+2$eltr:n and

the /ing$ 5nri)ue I- *as e4tremely mildmannered& almost passive, and *ith the memory of donAlvaro de

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5arly in 1@!& >acheco and his allies felt strong enough to declare open re%ellion against the /ing$

5nri)ue announced his intention of marrying Alfonso to uana and declared Alfonso his heir$ This

maneuver successfully ended the immediate military crisis& %ut 5nri)ue repudiated the agreement as

soon as the crisis passed, and the re%els& %eing the most po*erful party& dethroned him in a%sentia inAvila on ! une 1@!& %urned him in effigy& and declared Alfonso /ing$ efore this& the Mendoza held

%ac/ from ta/ing sides in the succession dispute, %ut they had long considered uan >acheco an enemy

%ecause of some property disputes& and the events at Avila enraged and alarmed them$ The %ishop ofCalahorra pu%lished a speech denouncing the events at Avila& and he and his %rothers rushed to the

/ings defense *ith an army of eight hundred cavalry$ 5nri)ue re*arded the Mendoza %rothers

generously0 he gave the tercias(the royal share of the tithe# of +uadalaara to the %ishop of Calahorra&the royal to*n of antander (*ith its annual income of seven hundred thousand maraved7s in ta4es and

pasture fees# to the mar)uis of antillana& and royal incomes from sources near their o*n estates to the

other %rothers$ In eptem%er& the opposing armies hurled insults at each other across a field outside.lmedo and actually engaged in com%at$ After this %attle of .lmedo& *hich *as considered a victory

for the royal forces& the /ing turned uana over to the Mendoza as a hostage for his pledges to them&

and %ishop >edro +onz:lez too/ up residence at the royal court to ma/e sure the /ing *ould not again

capitulate to his enemies$ .n ! .cto%er 1@!& in a field outside ArGvalo& the mar)uis of antillana(representing the /ings party# and the count of enavente (representing the re%el party# signed a

confederation that ended hostilities in the /ingdom until the end of Ee%ruary 1@@$ This %reathing space

gave everyone time to form more confederations, and %y the summer of 1@H& the re%el party hadsigned on so many allies that the /ing again started to ma/e concessions to them$ At this point& the

Mendoza %elieved that the /ing *as his o*n *orst enemy and tried to protect him from himself %y

persuading him to sign a pledge that he *ould ma/e no treaty or agreement *ith Alfonso or any of hispartisans *ithout the advice& agreement& and consent of the %ishop of Calahorra$ .n @ August 1@H& the

/ing rene*ed this pledge for a term of thirteen months$ Eaced *ith such uncharacteristic intransigence

on the part of !+"$the /ing and %elieving themselves to %e militarily superior& the re%els issued a

challenge$ The t*o armies actually engaged in %attle at Alaeos on 2" August 1@H$ Although thefighting had %arely started *hen it *as stopped %y a violent hailstorm& the Mendoza considered Alaeos

a great victory for their side %ecause they held the advantageous position *hen the fighting stopped$

Jnfortunately for the re%els& Alfonso died prematurely in 1@?& and they put for*ard his sister Isa%el as

heiress to the throne$(2@#Thus Isa%el the Catholic& the last Trast:mara monarch of Castile& entered the

Castilian political scene in the tradition of her family as a pretender to the throne leading a re%ellion

against her o*n half%rother$

The Mendoza *ere perhaps too impressed *ith their victory at Alaeos and insufficiently impressed%y the determination and a%ility of Isa%el& for they rela4ed their vigil over 5nri)ue$ In eptem%er 1@?&

at a time *hen the %ishop of Calahorra *as not *ith the royal court& 5nri)ue follo*ed the advice of

uan >acheco& met *ith Isa%el& a%ured the rights of uana& and recognized Isa%el as his legal heiress on the condition that she should not marry *ithout his consent$ The Mendoza *ere angered and

disgusted %y this %etrayal& and the %ishop of Calahorra dre* up a statement of protest on %ehalf of

uana$ Copies of this document *ere nailed to church doors in several to*ns& including .ca6a *hereIsa%el *as staying$

In the ne4t t*o years& the Mendoza *ithdre* from the succession )uestion0 5nri)ue named >acheco as

uanas ne* tutor& and the Mendoza surrendered her to the /ing and her ne* guardian sometime in

1@?, Isa%el married Eernando in 1@D& and his father& uan II of Aragon& %egan to solicit Mendoza

support for the Isa%elline party$(2H#In 1H3& the Mendoza formally agreed to support Isa%el as rightful

heiress in e4change for clear title to Castilian lands claimed %y %oth uan II of Aragon and the Mendoza

and a cardinalate for the %ishop of Calahorra$ The opportunism of this move should not %lind us to the

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e)ually compelling motive of loyalty to the Trast:mara dynasty$

The marriage of Eernando and Isa%el eliminated the conflict *hich had torn the loyalties of the no%ility

in opposing directions and /ept Castile in a state of turmoil for over fifty years$ Bhen 5nri)ue died in

1H& Eernando and Isa%el *ere supported %y the Mendoza and their traditional allies& and uana *assupported %y >acheco and his allies$ The Mendoza provided most of the leadership and manpo*er that

ena%led Eernando and Isa%el to *in the civil *ar (1H1?"#& a fact Isa%el gratefully ac/no*ledged in

1H! *hen she conferred the title of du/e of Infantado on the second mar)uis of antillana& than/inghim and !+($seventeen of his relatives for their leadership of her cause& and saying that he hadprovided so many people and such force that no other grandee of the /ingdom could e)ual him in the

conservation of her estate$(2?#

The Mendozas participation in the later phases of the Isa%elline *ar of succession *as almostdesultory& reflecting their lac/ of emotional commitment to her claims$ The Mendoza participated in

sieges %ut in no pitched %attles during the *ar$ The du/e of Infantado received his title at Toro in 1H!

as a re*ard for anticipated military services against the /ing of >ortugal& %ut he appears to have %een

else*here *hen the %attle actually too/ place almost a year later$ As soon as the >ortuguese *ithdre*from Castile& the Mendoza and uan II of Aragon persuaded Isa%el to ma/e peace *ith >acheco and his

Castilian allies$ Isa%el later %ro/e the peace& %ut the Mendoza especially after the poet orge

Manri)ue *as /illed leading a royalist attac/ on a >acheco fortress refused to serve& and the )ueenhad to call off the attac/$

Bhen Isa%el %ro/e the agreement a second time and attac/ed >acheco in 1HD& Infantado& as one of the

guarantors of the agreement& sent an army under the command of one of his sons to >achecos defense,

and the prospect of *ar against the Mendoza finally persuaded Isa%el to ma/e and /eep an agreement

*ith >acheco$ Throughout this affair& *hich dragged on from 1H@ to 1?"&(2D#the Mendoza

maintained an evenhanded detachment until it *as no longer possi%le for them to avoid involvement,

and then they committed themselves to a fello* no%leman rather than to the monarch$

The thoroughgoing lac/ of commitment to the monarchy as an institution and to the )ueen as a person*as not typical of the Mendozas attitude to*ard Eernando$ They *ere attracted to Isa%els party

specifically %y her marriage to Eernando0 the negotiations that %rought the Mendoza into the Isa%elline

camp in 1H3 *ere conducted %y the %ishop of Calahorra and uan II of Aragon$ Thus the Mendozaallegiance to Eernando *as %ased on the most prosaic and the most romantic of reasons0 he *as their

cousin,(3"#he had proved himself a /night %y the age of seventeen, he *as the namesa/e of their hero&

Eernando de Ante)uera& and son and heir of Eernandos only surviving son& uan II of Aragon, and %yhis marriage to Isa%el& he reunited the Trast:mara dynasty$ The very Mendoza *ho avoided largescale

commitments in Isa%els *ar of succession *ere those most enthusiastic and active in the con)uest of

+ranada under the leadership of Eernando$ In his o*n character& Eernando personified the vigor of

the early Trast:mara, and %y his marriage to Isa%el& he had eliminated the single greatest source ofdissension and re%ellion in fifteenthcentury Castile$ The Mendoza had !++$found a chivalric leader

*ho commanded their respect and a Trast:mara *ho *ould reunite the dynasty0 to his enterprise theycommitted themselves and their armies$

In re*ard for their services& the Mendoza again received no%le titles and clear legal title to disputedlands$ The second antillana *as elevated to du/e of Infantado in 1H!& and Infantados eldest son *as

made count of alda6a$ antillanas second son& I6igo

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cardinal Mendoza gave up the arch%ishopric of eville in favor of a nephe* %rother of the second

count of Tendilla and *as named arch%ishop of Toledo$ ;e received royal and papal legitimation of

his sons& the privilege of esta%lishing t*o mayorazgos for them& and t*o titles of no%ility for the eldest0

count of Cid and mar)uis of Cenete$ As primate of pain& cardinal Mendoza %ecame a permanentresident of the royal court& *here he *as popularly %elieved to e4ercise so much influence over

Eernando and Isa%el that he *as called the third /ing of pain$(31#

Their s*itch from champions of the rights of princess uana to leaders of the Isa%elline party *as theclimactic moment of the Mendozas political history$ At ':era in 13@H& >edro +onz:lez de Mendoza

had %een ust one of a num%er of Trast:mara party captains a minor one at that$ Mendoza support of

Isa%el in 1H made her )ueen of Castile$ The Mendoza had %ecome /ingma/ers the largest&

*ealthiest& and most po*erful political force in Castile$

The Mendozas actions in the Isa%elline *ar of succession follo*ed the pattern esta%lished in the

Trast:mara *ar0 they remained loyal to the legitimate ruler until it %ecame profita%le to shift allegiance

to the illegitimate party$ In this case& the illegitimate party represented the survival of a unified

Trast:mara dynasty, and Mendoza loyalty to this dynasty had %ecome more compelling than anyconsiderations of loyalty to the legitimate heir or duty to the monarchy as a legitimate institution$ After

the marriage of Eernando and Isa%el in 1@D& to have supported uana *ould have %een to destroy the

Trast:mara dynasty$ The Mendoza fortune had %een %uilt entirely on a policy of support of thisdynasty, and so long as the Trast:mara ruled in pain& the Mendoza *ould %e loyal to them$

'otes for Chapter T*o

1$ The pioneer and still unsurpassed *or/ on the seigneurial regime and its relationship *ith theCastilian monarchy is Andreas Balther&Die Anfnge Karls V&

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rey >edro de Castilla por el )ue hace merced de la villa de +alve a I6igo edro +onz:lez de Mendoza& 13@@& .suna& 1?H3, Fu)ues

del Infantado& CGdulas de algunos reyes a favor de Alvaro de edro

+onz:lez de Mendoza& 13@?& and Confirmaci=n& 13HD& .suna& 1@!2N@, -alde=n&Enri1ue ..& pp$ 121

123& 1?11?3& 21& 2??2?D, >edro +onz:lez de Mendoza& Mayorazgo para su hio I6igo& 13H3&

.suna& 13H3N1", Amador de los 87os& Vida& p$ 22, +utiGrrez Coronel& )asa de !endoza& I& D@D?,Mayorazgo para su hio Fiego& 13 Ee%ruary 13?"& .suna& 1H@2& printed in ara& I& 2?22?$

D$ urgos& 1 anuary 13@@& 5l rey don 5nri)ue II hace merced de las villas de uitrago y ;ita a >edro+onz:lez de Mendoza& in

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1@$ .trosi mando )ue a mi fio garcia )ue le muden el non%re e le digan iohan furtado de mendoOa$

.suna& 1H@2$

1H$ antillanas property disputes *ith the Manri)ue and other relatives are descri%ed at length in

+utiGrrez Coronel& )asa de !endoza& I& 1@!1H2, and Amador de los 87os& -ida& pp$ 23& 2H& !!@$ eealso MondGar& Cesi=n por ancho de 8oas Arzo%$ de Toledo a da$ idal#$ Madrid 1D@D, lasencia& 1!"& .suna& 1?@"NH, >riego& osesi=n en nom%re de uan de

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1!!& +uadalaara& .suna& 1?H!& and Codicilo al testamento del primer mar)uGs de antillana& aGn&

! une 1!!& .suna& 1H@2& %oth pu%lished in ara& I& 31!32, Amador de los

87os& Vida& !& @, +utiGrrez Coronel& )asa de !endoza& I& 1H31H?$

23$ In 13@& antillanas eldest son *as married to rianda de ulgar en manos del rdon I6igo edro +onz:lez de Mendoza& Confederaci=n para tener por reina a Isa%el la Cat=lica& 1H& .suna&1HN2" %is, Confederaci=n& Carri=n& 2? March 1H& .suna& 1?@"N21, Mar)uGs de antillana&

Confederaci=n para con)uistar Carri=n& 1" April 1H& .suna& 1?@"N22$

2?$ The entire document from the private li%rary of the present du/e of Infantado is reproduced and

transcri%ed in Arteaga& )asa del .nfantado& I& 21"21!$ As Arteaga emphasizes& Isa%el e4plicitly statesthat she is giving the title %ecause the second antillana *as el principal grande ca%allero de nuestros

reinos& )ue conservan nuestro estado e sostienen nuestra corona$

2D$ Torres Eontes&