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The Mendoza Family in the Spanish Renaissance 1350-1550 Helen Nader 2 The Mendoza Rise to Po er
!"#$ The Mendoza came originally from the province of Alava and incorporated themselves into Castilian society during the reign of Alfonso XI (1312 13!"#$(1# Alava a mountainous region %ounded %y Castile& 'avarre& and Aragon is one of the (as)ue provinces incorporated into the Castilian monarchy *ith fueros (royal charters# during the reign of Alfonso XI$ (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*ards availa%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%alleros1 first responsi%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 vasallos or in the /ing1s guard$ According to the thirteenth century definition of Alfonso X el 2a%io& vasallos del rey *ere those !"%$ *ho received horses& money& or lands in return for outstanding military service$(2# In practice& the /ing usually re*arded a vasallo del rey after each occasion on *hich he presented himself and his army to the /ing prepared for *ar$ 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 ma3ority 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 and fortified to*ers of the countryside$ Ca%alleros also received positions in three of the corporate 3urisdictions the municipalities& the Mesta& and the military orders$ (y right& hidalgos held one half the regimientos (seats *ith full voting rights# in the city councils, and the t*o procuradores each city sent 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 possess seoro (3urisdiction#& *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

local level& in city and countryside$ In the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries& only the 3urisdictions 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 3udicial& e4ecutive& legislative& and military functions, for the 2panish concept of the separation of po*ers tended to distri%ute po*er among various corporate groups and allo* them to e4ercise all the functions of government rather than to distri%ute the functions themselves$ Thus the ca%alleros *ere 3udges of the first instance in criminal cases *ithin the 3urisdictions of their pu%lic offices and 3udges of the first and second instance in criminal and civil cases *ithin their o*n se6or7os$ (ecause Castilian practice 3udged criminal and civil cases according to custom 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 3udicial functions of his office$ Thus& *hen the Mendoza and other ca%allero families !"&$ from Alava moved to Castile& they %ecame participants in the pu%lic life 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 Chaucer1s parfit gentil /nyght served as montero mayor (chief huntsman# to Alfonso XI& moved to the Castilian province of +uadala3ara& and settled in the city of +uadala3ara *here he %ecame a regidor (city councilman# after marrying a sister of I6igo <=pez de .rozco$ An Alavese& .rozco had received the office of alcalde entregador (chief 3ustice# of the Mesta in re*ard for his military services to the /ing$ ;e *as a regidor of the city of +uadala3ara and one of the richest men of the province$ 5ven in the career of this very early Mendoza some of the characteristic patterns of the family history can %e seen0 +onzalo 9:6ez *as %y profession a ca%allero& fought in %attle against the Muslims& received royal office as a re*ard& %ecame a regidor of the city in *hich he lived& and married into a propertied and influential family$ +onzalo1s son& >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 the rich and po*erful families in fourteenth century 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$$(A# Bhen Alfonso died of the plague *hich had devastated his army at the siege of +i%raltar (13!"#& he left only one legitimate son the si4teen year old >edro *ho %ecame /ing of Castile$ (ut Alfonso also left seven illegitimate children %y his mistress& <eonor de +uzm:n$ Bith the cooperation of >edro1s principal counselor& Cuan Alfonso de Al%ur)uer)ue& the *ido*ed )ueen Mar7a ordered the murder of her hated rival& <eonor de +uzm:n, and this murder& in 13!1& set the pattern for >edro1s reign$ <eonor1s sons and grandsons /no*n as the epgonos %egan a career of vengeance for her murder$ .ne of the oldest of the ep7gonos 5nri)ue& count of Trast:mara %ecame the focal point of the dissatisfied parties in Castile& and >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 en3oyed the support of a fe* great families especially the Manri)ue& !"'$ la -ega& Me47a& and Al%ornoz they *ere una%le to match >edro1s 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:mara1s t*in& Eadri)ue& master of the .rder of 2antiago (13!?#$ Furing the first si4teen years of >edro1s violent reign& >edro +onz:lez de Mendoza and his uncle& I6igo <=pez de .rozco& supported >edro& receiving privileges and income in return for military service$(!# This pattern *as %ro/en in 13@@& *hen 5nri)ue de Trast:mara raised an army of Castilian& Aragonese& and Erench /nights& invaded northern Castile& and marched on (urgos& site of >edro1s campaign head)uarters$ Although >edro1s vasallos del rey& including the Alavese& had mo%ilized for the campaign

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 >edro1s 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$ Ayala1s son& >edro <=pez de Ayala& 3oined 5nri)ue and %ecame his alfrez mayor de la banda the same office he had held under >edro$ Mendoza and .rozco& spea/ing for the city of +uadala3ara& proclaimed their allegiance to 5nri)ue& promptly receiving e4tensive lands and privileges from him and incurring >edro1s 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$(@# Mendoza %ecame mayordomo mayor to 5nri)ue1s son& and .rozco %ecame a regular mem%er of 5nri)ue1s council$ Bhile 5nri)ue and his supporters triumphantly marched south through Toledo& >edro too/ ship in 2eville 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 9ears1 Bar& Erance ta/ing the side of 5nri)ue and 5ngland supporting >edro$(H# The (lac/ >rince regarded >edro1s cause as 3ust and pro%a%ly profita%le and invaded Castile %y *ay of Alava$ 5nri)ue& after achieving some success in small s/irmishes against this much larger& more e4perienced& and more modern army& decided to engage in full scale %attle$ Although the resulting %attle of ':3era (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 a political party and %ecame the inspiration for the 8enaissance in Castile$ 5nri)ue escaped to Erance& *hile .rozco& Mendoza& >edro <=pez de Ayala& >edro Manri)ue& >edro Eern:ndez de -elasco& and most of the !()$ other 5nri)uista captains *ere ta/en prisoner$ >edro murdered .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 ally1s %ehavior& the 5nglish returned to more pressing affairs in Erance& assured of a profit from their 2panish venture *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 >edro1s 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 other ca%alleros& *hom he re*arded for their services$ 5nri)ue1s 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$(?# The Mendoza fortune *as thus %uilt upon their adherence to the Trast:mara cause at a critical moment$ 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 in favor of the side they chose$ The events at ':3era& more than any other single event& shaped Trast:mara society and Mendoza politics throughout the fifteenth century$ Mendoza1s shift from >edro to 5nri)ue in 13@@ had %een a shre*d and hard headed 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 /ing1s murderous disregard for 3ustice& %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$ Mendoza deserted >edro only after the /ing1s %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)ue1s cause *as converted into fervent commitment at ':3era *hen Mendoza1s uncle& I6igo <=pez de .rozco& *as catapulted into the select company of 5nri)uista martyrs$ Erom that time on& Mendoza actively supported the Trast:mara dynasty and its politics and allied himself *ith other 5nri)uistas *ho had undergone the same sort of conversion at ':3era$ +enerations of Mendoza sons *ould %ear the name I6igo <=pez$

2oon after the disaster at ':3era& 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 ':3era group& formed %y a uni)ue common historical e4perience& %ecame a closed corporation *ithin the Castilian aristocracy$ Furing thee fifteenth century& the ':3era 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 ':3era prisoners remained set apart from other mem%ers of the aristocracy %y their common ancestry& ine4trica%ly %ound up *ith the e4perience at ':3era and a common interpretation of its political implications$ In supporting 5nri)ue1s re%ellion& the captives at ':3era committed themselves to a /ing *ho acted as if the monarch had a contractual relationship *ith his su%3ects and as if services not included in the su%3ect1s 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 one1s lord must %e maintained as zealously as one1s eyesight& for loyalty *as the cement *hich %ound men together into society& *ithout *hich no one could survive alone$ (ut he also claimed that /ings and lords are o%ligated %y the loyalty of their su%3ects 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 ':3era prisoners and their descendants$ The natural conse)uences of this fact for the Mendoza *ere enormous$ Erom the time >edro +onz:lez de Mendoza committed himself to the 5nri)uista cause at ':3era& the Mendoza %ecame the pillars of the Trast:mara dynasty$ They *ere also the prime %eneficiaries of the Trast:mara re*ards$ (efore ':3era& >edro +onz:lez de Mendoza had formed a marriage alliance *ith the >echas& a +uadala3ara family prominent in the Castilian government$ ;is *ife died *ithout issue, and after ':3era Mendoza married again& this time to a *oman from Toledo& a daughter of Eern:n >Grez de Ayala a prisoner at ':3era 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 of 5nri)ue1s )ueen$ Mendoza1s eldest daughter& Cuana& married Fiego +=mez Manri)ue& a %rother of >edro Manri)ue& one of the first supporters of 5nri)ue1s revolt$ Manri)ue *as also a relative of the )ueen and a prisoner at ':3era$ The other daughters married men less *ealthy and po*erful %ut e)ually 5nri)uista in their politics$ Among his in la*s& >edro +onz:lez de Mendoza could count a niece and a nephe* of the /ing and )ueen& the /ing1s daughter& and five men *ho had died or %een ta/en prisoner at ':3era$ Bith these marriages& !(2$ Mendoza %uilt a net*or/ of 5nri)uista connections that %ound his descendants to the party that had triumphed in the civil *ar and to the prisoners at ':3era$ The most important alliance >edro +onz:lez de Mendoza formed after ':3era *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$ The Mendoza1s 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 ':3era$(1"# Most important of all& the Ayala Eern:n >Grez and his son& >edro <=pez *ould provide the intellectual leadership of the ':3era group and of the 8enaissance in Castile$ This e4tended family spa*ned %y the events at ':3era %ecame the most po*erful political group in Castile and held the highest political and military offices of the /ingdom$ >edro +onz:lez de Mendoza himself *as mayordomo mayor to Cuan I (133HD 13D"#, and his %rother in la*& >edro <=pez de Ayala& %ecame canciller mayor of Castile$ (oth of them *ere del conse3o del rey$ .ne of Mendoza1s sons in la*& Fiego +=mez Manri)ue& *as adelantado mayor of Castile, another& F7az 2:nchez de (enavides& *as caudillo mayor (military governor# of the diocese of CaGn$ >edro +onz:lez de Mendoza and his in

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 Mendoza1s eldest son& Fiego ;urtado de Mendoza& admiral of Castile$ The admiral1s pu%lic life *as a glorious 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 the minority of 5nri)ue III (13D" 1A"@#& he supported the *inning side %y allying himself *ith his uncles& >edro <=pez de Ayala and Cuan ;urtado de Mendoza& thus %ecoming del conse3o del rey at a time *hen his uncle& >edro <=pez de Ayala& *as also del conse3o del rey and canciller mayor$ 2ometime %efore 13D!& the admiral received the patronage of the city offices of +uadala3ara as a merced& and since he had earlier received the right for himself and his descendants to name the city1s !("$ procuradores to Cortes& the Mendoza henceforth *ere a%le to dominate the principal city in the province of +uadala3ara$(11# Bhen his career *as cut short %y death in 1A"A& the admiral *as reputed to %e the richest man in Castile$(12# ;e had inherited a large fortune from his father and added large tracts of land to the Mendoza estates$ ;e received estates as mercedes from %oth Cuan I and 5nri)ue III that increased his holdings in the provinces of +uadala3ara and Madrid$(13# ;e also e4tended the family1s interests into Asturias through his second marriage& to <eonor de la -ega& in 13?H$ As the sole heiress of the -ega fortune& <eonor de la -ega %rought e4tensive seigneurial lands in Asturias into the Mendoza estate& including sheep grazing lands& salt mines& and seaports& sources of an important part of the Mendoza income in a period of e4tensive *ool trade %et*een Castile and Elanders$(1A# <eonor de le -ega also %rought to the Mendoza a proud and ancient lineage$ In contrast to that of the ne*ly arrived Mendoza& the -ega family1s high social status *as venera%le %y Castilian standards$(1!# 2ince the -ega also had a talent for getting themselves /illed in colorful circumstances *hile in the service of +od and /ing& the -ega name %rought *ith it a heavy accretion of fame and anecdote$ <eonor1s great grandfather& +arcilaso de la -ega (d$ 132@#& had %een canciller mayor& adelantado mayor of Castile& and 3usticia mayor of the /ing1s household under Alfonso XI$ Bhile organizing the /ing1s defenses against the re%ellion of don Cuan Manuel& he *as assassinated in 2oria during mass$ ;er grandfather& +arcilaso de la -ega (d$ 13!1#& also adelantado mayor of Castile and 3usticia mayor of the /ing1s household under Alfonso XI& had %een the first murder victim of >edro the Cruel$ ;er father& +arcilaso de la -ega& died in the %attle of ':3era fighting for 5nri)ue$ This marriage *as also a rene*al of the alliance system *hich the Mendoza had formed *ith the 5nri)uista aristocracy& involving as it did the family *hich had suffered most at the hands of >edro the Cruel and %een among the first supporters of the Trast:mara cause$ These connections *ere further strengthened %y the second marriage of the admiral1s eldest sister& Cuana& to Alfonso 5nr7)uez& a nephe* of 5nri)ue II$ 5nr7)uez succeeded Mendoza in the office of admiral of Castile& and this office %ecame hereditary in the 5nr7)uez family a po*erful connection the Mendoza used to good advantage throughout the fifteenth century& long %efore their cousin& Eernando the Catholic& a great grandson of Cuana and Alfonso& %ecame /ing$ Admiral Fiego ;urtado de Mendoza and his father transformed the Mendoza from a provincial military family into a *ealthy& aristocratic dynasty that dominated an entire city and province& held the highest !(($ national offices& and en3oyed many family ties to a po*erful net*or/ of prestigious families& including the royal family itself$ All of this *as accomplished through their active participation in national affairs& including military service& personal influence at court& or high national office$ The admiral had another& even greater claim to the reverence accorded him %y his descendants0 he *as the father of the greatest cavalier of the fifteenth century& I6igo <=pez de Mendoza& first mar)uis of

2antillana (13D? 1A!?#$ 2antillana1s reputation in 2panish 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 1A"A& 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 <=pez de Ayala& canciller mayor of Castile& and Cuan ;urtado de Mendoza& prestamero mayor (military governor# of -izcaya$ This effort *as doomed to fail %ecause of the admiral1s o*n pecadillos$ Although his decision to marry <eonor de la -ega *as his o*n made after his father died in the %attle of Al3u%arrota (13?!# it appears that the couple *ere at odds from the %eginning$ The admiral *as a*ay *hen their first son *as %orn& and <eonor had the child %aptized +arcilaso in honor of her glorious ancestors$ In an early *ill& the admiral stipulated that the %oy1s name should %e changed to Cuan ;urtado de Mendoza in honor of the Mendoza1s glorious ancestors$(1@# Although the couple had several children& they maintained separate households$ <eonor lived in Carri=n *ith her mother& and the admiral in the Mendoza family residence in +uadala3ara *ith his cousin& Menc7a de Ayala$ Be do not /no* *hat Mencia1s father& the canciller mayor& thought a%out his daughter1s living arrangement, %ut it is clear from the documents that the admiral and Menc7a *ere sharing %ed as *ell as %oard$ The original t*ist to this other*ise ordinary story lies in the fact that the admiral named Menc7a as one of the e4ecutors of his *ill$ The *ido*ed <eonor de la -ega *as thus left at the mercy of a *oman she must have despised& and the t*o %ereaved ladies fought so %itterly over the terms of the *ill that predatory relatives especially the Manri)ue found it convenient to usurp the far flung estates of the Mendoza inheritance$ After the old canciller mayor died in 1A"H& <eonor %ro/e off all relations *ith the Ayala family, and the estrangement %et*een the Mendoza and Ayala lasted until 2antillana %ecame an adult& to the disadvantage of !(+$ %oth families$ To compensate for the loss of Ayala support& <eonor sought another alliance to protect her children1s estate0 in 1A"?& she and <orenzo 2u:rez de Eigueroa& master of 2antiago& signed a marriage contract for their children$ Although <eonor *as a%andoning her ties *ith the Ayala& she continued the Mendoza1s policy of marriage to the ':3era group& for <orenzo 2u:rez de Eigueroa1s *ife *as a daughter of the martyred I6igo <=pez de .rozco$ (ut the master of 2antiago died in 1A"D& and the dou%le marriage did not provide the security <eonor had sought$ The one remaining tutor& Cuan ;urtado de Mendoza& plunged into the political conflicts of the minority of Cuan II& leaving the admiral1s *ido* *ithout help and *ith limited success in defending her children1s inheritance against the claims of their Manri)ue relatives$(1H# In the years %efore he *as old enough to ta/e an active part in politics& 2antillana1s estate *as eroded so seriously that it too/ him a lifetime of strenuous political and legal activity to restore it$ Modern historians& influenced %y Isa%elline propaganda and rooted in the constitutional history of earlier centuries& consistently interpret the first hundred years of Trast:mara rule especially the years of 2antillana1s political activity as a struggle %et*een monarch and no%ility$(1?# 'either the chronicles nor the other documents of the period support this vie*& and the Mendoza and their allies certainly did not see the political choices of their day in such simplistic terms$ Instead& they sa* themselves %ound to the illegitimate Trast:mara dynasty %y their o*n success in overthro*ing the legitimate monarch$ Although the Mendoza *ere loyal to the dynasty as an ideal& the day to day %ehavior and character of the royal family made it difficult for even the most devoted su%3ects to figure out *hat course of action *ould %e loyal$ To %egin *ith& the Trast:mara *ere a short lived lot0 the Trast:mara monarchs %efore Eernando and Isa%el died at an average age of thirty eight, of all si4 Trast:mara monarchs in Castile& only t*o *ere survived %y more than one legitimate son$ The early

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 1A12 *hen Cuan I1s younger son& Eernando de Ante)uera& *as elected /ing of Aragon$ As regent for his nephe*& Cuan II& Eernando had provided each of his sons *ith a rich estate$ The eldest& Alfonso& *as to inherit his father1s vast holdings in Castile$ The second& Cuan& 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 2antiago in 1A"D %ut also received a num%er of rich estates& including Al%ur)uer)ue& <edesma& !(#$ 2alvatierra& and Miranda$ The fourth son& 2ancho& %ecame master of Alc:ntara in 1A"D at the age of eight$ Bhen Eernando *as elected /ing of Aragon& it might have %een e4pected that he and his sons no* the infantes of Aragon *ould give up their Castilian possessions for lands in Aragon$ Instead& they held on to them, and *hen Castile tried to retrieve some of this *ealth after Eernando1s death in 1A1@& the infantes used Aragon as a refuge and staging ground for attac/s on Castile the principal cause of political insta%ility there during the first half of the fifteenth century$ The Mendoza thus did not en3oy the lu4ury of a straightfor*ard choice %et*een monarch and no%ility$ Furing most of the fifteenth century& they had to choose %et*een a *ea/ Trast:mara /ing in Castile and a dynamic Trast:mara /ing in Aragon %et*een the Castilian /ing1s corrupt favorite and the Aragonese /ing1s avaricious sons$ This pattern of conflict *ithin the royal family is of course one of the political constants of medieval Castilian history0 Alfonso X el 2a%io *as attac/ed and deposed in all %ut name %y his son& 2ancho, Alfonso XI *as attac/ed& %etrayed& and deserted %y his uncle& don Cuan Manuel, >edro *as attac/ed& defeated& and /illed %y his half %rother& 5nri)ue de Trast:mara, Cuan I had to imprison and e4ile %oth a cousin and a half %rother for sedition, Cuan II spent the first forty years of his reign defending his /ingdom from the attac/s of his cousins& the infantes of Aragon, 5nri)ue I*as deposed in a%sentia and %urned in effigy %y the supporters of his half %rother& Alfonso, and Isa%el the Catholic usurped the Castilian throne from her niece& Cuana de Castilla$ The ca%alleros shifted their support from the /ing to his relatives and %ac/ *henever they could see an advantage in follo*ing one side or the other$ Inasmuch as these struggles continued *ithout a decisive victory for most of the century& a%out one half of the ca%alleros must have supported the cro*n at all times& although the mem%ership in each party *as in constant flu4$ There *as no Ino%le partyI any more than there *as a Iroyal party&I and the picture *e are usually given of a class conflict %et*een monarchy and no%ility is a clichG that persists despite all evidence to the contrary$ Eor 2antillana& as head of the Mendoza family& the protracted conflict %et*een Cuan II and his cousins presented a painful moral dilemma0 this *as a conflict not only %et*een a /ing and his relatives %ut %et*een t*o e)ually legitimate %ranches of the Trast:mara to *hose dynasty the Mendoza o*ed all their *orldly success and *ere intensely loyal$ Eernando de Ante)uera *as a hero to his contemporaries %ecause he did not follo* the usual pattern of royal relatives0 he did not try to usurp the throne from his ailing %rother 5nri)ue III& or from his infant nephe*& !(%$ Cuan II$ Bhile Eernando *as regent& he did plunder the royal patrimony to enrich his children, %ut this *as considered almost a virtue compared to the typical deeds of royal relatives$ The Mendoza and other 5nri)uista families almost idolized Eernando de Ante)uera *hile he *as regent in Castile& and his election as /ing of Aragon only increased their admiration and devotion$(1D# This confusion loyalties continued after 1A2"$ Bhile the Castilian /ing& Cuan II& repeatedly failed to perform his royal functions and turned his responsilities over to his favorite& don Alvaro de <una& the Aragonese /ing& Alfonso - (1A1@ 1A!?#& em%ar/ed on his successful con)uest of 'aples 3ust the sort of enterprise that the ca%alleros admired most in a ruler$ The Mendoza1s loyalty to /ing Cuan II *as slight compared to their attraction to the more vigorous Aragonese Trast:mara$ The tension caused %y this conflict of loyalties gradually eased as the leadership of the Aragonese Trast:mara passed& first from

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 Cuan& the future Cuan II of Aragon (*hom they disli/ed#$ The death of the infante 5nri)ue in 1AAH also changed the legality of the infante Cuan1s position$ 5nri)ue had fought Cuan II of Castile largely to retain his Castilian possessions as master of 2antiago 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 Cuan claimed that as 5nri)ue1s heir he should inherit these nonherita%le possessions& the Mendoza supported Cuan II of Castle against him$ This reversal& ho*ever& raised another conflict for the Mendoza it %rought them into alliance *ith don Alvaro de <una& favorite of Cuan II of Castile$ The Mendoza occasionally supported the increase of don Alvaro1s po*ers as a counter*eight to the e4cessive po*er of the infantes& %ut increasingly the Mendoza came to resent don Alvaro for usurping some of the /ing1s po*ers and using them to enrich the Manri)ue at the e4pense of the Mendoza$ The /ing1s e4ecution of don Alvaro eliminated this conflict& %ut the ma3or source of tension for the Mendoza the division of the Trast:mara dynasty *as not resolved until the marriage of Eernando and Isa%el in 1A@D$ In order to gain the military resources and influence at court necessary to regain his fortune in this situation& 2antillana practiced a politics of necessity and opportunism signing agreements and then %rea/ing them& changing his support from one leader to another& *ithholding military service until his demands *ere met& defying the /ing1s *ill %y %arricading !(&$ himself in the fortresses at ;ita and (uitrago and later residing at the royal court to protect his o*n interests$ The first political action in *hich 2antillana participated *as the Iincident at TordesillasI (1A2"# *hen fighting against his tutor& Cuan ;urtado de Mendoza& he 3oin the forces of the infante 5nri)ue in an attempt to /idnap the young /ing Cuan II$ In this unsuccessful action& 2antillana *or/ed in alliance *ith his cousins0 Eern:n >Grez de +uzm:n, Eern:n Alvarez de Toledo& future count of Al%a, and >edro Eern:ndez de -elasco& future consta%le of Castile$(2"# Most historians of the Mendoza are em%arrassed %y this act of disloyalty and try to dismiss it as a Ipecadillo of youth&I(21# %ut it one of the most important events in the history of the Mendoza for the alliance of 2antillana& +uzm:n& Al%a& and -elasco& fre)uently rene*ed& constituted one of the fe* sta%le political %locs of the fifteenth century$ Erom the incident at Tordesillas until 1A2H& 2antillana and his allies opposed the infantes of Aragon and encouraged the career of don Alvaro de <una in order to strengthen the monarchy against them$ In 1A2?& don Alvaro re*arded 2antillana %y naming him del conse3o del rey at the age of thirty$ Fon Alvaro later %ecame hostile to*ard 2antillana and his allies, and in 1A31 he persuaded the /ing to imprison Al%a& -elasco& 2antillana& and +uzm:n on charges of treason$ 2antillana escaped arrest and fortified himself in his fortress at ;ita until his cousins *ere released eight months later$ Furing the ne4t eight years& 1A31 to 1A3D& the infantes of Aragon offered no threat to Cuan II of Castile they *ere %usy fighting *ith one another and assisting Alfonso in his con)uest of 'aples$ Fon Alvaro too/ advantage of the peace to solidify his position& granting lands and titles to a num%er of ca%alleros in order to gain their support and in the process creating the first hereditary no%ility in Castilian history$ Although the Mendoza *ere not attracted %y his policy& several of their allies and relatives %enefited from it Eern:n Alvarez de Toledo& for e4ample& *ho %ecame count of Al%a in 1A3?& received the first hereditary title of no%ility in Castile and the first title outside the royal patrimony$ (laming don Alvaro for the success of the Manri)ue in gaining possession of his -ega lands in Asturias& 2antillana turned against don Alvaro$ As early as 1AA"& 2antillana& -elasco& and don Alfonso de Cartagena& %ishop of (urgos& discussed *ays of eliminating don Alvaro1s influence at court, %ut no action resulted from these conversations$ In 1AA1& the infantes of Aragon again re%elled against Cuan II& claiming the Castilian cro*n prince as the head of their party$ Fon Alvaro responded *ith an attempt to

%uy the prince %ac/ %y persuading Cuan II to give him the !('$ city of +uadala3ara$ Bhen don Alvaro1s agents arrived in +uadala3ara to ta/e possession in the name of the prince& ho*ever& 2antillana retreated to (uitrago and declared open *ar on don Alvaro$ The /ing )uic/ly relented and e4iled don Alvaro from the court& and 2antillana *ent to the court to represent himself and his allies$ Cuan1s anger against don Alvaro *as short lived& ho*ever, and *hen the favorite returned to the court& 2antillana retreated to his fortress at (uitrago$ Erom that time on& 2antillana refused to perform military service for the /ing unless he first received land or titles$(22# Bhen Cuan II *as ta/en prisoner %y the infante Cuan (no* de facto /ing of 'avarre# in 1AA3& 2antillana refused to fight for the /ing until his o*nership of the -ega lands *as confirmed$ The ne4t year& 'avarre threatened another invasion, and *hen Manri)ue1s allies organized a re%ellion in support of 'avarre& 2antillana helped organize the Castilian defense and defeat the re%els$ In anticipation of this service& he *as given the hereditary titles mar)uis of 2antillana and count of 8eal de Manzanares$ Through these and other military services& 2antillana and his allies increased their fortunes& %ut they also increased the suspicions and hostility of don Alvaro$ In 1AAD& don Alvaro in alliance *ith the )ueen1s favorite& Cuan >acheco persuaded the /ing to imprison five no%les& including Al%a$ .n 2@ Culy 1AAD& 2antillana 3oined in a Imutual assistance alliance against all enemies e4cept the /ing$I This alliance did not result in military action& and a truce seems to have prevailed until *ell into 1A!3$ In that year& *hen the alliance of 1AAD *as invo/ed %y one of the allies& 2antillana 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 fifteenth century society& first %ecause the /ing had /illed the man *ho had %een his closest friend since 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 Mendoza1s resistance to don Alvaro de <una had pushed the /ing into an uncharacteristic act that con3ured up all the violence of the pre Trast:mara /ings& and the rest of his reign *as characterized %y a sort of stunned immo%ility on the part of %oth /ing and aristocracy$ Cuan II still refused 2antillana1s demand that Al%a %e released& %ut he tried to placate 2antillana %y naming one of his sons& >edro +onz:lez de Mendoza& %ishop of Calahorra$ Al%a *as finally released a fe* months later *hen 2antillana gave his oath of loyalty to the ne* /ing& 5nri)ue I-$ !+)$ Furing the period of invasions from 'avarre and Aragon& the /ing granted 2antillana clear legal title to most of the disputed -ega lands in Asturias and t*o titles of no%ility confirming his possession of 2antillana and 8eal de Manzanares$ In addition to this recuperation and guarantee of his estate& 2antillana added an important ne* %loc of lands to the family possessions, t*elve to*ns around the city of +uadala3ara given to him *hen Cuan II distri%uted the Castilian possessions of the infantes of Aragon among the Castilian no%ility$ 2ince the infantes continued to claim these lands as part of their heritage& 2antillana had to fight to ta/e possession of them$ 2antillana1s ac)uisition of the %ishopric of Calahorra the Mendoza1s 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$ <i/e his father& 2antillana engaged in financial and commercial enterprises *hich& although profita%le& did not constitute the most significant portion of the family income$ 2antillana and his allies profited enormously from their military po*er in a reign mar/ed %y internal re%ellion and foreign invasion$ Modern historians of the Mendoza family interpret this profit as a 3ust re*ard for faithful service to the /ing and %elieve that the Mendoza sho*ed consistent personal loyalty to the /ing$ To a large e4tent& this does seem to descri%e the pattern of Mendoza actions under Cuan II& although their reasons for supporting the /ing far e4ceeded simple loyalty in their comple4ity$ It *as natural for 2antillana to support the /ing *hen the Manri)ue supported the infantes1 re%ellion0

2antillana1s Manri)ue relatives *ere claiming and occupying his estates$ It *as also natural for those families that had profited most from the reigns of Cuan 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 2antillana *as in fact selling his loyalty and military services to the highest %idder& only the /ing of Castile could offer the price 2antillana *anted confirmation of his possessions and privileges$ 'evertheless& the choice %et*een the t*o %ranches of the Trast:mara dynasty *as difficult for 2antillana$ As the political situation %ecame more comple4 and the factors involved in ma/ing political decisions more conflicting& 2antillana 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$ 2antillana 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$(23# In contrast to the small families of three previous generations& ten of 2antillana1s children lived to adulthood$ <i/e the Israelites in the *ilderness& the Mendoza multiplied e4traordinarily during the fifteenth century$ They married young (often more than once#& %ore many children& lived to ripe ages& and thus ac)uired personal influence to cover any political eventuality$ 2antillana seldom participated in the conse3o del rey and never accepted a high political office& %ut he *as related through marriage to most of the high officials of the /ingdom, thus he *as a%le to avoid the %urdens of high office *hile retaining some influence over official decisions$ This political caution is characteristic of 2antillana1s leadership of the Mendoza family0 he e4changed the aggressive e4tension of political and economic interests on a national scale& *hich had characterized the admiral and >edro +onz:lez de Mendoza& for a slo* and deli%erate re%uilding& consolidation& and preservation of the family1s military and seigneurial control over local affairs$ After 2antillana1s death in 1A!?& the titular leadership of the family passed to his eldest son& the second mar)uis of 2antillana, %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& <orenzo 2u:rez de Eigueroa& and I6igo <=pez de Mendoza& too/ an active role in the *ars 5nri)ue I- carried on against the Muslims from 1A!A to 1A@A$(2A# In 1A@A& the /ingdom %egan a ne* chapter in the traditional struggle %et*een the monarch and his relatives$(2!# Furing the first ten years of his reign& the childless 5nri)ue1s heir *as his half %rother Alfonso& the son of Cuan II1s second marriage$ In e4pectation of Alfonso1s accession to po*er& a political party formed around him& led %y 5nri)ue1s favorite& Cuan >acheco& and other ca%alleros of >ortuguese e4traction$ Bhen 5nri)ue divorced his first *ife and married again and Cuana *as %orn to his ne* )ueen& Cuan >acheco and his party continued to support Alfonso as heir& claiming the superiority of male inheritance& *hile the /ing and Cortes recognized princess Cuana as heiress$ Most of the no%ility& as usual& shifted support from one party to another and signed confederations in an effort to gain a political advantage if a crisis should arise$ Bhen 5nri)ue I- replaced Cuan >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 mild mannered& almost passive, and *ith the memory of don Alvaro de <una1s e4ecution still vivid in Castile& he chose to follo* a policy so narro*ly directed at avoiding ris/& *ithout any apparent larger goal& that %oth enemies and supporters interpreted his %ehavior as *ea/ness$

5arly in 1A@!& >acheco and his allies felt strong enough to declare open re%ellion against the /ing$ 5nri)ue announced his intention of marrying Alfonso to Cuana 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 in Avila on ! Cune 1A@!& %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 Cuan >acheco an enemy %ecause of some property disputes& and the events at Avila enraged and alarmed them$ The %ishop of Calahorra pu%lished a speech denouncing the events at Avila& and he and his %rothers rushed to the /ing1s 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 +uadala3ara to the %ishop of Calahorra& the royal to*n of 2antander (*ith its annual income of seven hundred thousand maraved7s in ta4es and pasture fees# to the mar)uis of 2antillana& and royal incomes from sources near their o*n estates to the other %rothers$ In 2eptem%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 Cuana 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 1A@!& in a field outside ArGvalo& the mar)uis of 2antillana (representing the /ing1s 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 1A@@$ This %reathing space gave everyone time to form more confederations, and %y the summer of 1A@H& the re%el party had signed 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 his partisans *ithout the advice& agreement& and consent of the %ishop of Calahorra$ .n @ August 1A@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 Alae3os on 2" August 1A@H$ Although the fighting had %arely started *hen it *as stopped %y a violent hailstorm& the Mendoza considered Alae3os 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 1A@?& 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 IvictoryI at Alae3os and insufficiently impressed %y the determination and a%ility of Isa%el& for they rela4ed their vigil over 5nri)ue$ In 2eptem%er 1A@?& at a time *hen the %ishop of Calahorra *as not *ith the royal court& 5nri)ue follo*ed the advice of Cuan >acheco& met *ith Isa%el& a%3ured the rights of Cuana& 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 Cuana$ Copies of this document *ere nailed to church doors in several to*ns& including .ca6a *here Isa%el *as staying$ In the ne4t t*o years& the Mendoza *ithdre* from the succession )uestion0 5nri)ue named >acheco as Cuana1s ne* tutor& and the Mendoza surrendered her to the /ing and her ne* guardian sometime in 1A@?, Isa%el married Eernando in 1A@D& and his father& Cuan II of Aragon& %egan to solicit Mendoza support for the Isa%elline party$(2H# In 1AH3& the Mendoza formally agreed to support Isa%el as rightful heiress in e4change for clear title to Castilian lands claimed %y %oth Cuan II of Aragon and the Mendoza and a cardinalate for the %ishop of Calahorra$ The opportunism of this move should not %lind us to the

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 1AHA& Eernando and Isa%el *ere supported %y the Mendoza and their traditional allies& and Cuana *as supported %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 (1AHA 1A?"#& a fact Isa%el gratefully ac/no*ledged in 1AH! *hen she conferred the title of du/e of Infantado on the second mar)uis of 2antillana& than/ing him and !+($ seventeen of his relatives for their leadership of her cause& and saying that he had provided so many people and such force that no other grandee of the /ingdom could e)ual him in the conservation of her estate$(2?# The Mendoza1s participation in the later phases of the Isa%elline *ar of succession *as almost desultory& reflecting their lac/ of emotional commitment to her claims$ The Mendoza participated in sieges %ut in no pitched %attles during the *ar$ The du/e of Infantado received his title at Toro in 1AH! 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 Cuan 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 Corge Manri)ue *as /illed leading a royalist attac/ on a >acheco fortress refused to serve& and the )ueen had to call off the attac/$ Bhen Isa%el %ro/e the agreement a second time and attac/ed >acheco in 1AHD& Infantado& as one of the guarantors of the agreement& sent an army under the command of one of his sons to >acheco1s 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 1AH@ to 1A?"&(2D# the Mendoza maintained an even handed 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 Mendoza1s attitude to*ard Eernando$ They *ere attracted to Isa%el1s party specifically %y her marriage to Eernando0 the negotiations that %rought the Mendoza into the Isa%elline camp in 1AH3 *ere conducted %y the %ishop of Calahorra and Cuan II of Aragon$ Thus the Mendoza allegiance 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 Eernando1s only surviving son& Cuan II of Aragon, and %y his marriage to Isa%el& he reunited the Trast:mara dynasty$ The very Mendoza *ho avoided large scale commitments in Isa%el1s *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 of dissension and re%ellion in fifteenth century Castile$ The Mendoza had !++$ found a chivalric leader *ho commanded their respect and a Trast:mara *ho *ould reunite the dynasty0 to his enterprise they committed themselves and their armies$ In re*ard for their services& the Mendoza again received no%le titles and clear legal title to disputed lands$ The second 2antillana *as elevated to du/e of Infantado in 1AH!& and Infantado1s eldest son *as made count of 2alda6a$ 2antillana1s second son& I6igo <=pez de Mendoza& *as made count of Tendilla in 1A@H (K#, and the third son& <orenzo 2u:rez de Eigueroa& *as made count of Coru6a in 1A@? (K#$ The youngest of 2antillana1s sons& the former %ishop of Calahorra& %ecame cardinal of 2anta Croce popularly /no*n as the cardinal of 2pain since there *as never more than one 2panish cardinal at a time %ishop of 2igLenza& arch%ishop of 2eville& and administrator of the %ishopric of .sma$ In 1A?!&

cardinal Mendoza gave up the arch%ishopric of 2eville 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 2pain& cardinal Mendoza %ecame a permanent resident 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 2pain$(31# Their s*itch from champions of the rights of princess Cuana to leaders of the Isa%elline party *as the climactic moment of the Mendoza1s political history$ At ':3era in 13@H& >edro +onz:lez de Mendoza had %een 3ust one of a num%er of Trast:mara party captains a minor one at that$ Mendoza support of Isa%el in 1AHA made her )ueen of Castile$ The Mendoza had %ecome /ingma/ers the largest& *ealthiest& and most po*erful political force in Castile$ The Mendoza1s 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 any considerations of loyalty to the legitimate heir or duty to the monarchy as a legitimate institution$ After the marriage of Eernando and Isa%el in 1A@D& to have supported Cuana *ould have %een to destroy the Trast:mara dynasty$ The Mendoza fortune had %een %uilt entirely on a policy of support of this dynasty, and so long as the Trast:mara ruled in 2pain& 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 the Castilian monarchy is Andreas Balther& Die Anfnge Karls V& <eipzig& 1D11& pp$ 3D @!$ A less relia%le analysis can %e found in C$8$<$ ;ighfield& IThe Catholic Mings and the Titled 'o%ility of Castile&I in C$8$ ;ale et al$& eds$ Europe in the ate !iddle Ages& 5vanston& Ill$& 1D@!$ (oth Balther and ;ighfield are %ased upon Antoine de <alaing& "elation du premier voyage de #hilippe le $eau en Espagne% en &'(&& in )ollection des Voyages des *ouverains des #ays+$as& (russels& 1?H@& vol$ I$ The most important comprehensive histories of the Mendoza are those %y MondG3ar in the seventeenth century and %y <ayna in the t*entieth$ The chapters of MondG3ar1s *or/ covering the period 1!@@ 1!H1 are edited and pu%lished %y Alfred Morel Eatio& ,Espagne au -V.e e au -V..e si/cle& ;eil%ronn& 1?H?& pp$ @@ D@$ A less successful seventeenth century history of the family is +a%riel 8odr7guez de Ardila y 5s)uivias& I;istoria de los condes de Tendilla&I ed$ 8$ EoulchG Fel%osc& "evue 0ispani1ue& 31 (1D1A#& @3 131$ An eighteenth century genealogical history %ased on documents no* contained in .suna is Fiego +utiGrrez Coronel& 0istoria geneal2gica de la )asa de !endoza& ed$ Angel +onz:lez >alencia& 2 vols$& Madrid& 1DA@& 2ee also Arteaga y Ealguera& a )asa del .nfantado, Carril& os !endoza, CosG Amador de los 87os& Vida del mar1us de *antillana& (uenos Aires& 1DA?, +onz:lez >alencia& Vida& vol$ 1$ 2$ *iete #artidas& >artida I-& 2!& 1$ 3$ The territorial military governors had different titles according to the usage at the time each territory had %een incorporated into the /ingdom& i$e$& montero mayor de e2n& prestamero mayor de Vizcaya& adelantado de !urcia& capit3n general de 4ranada& virrey de 5ueva Espaa$ A$ Eor the *ar and its aftermath& see Ayala& )r2nica del rey don #edro, Culio -alde=n (aru)ue& Enri1ue .. de )astilla6 a guerra civil y la consolidaci2n del rgimen &788++&79&& -alladolid& 1D@@$ !$ Alfonso AndrGs& IF$ >edro +onz:lez de Mendoza Gl de Al3u%arrota& 13A" 13?!&I $oletn de la Academia de la 0istoria& H? (1D21#& 2!! 2H3& 3!3 3H@& A1! A3@& AD@ !"A, I54tracto del privilegio del

rey >edro de Castilla por el )ue hace merced de la villa de +alve a I6igo <=pez de .rozco& Tordesillas& 2? .cto%er 13!A&I 2alazar& M 1 !?& ff$ @H& @Hv, I54tracto del privilegio del rey por el )ue concede cierta venta de trigo a I6igo <=pez de .rozco& Toledo& H Canuary 13@!&I 2alazar& M 1!?& f$ @@v$ @$ I>edro +onz:lez de Mendoza& 5scri%an7as de +uadala3ara y otras por 5nri)ue II& 13@@&I .suna& 1?H3N1, I;ita and (uitrago& escri%an7a a >edro +onz:lez de Mendoza& 13@@&I .suna& 1?H3, IFu)ues del Infantado& CGdulas de algunos reyes a favor de Alvaro de <una y los Fu)ues del Infantado& 13@1 1AH@&I .suna& 1H2AN3, I54tracto del privilegio del rey 5nri)ue II por el )ue confirma a I6igo <=pez de .rozco y a do6a Marina +arc7a de Meneses los privilegios de sus casas& Toledo& 1" May 13H1&I 2alazar& M 1!?& f$ @@v, -alde=n& Enri1ue ..& pp$ 12!& 12? 12D$ H$ 5nglish participation in the *ar in Cohn Eroissart& )hronicles of England% :rance and *pain& ed$ ;$>$ Funster& 'e* 9or/0 Futton& 1D@1& pp$ D1 112, and >$ 5$ 8ussell& English .ntervention in *pain ; #ortugal in the <ime of Ed=ard ... ; "ichard ..& .4ford& 1D!!$ ?$ The mercedes of 5nri)ue II *ere those gifts from the /ing that involved the alienation of a portion of the royal patrimony and *ere given in remuneration for services$ IMerced de (uitrago e ;ita a >edro +onz:lez de Mendoza& 13@?&I and IConfirmaci=n& 13HD&I .suna& 1@!2N@, -alde=n& Enri1ue ..& pp$ 121 123& 1?1 1?3& 21A& 2?? 2?D, I>edro +onz:lez de Mendoza& Mayorazgo para su hi3o I6igo& 13H3&I .suna& 13H3N1", Amador de los 87os& Vida& p$ 22, +utiGrrez Coronel& )asa de !endoza& I& D@ D?, IMayorazgo para su hi3o Fiego& 13 Ee%ruary 13?"&I .suna& 1H@2& printed in <ayna 2errano& 4uadala>ara& I& 2?2 2?A$ D$ (urgos& 1 Canuary 13@@& I5l rey don 5nri)ue II hace merced de las villas de (uitrago y ;ita a >edro +onz:lez de Mendoza&I in <u7s de 2alazar y Castro& 0istoria geneal2gica de la )asa de 0aro& ed$ Falmiro de la -:lgoma y F7az -arela& Archivo Focumental 5spa6ol& 1! (1D!D#& 31@ 322$ 1"$ 5milio Mitre Eern:ndez& Evoluci2n de la nobleza en )astilla ba>o Enri1ue ...% &7?8+&@(8& -alladolid& 1D@?, <uis 2u:rez Eern:ndez& IAlgunas consideraciones acerca de la crisis castellana de 13?3&I Anuario de Estudios !edievales& 2 (1D@!#& 3!D 3H@, idem& I>ro%lemas pol7ticos en la minoridad de 5nri)ue III&I 0ispania& 12 (1D!2#& 1@3 231& 323 A""$ Eor the Mendoza connections *ith the >echa and Ayala clans& see <uis Maria de Jriarte& ed$& El fuero de Ayala %y Eern:n >Grez de Ayala& Madrid& 1D12& pp$ 3H AD, Cer=nimo de 2igLenza& 0istoria de la Arden de *an Ber2nimo& in 'ueva (i%lioteca de Autores 5spa6oles& vols$ ?& 12& Madrid& 1D"D, Cuan Catalina +arc7a <=pez& $iblioteca de escritores de la provincia de 4uadala>ara y bibliografa de la misma hasta el siglo -.-& Madrid& 1?DD$ 11$ ITestimonio de la entrega a don Fiego ;urtado& el almirante& hecha por micer -entura -enz=n& del regimiento& alcald7a y alguacilazgo de +uadala3ara& 2egovia& 1@ 'ovem%er 1A"1&I .suna& 1?H!& pu%lished in <ayna 2errano& +uadala3ara& I& 3"2$ 12$ >Grez de +uzm:n& 4eneraciones& p$ 1H$ 13$ ITendilla& >rivilegio rodado escripto en papel )ue di= el se6or rey don 5nri)ue 3o al se6or don Fiego ;urtado de Mendoza se6or de la -ega y Almirante de la Mar por la )ual hace merced de la villa de Tendilla& Madrid& Fecem%er 13D!&I .suna& 2D?3N1$ 1A$ Amador de los 87os& Vida& pp$ 22 23, I2antillana& 8econocimiento de vasalla3e a +arc7a <aso de la -ega& 131!&I .suna& 1HD?N@, I2antillana& (ienes de da$ <eonor de la -ega& >oder so%re posesi=n de >otes y dem:s lugares de <iG%ana& 1A"?&I .suna& A232N3, I<eonor de la -ega& Apuntes so%re sus tierras y vasallos&I .suna& 1H??N3, I<eonor de la -ega& Carta de >er Alvarez so%re alca%alas de Castrillo& siglo X-&I .suna& 1?@AN@, I2antillana& >rovision de Cuan I a los alcaldes de 2antander& 2$ -icente de la (ar)uera y 2antillana para la posesi=n de pozo de sal de Trece6o& 13HD&I .suna& 22@@N1$ 1!$ ;ay*ard Meniston& 4arcilaso de la VegaC A )ritical *tudy of 0is ife and DorEs& 'e* 9or/& 1D22$

1@$ I.trosi mando )ue a mi fi3o garcia )ue le muden el non%re e le digan iohan furtado de mendoOa$I .suna& 1H@2$ 1H$ 2antillana1s 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& A! !@$ 2ee also IMondG3ar& Cesi=n por 2ancho de 8o3as Arzo%$ de Toledo a da$ <eonor de Arag=n )ue la ha%7a dado 2alda6a& 1A1!&I .suna& 1?2!NA, I-illa de ;ita& Carta de I6igo <=pez de Mendoza para )ue sus vasallos de (uitrago e ;ita le paguen lo )ue le orden& 1A1?&I .suna& 1@A?N@, IMerindad de 2antillana& 2o%re el secando de la sal de Ca%ez=n en la Merindad de 2antillana& 1A23&I .suna& 22@@N2, ICastillo de 2alda6a& 2o%re entrega por Fiego +=mez de 2andoval& 1A3"&I .suna& 1D@!N!, I2antillana& >osesi=n& +onzalvo 8uiz de la -ega& 1A3H&I .suna& 1?2@N2, ITendilla& Carta de venta )ue otorg= fray 5ste%an de <e=n religioso de monasterio 2an Cer=nimo en 2an (artolomG de <upiana como al%acea de la se6ora da$ Aldonza de Mendoza a favor de Cuan de Contreras de la villa de Tendilla& 1AA1&I .suna& 2D?3, I2antillana y sus valles&I .suna& 1H?A 1HDH, ICap7tulos entre I6igo <=pez de Mendoza y el Conse3o para levantar con muralles de ;ita& 1AA1&I .suna& 1@H"N1, I2alda6a& Ferecho a nom%rar teniente de alcalde y escri%ano& etc$ por los Fu)ues& 1HDH&I .suna& 1?2@N2$ 1?$ Eor general information a%out the period 1A"H 1AHA& I have relied upon <uis 2u:rez Eern:ndez& Angel Canellas <=pez& and Caime -icens -ives& os <rast3maras de )astilla y Arag2n en el siglo -V& 1A"H 1AHA& (-ol$ 1! of 0istoria de Espaa directed %y 8am=n MenGndez >idal#$ Madrid 1D@D, <uis 2u:rez Eern:ndez& )astilla% el cisma% y el crisis conciliar% &79F+&@@(& Madrid& 1D!!, idem& 5obleza y monar1ua& 2nd ed$& -alladolid& 1DHA, and CosG Mar7a Eont 87us& .nstituciones medievales espaolas& Madrid& 1DAD$ 2ee also IMar)uGs de 2antillana& Confederaci=n con Gl de -illena y el conde de >lasencia& 1A!"&I .suna& 1?@"NH, I>riego& <ope de& >osesi=n en nom%re de Cuan de <una de los lugares de Alcocer& etc$ 1A!3&I .suna& 1H2HNA, IConfederaci=n& 22 Fecem%er 1A!@&I .suna& 1?@"N?, IConfederaci=n& 2egovia& A Cune 1A!H&I .suna& 1?@"N1D$ 2u:rez Eern:ndez points out several times that %oth supporters and opponents of the cro*n s*itched sides many times and that there *as no ideological or class conflict %et*een the monarchy and the aristocracy& yet he continues to %elieve that the political conflict of the period can %e e4plained as a conflict %et*een the cro*n and the aristocracy& *hom he inconsistently la%els no%ility$ 1D$ The fifteenth century admiration for Eernando de Ante)uera is repeated *ithout criticism in I$ MacFonald& Don :ernando de Ante1uera& .4ford& 1DA?$ 2"$ 2antillana *as +uzm:n1s great nephe*, +utierre +=mez de Toledo& *ho led them in this action& *as +uzm:n1s cousin and Al%a1s uncle, 2antillana and -elasco %ecame consuegros, and +uzm:n *as a nephe* of -elasco$ Amador de los 87os %elieves that 2antillana and Al%a *ere educated together in the household of +utierre +=mez de Toledo *hile the latter *as archdeacon of +uadala3ara and that Al%a1s presence at 2antillana1s death%ed is evidence of a lifelong friendship$ Vida& p$ HH$ C$ ;$ 5lliott suggests that the Mendoza and Al%a *ere enemies in the fifteenth century0 .mperial *pain& pp$ 2!@ 2!H$ It is true that the Mendoza never had the close friendship *ith Al%a that they had *ith some other great families& such as the -elasco and +uzm:n& %ut they did have a consistent friendship %ased on common political interests& amply documented %y the alliances %et*een the Mendoza and Al%a in .suna& 1?@"$ 21$ I<a acci=n de Tordesillas fuG un pecado de 3uventud de don I6igo$I Carril& os !endoza& p$ 3"$ 22$ I2antillana& mar)uGs de& CGdula para entrega de Cuan de >uelles& 1A!!&I .suna& 1?@"N3H, I2evilla& 11 August 1A!!& CGdula original de 5nri)ue I-&I .suna& 1?@"N3H, ICGdulas para )ue los arrendadores del rey no co%ren rentas en el condado del 8eal de Manzanares& >artido de (uitrago& >artido de ;ita& mar)uesado de 2antillana& 1A!@&I .suna& 1?@2N1, IAl%al: del rey Cuan II por el )ue hace merced del t7tulo de mar)uGs de 2antillana y de conde del 8eal de Manzanares a I6igo <=pez de Mendoza& (urgos& ? August 1AA!&I 2alazar& M D2& ff$ 2D!v$ 2DH, ITestamento del primer mar)uGs de 2antillana& ? May

1A!!& +uadala3ara&I .suna& 1?H!& and ICodicilo al testamento del primer mar)uGs de 2antillana& CaGn& ! Cune 1A!!&I .suna& 1H@2& %oth pu%lished in <ayna 2errano& 4uadala>ara& I& 31! 32A, Amador de los 87os& Vida& A!& @A, +utiGrrez Coronel& )asa de !endoza& I& 1H3 1H?$ 23$ In 1A3@& 2antillana1s eldest son *as married to (rianda de <una& a cousin of don Alvaro a marriage for *hich the /ing himself acted as padrino (godfather# in an attempt to esta%lish peace %et*een the t*o houses$ Amador de los 87os& Vida& pp$ !2 !!$ 2A$ IConfederaci=n& +uadala3ara& 21 March 1A!D&I .suna& 1?@"ND, IConfederaci=n& <ogro6o& A Cune 1A@1&I .suna& 1?@"N2"& *ith a letter from the /ing in 1?@"N1"$ 2!$ Eor the follo*ing section& see Manuel Torres Eontes& I<a con)uista del mar)uesado de -illena en el reinado de los 8eyes Cat=licos&I 0ispania& 13 (1D!3#& 3H 1!1, Tarsicio de Azcona& .sabel la )at2lica6 Estudio crtico de su vida y su reinado& Madrid& 1D@A& pp$ 3 2"!, IConfederaci=n& ArGvalo& ? .cto%er 1A@!&I .suna& 1?@"N11, IConfederaci=n& ArGvalo& ? .cto%er 1A@!&I .suna& 1?@"N12, IConfederaci=n& 3" Canuary 1A@@&I .suna& 1?@"& no num%er, IConfederaci=n& March& 1A@@&I .suna& 1?@"N1@, IConfederaci=n& Atienza& 2? April 1A@@&I .suna& 1?@"N13, IConfederaci=n& -alladolid& 2D August 1A@@&I .suna& 1?@"N1A, IConfederaci=n con do6a Cuana mu3er de 5nri)ue I-& 1A@H&I .suna& 1?@"N1A, ITraslado autorizado del pleito omena3e )ue hiOo el rey don 5nri)ue I- a los$$$ refrendado de Eernando del >ulgar en manos del 2r don I6igo <=pez de Mendoza& 2? Cune 1A@H&I .suna& 1?@"N3?, IConfederaci=n con Cuan Alfon de Mon3eca& 1A@?&I .suna& 1?@"N1?, ICopia sin autorizar en papel de )uartillo de la confederaci=n$$$& (urgos& 2D Culy 1A@?&I .suna& 1?@"& no num%er, IConfederaci=n& Tri3ue)ue& 3" Culy 1A@?&I .suna& 1?@"N1?$ 2@$ Eernando del >ulgar& )r2nica de los reyes cat2licos& II& D$ 2H$ IMar)uGs de 2antillana& 8elaci=n de la entrega de la >rincesa Cuana& 1A@?&I .suna& 1H2@ND, IConfederaci=n& 11 March 1A@D&I .suna& 1?@"N@, IConfederaci=n& 1? March 1A@D&I .suna& 1?@"N2", I>edro +onz:lez de Mendoza& Confederaci=n para tener por reina a Isa%el la Cat=lica& 1AHA&I .suna& A1HN2" %is, IConfederaci=n& Carri=n& 2? March 1AHA&I .suna& 1?@"N21, IMar)uGs de 2antillana& Confederaci=n para con)uistar Carri=n& 1" April 1AHA&I .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 states that she is giving the title %ecause the second 2antillana *as Iel principal grande ca%allero de nuestros reinos& )ue conservan nuestro estado e sostienen nuestra corona$I 2D$ Torres Eontes& I<a con)uista del mar)uesado de -illena$I 3"$ Eernando1s mother *as Cuana 5nr7)uez& granddaughter of Cuana de Mendoza and Alfonso 5nr7)uez& the first 5nr7)uez admiral$ 31$ Erancisco de Medina y Mendoza& Vida del )ardenal DG #edro 4onz3lez de !endoza$ Memorial ;ist=rico 5spa6ol& vol$ -I& Madrid& 1?!3, Azcona& .sabel& p$ H2A$