# Diego López de Medrano, Lord of Agoncillo

Diego López de Medrano y Hurtado de Mendoza (XIV century – 15th century) Lord of Agoncillo, Velilla and San Martín de Berberana in the Kingdom of Castile and León, a nobleman from the House of Medrano in La Rioja, served as a crown official during the reign of King John I of Castile. Diego was the royal steward of the king, a royal ambassador of Castile, and lawyer. He is the founder and ecclesiastical patron of the perpetual chaplaincy established in the main chapel of the Monastery of San Francisco in Logroño. He was briefly the ruler of the castle of Islallana, until he sold it to his uncle Rodrigo Díaz de Medrano.

## Family background

Diego López de Medrano y Hurtado de Mendoza was born into a noble family of ricoshombres in the Kingdom of Castile, deeply involved in politics, the church and military. On his paternal side, Diego belongs to the illustrious House of Medrano, from the La Rioja branch. On his maternal side, he was born into the influential House of Mendoza. The Medrano family is recognized as one of the most powerful noble families in the Sierra de Cameros, La Rioja, and in the Province of Soria. Their livestock, which included sheep, grazed in those lands, and hundreds of times they walked to the pastures of Extremadura or the royal valley of Alcudia, in La Mancha.

### Siblings

The Medrano family played a crucial role in the political, military, and ceremonial affairs of Castile under the House of Trastámara, serving both as warriors and high-ranking court officials. His brother Juan Martínez de Medrano y Hurtado de Mendoza, Lord of Fuenmayor and Almarza de Cameros, is in the will and testament of King John I of Castile and León, where he orders Juan Martínez de Medrano to have the knife of King Henry III of Castile. His brother Juan Martínez de Medrano died at the battle of Aljubarrota in 1385. Another Juan Martínez de Medrano died in the battle of Santarém on 17 July 1393, and was part of the retinue of King John I of Castile.
In 1385, King John I of Castile established the Households of Infante Henry and Infante Ferdinand to structure their administration, prepare them for rule, and uphold royal continuity, following the model of Peter I's household. His brother's namesake son Juan Martínez de Medrano served as the Official of the Knife or Carver (Trinchante) in the Household of Infante Henry in 1385, under the reign of King John I of Castile. His role was part of the broader bureaucratic-administrative structure of the royal court, which included various high-ranking officials responsible for managing the prince’s household. His position placed him among notable figures such as Pedro González de Mendoza, Diego López de Estúñiga, and Alfonso de Aragón, Marquess of Villena.

## Ancestry
### Alvar Díaz de Medrano y Zúñiga

Diego was the son of Don Alvar Díaz de Medrano y Zúñiga, Lord of Fuenmayor, Almarza de Cameros and Agoncillo. Diego's father married with Lady Toda Hurtado de Mendoza y Rojas.
Lady Toda Hurtado de Mendoza was the daughter of Diego Hurtado de Mendoza, a member of the noble House of Mendoza, commander of Santiago in Valdericote, and María de Rojas. Álvar Díaz de Medrano y Zúñiga was the son of Juan Martínez de Medrano and Mencía López de Zúñiga.

### Juan Martínez de Medrano, the Noble

Diego's paternal grandfather was named Don Juan Martínez de Medrano, the Noble. His grandfather married Mencía López de Zúñiga.

### Juan Vélaz de Medrano, the Noble

Diego's paternal great-grandfather was named Don Juan Vélaz de Medrano, the Noble.

## Career

Loyal to the House of Trastámara, Diego López de Medrano, Lord of Agoncillo, was a knight and royal ambassador at the service of King John I of Castile. Diego López de Medrano was a lawyer and a notable figure in legal matters. He is most likely the same Diego de Medrano, Steward of the king, mentioned by the historian and licentiate Francisco Mosquera de Barnuevo in his La Numantina (c. 1612):
   The immortal Orpheus of Thrace
   Let him play the lute (adorned and pleasing)
   And sing of Don Diego de Medrano, Steward of King Don Juan the First.

## Royal Ambassador of Castile to Prince John of Gaunt (1386)

In 1372, Prince John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster formed a small Castilian chancery and claimed the title "King of Castile and León," styling himself as Peter of Castile. In 1386, Prince John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster sent a herald to King John I of Castile, informing him that he had arrived in Galicia with his wife, Constance of Castile, daughter of King Peter of Castile. The Duke asserted his entitlement to the kingdoms of Castile and León through his marriage and declared that if King John I of Castile challenged this claim, the dispute would be resolved through battle.

### Journey to Galicia

In 1386, King John I of Castile sent his royal ambassador Diego López de Medrano, along with prior Juan de Serrano, and doctor Alvar Martínez de Villareal, with his reply to Prince John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster, when the latter arrived in Galicia and sent the king a message claiming the crown of Castile for his wife and himself. Upon meeting the Duke, they were received with honor and were granted an audience. Diego López de Medrano and the other two ambassadors chose a public hearing in the presence of his council.

### Audience with Prince John of Gaunt

A few days later, with all the principal lords and captains who had accompanied him from England in attendance, the Duke called upon the ambassadors of the King of Castile and instructed them to deliver any messages or requests they had been sent to present on their lord's behalf. In front of the prince and all the principal lords and captains of England, Diego López de Medrano said:
   Lord, may it please you that the Doctor and I have come here with the Prior of Guadalupe by command of the King of Castile, our lord, to convey the reasons we have been instructed to present. Afterward, if it pleases you, you may respond to everything. Lord, the King of Castile, my lord, says that you sent him a herald stating that you have greater rights to the Kingdom of Castile than he does, and if he disagrees, you would challenge him to battle, power against power. To this, the King my lord says that he has the right to the Kingdom of Castile, and if you decide otherwise, he will fight you personally, or with ten against ten, or a hundred against a hundred, for the service of God and to avoid the spilling of Christian blood, as he does not wish to engage in a power struggle against you.
Prince John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster, informed the ambassadors that he would first consult with his council before providing a response. He then extended an invitation to Diego López de Medrano and the other two ambassadors to join him for a formal dinner, honoring them with full diplomatic courtesies.

#### John of Gaunt's response

A member of John of Gaunt's council replied to the knight Diego López de Medrano as follows:
   Knight, you shall tell your lord that my lord the King, who is present here, says this: That he has the right to the kingdoms of Castile and León by virtue of my lady Queen Doña Constanza, his wife, as the legitimate daughter and heir of King Don Pedro, her father. And he further says: 'Even if this claim were not valid, he has a greater right to the Kingdom of Castile because of his lineage from the House of England, since Doña Leonor, daughter of King Don Fernando, who conquered Seville, was married to the King of England, from whom he descends, and thus he is the legitimate heir to the kingdoms of Castile and León.

### Treaty of Bayonne (1388)

The result of Medrano's diplomatic visit concluded with a secret treaty with King John of Trastámara under which John of Gaunt and his wife renounced all claim to the Castilian throne in return for 600,000 gold francs and an annuity of 40,000 gold francs, along with the marriage of their daughter Catherine of Lancaster to John of Trastámara's son, Henry III of Castile. This agreement was formalized in 1388 with the Treaty of Bayonne.

## Ecclesiastical patronage

According to a 16th-century document, the ecclesiastical patronage of the perpetual chaplaincy of Diego López de Medrano, Lord of Agoncillo during the late 14th and early 15th centuries, was established in the main chapel of the Monastery of San Francisco in Logroño. This chaplaincy was founded by Diego López de Medrano, a prominent figure of his time. The patronage of the chaplaincy has historically been under the auspices of the House of Medrano, an influential family linked to the region.

### Saint Francis of Assisi in Agoncillo (1211)

The Medrano family are generational patrons of the Franciscan Order. In approximately 1211, a captain of the Medrano family held the lordship of the castle and town of Agoncillo, situated near the city of Logroño, in the region of La Rioja. Medrano's son was suffering from a mysterious and untreatable ailment. In 1211, Saint Francis of Assisi roamed those very paths of Agoncillo. In a saintly manner, he visited Medrano's Agoncillo castle, placed his mystical hands upon the ailing Medrano boy, and miraculously healed him, securing the Medrano lineage in Agoncillo. The Medrano family generously donated some land, including a tower, situated close to the Ebro River within the city of Logroño as a gift to Saint Francis, establishing the first Spanish convent of his Order there. As a result, the Medrano family are distinguished by their devotion to Saint Francis of Assisi and their generational patronage of the Franciscan order. Unfortunately, despite its centuries-long legacy of glory and sanctity, the convent met its demise in the 19th century due to the advent of liberalism and its accompanying laws. Today, the remnants of its walls still remain.
Ecclesiastical patronage, notably unknown to historiography, was one of the greatest demonstrations of supremacy and distinction that the nobility of the time could exercise. The appropriation of patronage afterwards was not as common.

## Lordship of Agoncillo

The Lordship of Agoncillo is strategically located near the Ebro River, which historically marked the boundary between Castile and Navarre, making Agoncillo a crucial frontier defense. It sits close to where the Jubera and Leza rivers converge, with the Leza River flowing into the Ebro nearby. This positioning allowed the Medrano family to control the passage of these rivers and oversee the important road running through the area. The current town is believed to occupy the site of the ancient and now ruined settlement of Egón, from which it derives its modern diminutive name. Historically, Agoncillo has appeared under various names, including Agonciello, Egonciello, Agusiello, and Sagonciello.

### Background

The province of La Rioja was reclaimed by the King of Castile in the 14th century. During the royal court's stay near the town, Alfonso XI of Castile bestowed Agoncillo, its fortress, and the castle between Arrúbal and Arroyuelo, along with their lands, rents, and judicial rights, upon his vassal and crossbowman Sancho Sánchez de Rojas and his wife Urraca Díaz on September 1, 1336.
In 1337, Diego's uncle Don Rodrigo Alfonso de Medrano bought the village of Velilla and Agoncillo, along with the castle of Aguas Mansas from Sancho Sánchez de Rojas and his wife Urraca Díaz. The king confirmed Rodrigo Alfonso de Medrano, his chief crossbowman, in the purchase of the town of Agoncillo and Velilla from Sancho Sánchez de Rojas, by Royal Decree, and granted him additional privileges, including requests and aid from eight town taxpayers. In his will made in 1345, Diego's uncle Rodrigo Alfonso de Medrano ordered his burial in the chapel of Santa Engracia, which he had constructed behind Santa María de Palacio in Logroño. He also established a majorazgo with Agoncillo and Velilla, which was later nullified due to procedural deficiencies.
Rodrigo Alfonso de Medrano completed and renovated the castle and village of Agoncillo. According to his will and testament, Don Rodrigo Diaz de Medrano spent:
   "large sums of money rebuilding the village and the castle and constructing the palace of Velilla (Old Castillian: Grandes sumas de dinero reconstruyendo el pueblo y el castillo y construyendo el palacio de Velilla)."
During the conflicts between Peter of Castile and Henry II of Castile, the Lords of Agoncillo in La Rioja from the House of Medrano were loyal to the Royal House of Trastámara. Henry intervened in Castile and sought refuge in Rioja, while Charles II of Navarre took advantage of Peter I's weakening power to briefly seize Logroño and its territory.

#### Return of Agoncillo to the House of Medrano

To repay the inhabitants of Viana for provisions taken while the royal court was stationed in front of Logroño, Charles II of Navarre ordered the sale of Agoncillo, its castle, and the village of Velilla, which had been recently regained, for three thousand florins, an agreement made in Pamplona on 15 September 1368. However, following Henry II's victory in the province of La Rioja, the borders were restored to their original configuration, and the town of Agoncillo, along with its castle, was reclaimed by its rightful owner, Rodrigo Diaz de Medrano, in 1392.

## Mayorazgo of Agoncillo

Before acquiring Agoncillo from his uncle, Diego López de Medrano purchased various properties from the descendants of Juan Rodríguez de Agoncillo (or Valdefuentes). In 1389, Diego López de Medrano acquired Velilla, La Rioja for 13,000 maravedís. The following year, in 1390, he bought half of San Martín de Berberana (or Barberana), including palaces, houses, casares, woods, and lordship, from Sancho Sánchez de Medrano for 5,000 maravedís. In 1391, he purchased the other half from Sancho for 320 Aragonese florins.
On January 16, 1392, Diego López de Medrano received the Lordship of Agoncillo, near Logroño, from his paternal uncle Don Rodrigo Alfonso de Medrano. This acquisition included its stronghold, lands, vineyards, mills, and all associated rights and lordship, in exchange for the castle of Cueva Eslañana (Islallana), valued at forty thousand maravedís, because Agoncillo was valued higher. Full possession of Agoncillo was not achieved until 1401, when Diego López de Medrano completed the outstanding requirements needed for its complete acquisition.

### Establishing the Mayorazgo of Agoncillo and Velilla

Diego López de Medrano obtained royal permission from King John II of Castile to establish a majorazgo in 1407 with all the assets he obtained in favor of his son Don Juan de Medrano. Diego was succeeded by his son Juan. However, upon Juan's death without heirs, the majorazgo passed to Diego's daughter Aldonza Diaz de Medrano.

#### Collateral of Dona Aldonza Diaz de Medrano

His daughter Dona Aldonza Diaz de Medrano inherited the Mayorazgo of Agoncillo, along with its stronghold, lands, vineyards, mills, and all associated rights and lordship. An 18th-century lawsuit revealed the concealment of wills to hide this irregular succession by the Frías family.
Dona Aldonza Diaz de Medrano was married to the powerful Lope García de Porras. Lope García de Porras, owning a vast estate in Burgos, bequeathed the majorazgo of Extramiana to his son, Pedro Gómez de Porras y Medrano, in 1429. This estate included Cidad de Porras with its stronghold, Virtus in Burgos, Spain with its castle, and Extramiana in Castile and León. These assets, mostly in the Tobalina valley, formed a single majorazgo with Agoncillo.
Pedro's successor Pedro Gómez de Porras married Diego López de Salcedo y Medrano's daughter, but they died without descendants, leading to a lawsuit in Valladolid. In 1477, a ruling favored Pedro's son Lope against Diego's descendants. Pedro Gómez de Porras y Medrano, considering himself the legitimate successor, fulfilled tasks from his grandfather's will, including specific instructions for his burial in the Monastery of San Francisco in Logroño, with alabaster tombs and the placement of two Medrano family shields on the wall in the castle of Aguas Mansas.
In 1489, Lope rented out Agoncillo lands to residents for substantial payments. When Lope died in 1501, his grandson Francisco succeeded him, opposing a new majorazgo for Rui Díaz de Porras. A legal ruling declared all Extramiana majorazgo assets belonged to the Agoncillo majorazgo under the House of Porras y Medrano.

#### Counts of Siruela

By the end of the 16th century, the last direct male descendant of the Porres y Medrano line died. Doña Ana Maria de Porres y Medrano, Lady of Agoncillo, married Don Cristóbal de Velasco y Zúñiga (died 1623), VI Count of Siruela, and from that moment on, Agoncillo became part of the County of Siruela, while Extramiana was reserved for a collateral male branch and later reintegrated into the majorazgo of Cidad de Valdeporras.
In 1689, a lengthy lawsuit began between Lope de Frías Salazar and the last daughter of the Counts of Siruela, a nun at Santa Clara de Medina de Pomar. By 1695, a judgment favored the nun, requiring Lope to return all assets and pay 135,924 reales. The nun died the same year, leading to a new lawsuit between Lope, the monastery, and others. Despite losing the succession case over Extramiana, Lope retained possession of Agoncillo, which remained in the Frías Salazar family until the abolition of the majorazgos in the early 19th century.

## Marriage and Children

Diego López de Medrano, Lord of Agoncillo married Dona Maria Ramirez de Medrano and had three children:
* Elvira López de Medrano
* Juan de Medrano
* Aldonza Diaz de Medrano

### Juan de Medrano

Juan de Medrano was the son and heir of Don Diego López de Medrano, however he died without succession, and his titles and castle passed to his second sister, Aldonza Diaz de Medrano.

### Aldonza Diaz de Medrano

Diego's daughter Aldonza, who succeeded his son Juan de Medrano, became the Lady of Agoncillo and Velilla. Aldonza Diaz de Medrano's successors would bear mixed arms of the Medrano and Porras families. Aldonza married Lope Garcia de Porres and had one son:
* Pedro Gomez de Porres y Medrano, Lord of Agoncillo, Knight of the Order of Calatrava, a member of His Majesty's Council, and the Alcalde of Hijosdalgo of the Royal Chancery of Valladolid.
Pedro Gómez de Porres y Medrano married Catalina Sanchez de Alvarado and was the father of Lope de Porres y Alvarado, Lord of Agoncillo. Lope de Porres y Alvarado married Inés de Guevara, daughter of the Count of Oñate. Lope and Inés were the parents of Constanza and Pedro de Porres y Guevara, Lord of Agoncillo. Pedro de Porres y Guevara married Juana Ponce de León y Avellaneda and was the father of Francisco de Porres y Ponce, Lord of Agoncillo.
In the 16th century, Francisco de Porres y Ponce married Isabel de Beaumont y Navarra Manrique, daughter of Luís III de Beaumont, Count of Lerín (son of Louis de Beaumont, 2nd Count de Lerín), and Brianda Manrique de Lara y Castro, from the powerful house of Manrique de Lara. Together they had a son named Lope de Porres y Beaumont, lord of Agoncillo. Isabel's father Don Luis III de Beaumont was the son of Eleonore d'Aragon, the illegitimate daughter of king John II of Aragon and half sister of Queen Juana Enríquez. Luis III de Beaumont was the grandson of Luis de Beaumont, the latter being a grandchild of Louis of Évreux and a great-grandchild of Queen Jeanne d'Albret.
Lope de Porres y Beaumont married María González de Castejón y Fuenmayor, daughter of Martín González de Castejón y del Río, 1st Lord of Velamazán, the latter being an ancestor of Martín Juan de Castejón y Medrano, 5th Lord of Velamazán. Lope de Porres y Beaumont and María González de Castejón were the parents of Ana María de Porras, Lady of Agoncillo, and Antonio de Porras, Lord of Agoncillo.

#### Counts of Siruela

Doña Aldonza Díaz de Medrano's 4th-granddaughter Doña Ana Maria de Porres married Don Cristóbal de Velasco y Zúñiga (died 1623), VI Count of Siruela, V Lord and IV holder of the mayorazgo of the town of Roa, lord of the valleys of Pernía and Cervera de Río Pisuerga, granted powers to make a will jointly with his wife before Domingo Fernández de Heredia on March 1, 1623.
Doña Ana María de Porres was the Lady of Agoncillo and the Medrano estate, patroness of the convent of the Order of San Francisco in Logroño, founded by the Medrano lords, initially established by Saint Francis himself in the Kingdoms of Castile. She was the eldest daughter of Lope de Porres y Beaumont, Lord of the Medrano estate of Agoncillo and the Extremiana house, and María González de Castejón. Her son Gabriel de Velasco y Porres (b. 4 May 1625), became the 7th count of Siruela. The title of Siruela was granted the Greatness of Spain by Charles VI, Holy Roman Emperor in 1711, and later confirmed by King Philip V of Spain.
Aldonza Diaz de Medrano is the ancestor of María Isabella Spínola y Spínola (1737–1801), who inherited the titles of XVI Countess of Siruela, VII Countess of Valverde, IV Marchioness of Santa Clara, VI Duchess of San Pietro in Galatina, and Princess of Molfetta. She was the daughter of Francesco María Spinola, V Duke of San Pedro in Galatino and Mariana Francisca Spínola y Silva, VI Marchioness of Santacara, XV Countess of Siruela and Valverde. She married Martín Fernández de Velasco y Pimentel [es], who held numerous titles including XII Duke of Frías, IV Duke of Arión, XVI Count of Alba de Liste, XVI Count of Haro, and others.
Jacobo Fitz-James Stuart y Martínez de Irujo, the son of the late 18th Duchess of Alba Cayetana Fitz-James Stuart, and known as Jacobo Siruela, currently holds the title as the 23rd count of Siruela. His father was Don Luis Martínez de Irujo y Artázcoz [es] (1919–1972), younger son of the Duke of Sotomayor and his wife Ana María de Artázcoz y Labayen (1892–1930), court lady of Queen Victoria Eugenia of Spain.

### Elvira López de Medrano

Diego had a daughter named Elvira López de Medrano (b. 1366). Elvira married Diego López de Salcedo Hurtado de Mendoza (b. 1366 – d. 1420), the alcaide of Soria, and they had a son, Diego López de Salcedo y Medrano, born around 1390.
Elvira's great-granddaughter María de Torres Salcedo, the daughter of Lope de Salazar Buitrón and Hurtada Salcedo de Torres, married Diego Hurtado de Mendoza Salcedo, 14th Lord of Salcedo and Legarda, who made his will in 1512. Her mother, Hurtada Salcedo de Torres, was the daughter of Diego López de Salcedo y Medrano and María de Torres. On her paternal side, Hurtada was also the granddaughter of Diego López de Salcedo (1366–1420), Alcaide of Deza, and Elvira López de Medrano, daughter of Diego López de Medrano, Lord of Agoncillo.