Diego de Medrano (1545 – 1588) was a nobleman from the House of Medrano in the Kingdom of Castile and a prominent Spanish navalcommander of the late 16th century. He played a significant role in several key military campaigns, including the battles of Cyprus, Lepanto, Navarino, and Tunis, as well as other expeditions in Italy and Barbary.[1] Medrano was appointed commander of twelve galleys that joined Álvaro de Bazán, Marquess of Santa Cruz in the 1583 expedition to Terceira.[2] As a Squadron General and Captain, Don Diego de Medrano commanded four galleys in the Spanish Armada, and on the voyage back to Spain, he became interim Admiral of the Spanish Armada.[3]
Diego de Medrano was also the Captain of the Fortuna de Napoligalley. He oversaw the construction of the Port of Gibraltar and guarded its strait, including the coast of Andalusia.[1] He is noted for innovating naval warfare techniques by enhancing the design of his galleys, becoming the first person to successfully cross the ocean with this type of ship.[4] He contributed to the surrender of Faial. For 25 years of service, he was awarded a habit of Santiago and the role as Squadron General and Captain of the São João galleys in the Spanish Armada by King Philip II of Spain.[5]
Side view of the Church of Our Lady of the Assumption and Tower in Hinojosa del Campo, the town where Don Diego de Medrano was born.
Don Diego de Medrano was born in Hinojosa del Campo, Soria, in 1545.[4] He was born into the ancient and noble Medrano family.[6] He is the son of Don Juan Fernández de Medrano.[7] The House of Medrano is notable for being one of the most powerful in the Sierra de Cameros [es] and in Soria.[8]
The House of Medrano managed their Lordships and maintained their main resources, maize cultivation and especially sheep farming.[9] Their livestock grazed in those lands, and hundreds of times they walked to the pastures of Extremadura or the royal valley of Alcudia, in La Mancha.[8][10]
The House of Medrano, Lords of the towns of Cavañuelas, San Gregorio, and Lords over many other entailed estates of the Medrano lineage in Soria and its region, are knights of great antiquity and nobility.[11]
Don Diego de Medrano stood out in the famous battles of Terceira and Lepanto. He was also crucial in the fight against corsairs on the Galician and Portuguese coasts.[5] On 7 February 1588 Don Diego de Medrano wrote a letter in Lisbon, addressed to King Philip II of Spain, recalling all of his previous naval warfare experience:
I beseech you to remember my twenty-five years of service, including the twenty years in these galleys, during which I assisted in the relief of Cyprus as captain of the galley Fortuna of Naples, and also in the naval battle of Lepanto, where I served to the satisfaction of the late Don Juan of Austria, and in the expedition to Navarino, where I was entrusted with twelve galleys. In the expedition to Tunis and other occasions, the late Marqués de Santa Cruz entrusted me with many bands of galleys for Sicily, Naples, and Spain. When Your Majesty assigned the galleys to the said Marqués, he immediately sent me to winter in Gibraltar with eight galleys under my command, to attend to the construction of that port and the guard of that strait, as Your Majesty knows. The following spring, by Your Majesty's order, I accompanied Pedro de Vanegas on his return from Safi, who was going to Barbary with twelve galleys, and I continued with the squadron of galleys until they arrived at the expedition of this kingdom, guarding the coast of Andalucia. There were several occasions when I captured a French ship, which Your Majesty acknowledged with satisfaction, and I guarded the coast of Spain with them. I brought Don Pedro de Padilla to Orán and to the officials who went to take possession of the African borders, all by Your Majesty's order. Lastly, I took the galleys to the Tercio, as Your Majesty knows and as I served.[1]
In 1571, Diego de Medrano was a captain in the Holy League and participated in the victorious Battle of Lepanto against the Ottoman Empire in the Gulf of Patras.[5] Captain Diego de Medrano commanded the Fortuna de Napoli galley, alongside the Mendoza of Naples under Martino de Caide, and the Luna de España under Diego López de Llanos. They formed the central division of 16 Spanish and Neapolitan galleys surrounding the flagship of John of Austria, son of Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor.[5] According to the historian Francisco Mosquera de Barnuevo, Diego de Medrano was a soldier of great determination and experience.[12]
In 1572, Don Juan de Austria wintered in Naples and received instructions from His Majesty to set out in the spring of 1573 with the fleet to capture Tunis, as the Turks had seized the kingdom from Abu Abdallah Muhammad V al-Hasan, a vassal of the King of Spain. His Highness directed Álvaro de Bazán, Marquess of Santa Cruz to advance with 4,000 men to Tunis and, if possible, take control of the city and fortress.[13]
In the expedition to Tunis and other occasions, the Marqués de Santa Cruz entrusted Captain Medrano with many bands of galleys for Sicily, Naples, and Spain.[1] Captain Diego de Medrano and the Marquess of Santa Cruz reached Tunis, and on their arrival the Turks and Moors there fled, abandoning the city and fortress, allowing the soldiers to secure good quarters and valuable spoils for the night. The next morning, the Marquess went out to meet Don Juan de Austria, handing over the keys to the fortress.[13]
In 1576, Captain Diego de Medrano and the Marquess of Santa Cruz embarked with 4,000 soldiers from Zaragoza and headed to Malta to plan a campaign against the Kerkennah Islands. After successfully navigating the sandbanks and engaging in a skirmish with the Moors, the Marquess and Captain Medrano organized a landing operation. The operation involved Spanish infantry, cavalry from the Order of Saint John, and horses specially brought for the campaign. During the battle, Captain Diego de Medrano was injured, but the forces managed to push the Moors back, securing the island and gaining valuable spoils.[13]
The naval battle of Vila Franca do Campo, also known as the naval battle of Terceira Island, started on 26 July 1582, off the coast of the island of São Miguel in the Portuguese archipelago of the Azores, during the War of the Portuguese Succession. To reinforce the Spanish in this battle, Don Álvaro de Bazán, Marquess of Santa Cruz, meticulously prepared twelve galleys from the Spanish fleet and entrusted them to the "brave and experienced" Captain Don Diego de Medrano in the spring of 1583.[16] In the Invincible, he is mentioned among the valiant captains and lords who followed the Spanish fleet, specifically:
"from the galleys, Captain Medrano, who led them on the expedition to the island of Terceira".[4]
Medrano's historic innovation of the Spanish Galleys
An example of a three-masted ship with square sails
After Spain's first attempt at sailing galleys to the Azores had failed in 1582, Don Diego de Medrano enhanced the galleys in 1583 by raising the bulwarks, modifying the rigging by adding three masts, with the two main ones equipped with square sails.[17] Diego's efforts allowed him to achieve a very successful voyage to the island of São Miguel. He was the first to cross the ocean with this type of galley, and was mainly responsible for the surrender of the island of Terceira, and ultimately, the surrender of Faial Island.[17] Diego de Medrano's galleys were the first to be seen on the open sea, something never accomplished before.[4]
Despite the risks of navigating the Gulf of the Yeguas in low, broad ships prone to instability in rough seas—especially given previous difficulties encountered by ships sent by Don Alonso Bazán—Medrano and his twelve galleys successfully reached the island of San Miguel. This achievement was greatly admired and celebrated by the Spanish.[4]
According to the Spanish historian and writer Luis Cabrera de Córdoba in his famous Historia de Felipe II:
The twelve galleys of the Spanish fleet were well-prepared at Santa Cruz and were entrusted to Captain Medrano. It seemed reckless to rely on low-lying, long and unstable ships in the face of high waves (...) yet these twelve arrived safely at the island of San Miguel, a thing to admire and celebrate in the hearts of the Spanish.[18][19]
On Sunday the 26th of June, since the weather was in their favor, the Marquess decided to send the twelve galleys ahead under the command of Captain Diego de Medrano.[20] Diego de Medrano's galleys set sail before the rest of the fleet and arrived at San Miguel without incident on 3 July 1583.[21] He was ordered to navigate independently before the rest of the fleet arrived. It took the rest of the fleet 10 days after the galleys' arrival to finally gather at São Miguel.[20]
The entire fleet continued its journey with light winds, until Wednesday, July 7, when the island of São Miguel was sighted. Medrano's Capitana gathered the fleet on the 13th, which allowed them to finally anchor in the town of Villafranca and the city of Punta Delgada, within sight of each other, four leagues apart. Once anchored, they replenished supplies.[20]
On Diego's arrival, instructions were issued for the tercio of Agustín Íñiguez de Zárate, which comprised 2,288 soldiers, to board his twelve galleys.[22] The fleet was also tasked with loading the siege artillery, gun carriages, carts, and all the equipment needed to operate the artillery, along with the mules required to move the pieces, as well as the munitions and supplies stored on São Miguel.[22] In addition, the 22 "large flat-bottomed boats designed specifically for disembarking infantry" that were on the island were to be transported for the conquest.[22]
Diego de Medrano, as the captain of the Capitana and Squadron General of the twelve Spanish Galleys, participated in the war council sessions led by the Marquess of Santa Cruz, where strategic discussions and decisions were made regarding the amphibious assault. Medrano's involvement was crucial due to the important role the galleys played in supporting the landing. Alongside other key military leaders, Medrano contributed to the unified command and coordinated efforts necessary for the successful conquest of Terceira.[22]
Don Álvaro de Bazán issued orders establishing rules of conduct for the military discipline of both his soldiers and his naval and land officers during the campaign. Soldiers were instructed not to act in combat beyond the orders of their superiors, under penalty of being punished.[22] Don Álvaro de Bazán also ruled that:
If the fleet anchors or lands anywhere, no one is to go ashore, nor is any boat or skiff or any other type of vessel to go ashore, without permission from [Medrano's] Capitana.[22]
Diego de Medrano, who commanded the galleys, was instructed by the Captain General to reinforce his galleys involved in the landing operation to protect them from enemy fire. This included adding "thick plank screens" to their sides and reinforcing the rams with additional protections like "canvas bags, ropes, and planks."[22]
The galleys assigned to bombard the defenses of the cove of das Molas carried 50-60 arquebusiers and musketeers each, who were responsible for suppressing the defenders and covering the landing. Medrano's personal Capitana galley, likely one of the four bombarding the fortifications, may have carried additional soldiers due to its larger size and central role in the attack.[22]
The galleys provided direct artillery support to destroy the defenses at das Molas and tow the landing boats and other vessels to the site, occupying land and beach. The rowers were required to exert significant effort to reach the objective quickly, which was crucial for the success of the operation.[22]
Captain Diego de Medrano's Spanish Galleys arrive at the battle of Terceira (1583)
The Spanish fleet arrived at Terceira Island on the morning of Saturday, July 23.[5] Captain Diego de Medrano stood out in the front line during the conquest of Terceira Island in 1583. Medrano's galleys allowed for marine infantry to be used for the first time in order to occupy beaches and land.[5]
Of the twelve available galleys, eight of his galleys directly supported the landing operation. Four of these galleys were tasked with rowing to the bay of das Mós without towing landing boats, likely to clear enemy boats, serve as scouts, and engage the fort and trenches with their fire. The remaining four galleys were responsible for towing between 7 and 8 large flat-bottomed landing boats each, securing them in the bay until the order to land was given.[22]
The Spanish victory resulted in the rapid Spanish conquest of the Azores and completed the incorporation of Portugal into the Spanish Empire.[23]
The conquest of Terceira in 1583 and the success of the campaign was not only due to the strength and discipline of the forces but also to the meticulous planning and execution of the landing. Medrano's galleys were crucial in selecting the right landing site, executing a feint towards Plaía, and defending and ensuring the swift consolidation of the beachhead, which were key factors in the overall victory. The operation's success, characterized by surprise and rapid exploitation of the initial gains, is considered a model for modern amphibious assaults. The lessons learned from this campaign were so significant that Don Álvaro de Bazán, from the city of Angra, proposed a similar expedition against England the following year, confident in the abilities of his experienced Captains.[24]
Don Jorge Manrique wrote to the King of Spain regarding Medrano's successful navigation and victory at the battle of Terceira:
Captain Diego Medrano crossed with the 12 galleys, and during the navigation, he was so vigilant and careful, and everything turned out so well, that he deserves to be shown great favor by Your Majesty, as a demonstration, so that others may be encouraged to take on what everyone judged to be so difficult, and to encourage him to do so, considering its great importance. I promised him in the gulf that I would bring this matter to Your Majesty, as I am doing now, and I beg Your Majesty to release me from this obligation, as everything should be for your better service. May God keep you, etc. — From the city of Punta Delgada, July 10, 1583. — D. Jorge Manrique.[25]
Route of the Spanish Armada during the invasion of England in 1588
In 1588, the King of Spain rewarded Diego's 25 years of service, innovation of the galleys and victory at the islands of Terceira and Faial by granting him the habit of Santiago and appointed him to command the four galleys of Portugal that were part of the Spanish Armada.[17] The São João galleys of Portugal in the Spanish Armada appointed to Captain Diego de Medrano were named: Capitana, Princesa, Diana and Bazana.[5][26] In response, Captain Diego de Medrano wrote to King Philip II of Spain in a letter dated 7 February 1588 in Lisbon:
Sir: I have learned from Don Alonso de Bazán that Your Majesty wishes for me to take charge of the galleys on this expedition. I humbly kiss Your Majesty’s feet for the favor granted to me in this matter... I beseech Your Majesty to grant me a favor in accordance with the quality of my person and honor, and may God preserve Your Majesty with increased life and greater realms and lordships, as Christendom needs and this vassal desires. From Lisbon, February 7, 1588. Diego de Medrano.[1]
In 1588, The Catholic King, set on avenging the death of Mary, Queen of Scots, his niece, launched an enterprise on Protestant England. After the death of Don Alonso de Bazán, Marquess of Santa Cruz, the King appointed Alonso de Guzmán y Sotomayor, 7th Duke of Medina Sidonia to replace the Marquess and to lead the Spanish Armada. The Duke followed the advice of many brave captains and leaders accompanying the Armada, notably Captain Medrano, who had 25 years of previous experience in naval warfare.[16]
In the fleet, squadron General and Captain Diego de Medrano was positioned with his Portuguese squadron under the command of the Duke of Medina Sidonia, starboard of the Castilian squadron led by Don Flores de Valdés.[5] They officially set sail from Lisbon on 21 July 1588 (N.S), and headed for the English Channel.[27]
Before leaving for the English Channel, the Duke of Medina Sidonia, in a dispatch sent to Galicia on 14 June 1588, mentioned his letter to Captain Diego de Medrano. According to the orders given, Medrano was to wait for him in Muxía Bay, four leagues beyond the Cape. Upon sighting the Armada, Medrano was instructed to join him immediately, without delay. For several weeks, General Diego de Medrano's galleys—Capitana, Princesa, Diana, and Bazana—took refuge in Muxía Bay.[5]
After several weeks of refuge in Muxía Bay, Captain Diego de Medrano received new orders to set course for A Coruña, due to a severe storm which forced the Duke of Medina Sidonia to anchor there. On his way to A Coruña, Captain Diego de Medrano captured two English ships.[3]
The Duke of Medina Sidonia's fleet remained in port, and the ships scattered by the storm rejoined. The Duke of Medina Sidonia resupplied in A Coruña while Captain Diego de Medrano and his galleys from Muxía arrived in A Coruña on 17 June 1588 and helped with loading and unloading.[5]
A council of generals was held on Medrano's Capitana galley.[28] Several meetings of captains were convened, with gatherings on the 18th, 19th, and 20 July 1588.[28]
On 18 July 1588, it was unanimously agreed to alter the combat formation to a structure consisting of three squadrons or tactical groups: vanguard, main battle group, and rearguard. The transport ships, primarily the urcas and smaller vessels, would be positioned in the main battle group, which would be flanked by the galleys and galleasses.[28]
In the year 1588 the General Don Diego Medrano, commanding the galleys, was directed to open the orders he was given only on sighting the Lizard, on the coast of Cornwall; when he made this headland he carried out these directions and found that he was ordered to set another course, one that conflicted with all the requirements both of seamanship and tactics--the more obviously so in view of the advantageous position he was in. For instance, he had made the coast where required, in a very favorable spot; he had the tides with him; he had the advantage of the wind; and through their neglect he had surprised the enemy, who were taken unawares by his arrival. And therefore I am certain that if he had been left to himself, he would have carried out his operations like a good seaman, always keeping the enemy fleet in his sights, if that accursed order had not impeded him...[29][30]
During their expedition to England, Captain Diego de Medrano requested permission from Juan Martínez de Recalde to leave the fleet, as the sea was not suitable for the São João galleys of Portugal.[5] Medrano's galleys had left the fleet before the first encounter with the English fleet. Captain Diego de Medrano and his galleys returned on 26 July 1588, after enduring the storm, however 200 cannons were removed from the Armada as a result.[5]
Medrano's Capitana galley, which had 50 cannons, 57 sailors, and 56 soldiers returned to an unknown Spanish port. The Bazana galley, which had 50 cannons, 40 sailors, and 26 soldiers, returned to the coast of Spain. The Diana galley, which had 50 cannons, 47 sailors, and 32 soldiers, returned to A Coruña. According to the English, Diana sank near Boulogne, France,[31] however this galley was in A Coruña when Drake and Norreys' fleet attacked in 1589, leading to the myth of María Pita.[5]
The Diana took on a lot of water when it entered the Cantabrian Sea, as Medrano noted how the sea was too rough for the galleys. The Princesa galley, which had 50 cannons, 40 sailors, and 37 soldiers, returned to A Coruña.[5]
Appointment as Interim Admiral of the Spanish Armada
August 6: The English Navy defeats the invading Spanish Armada in the Battle of Gravelines.
In the aftermath of the Spanish Armada's failed campaign in 1588, Captain Diego de Medrano became interim Admiral of the Spanish Armada during the retreat of the remaining fleet.[3] After the Duke of Medina Sidonia and the bulk of the Armada reached Santander, Captain Diego de Medrano temporarily took command following the death of Admiral Miguel de Oquendo.[3]
Interim Admiral Don Diego de Medrano was responsible for leading the remnants of the fleet during a particularly challenging period, marked by severe storms and the loss of several ships, including the Santa Ana, which accidentally exploded in the port of El Pasaje. Despite the difficulties, Medrano's leadership helped to manage the scattered and depleted fleet as they sought refuge along the northern coasts of Spain.[3]
Strategic mistakes, particularly the inability to effectively coordinate the Armada with Farnese's Army in Flanders, along with delays that led to unfavorable weather conditions, ultimately doomed the operation.[13]
Shield of Medrano with sablebend. The cartouche reads: "Arms of Medrano: Originally, it was the plain cross on a field of war when taking part in the Battle of Baya in 1221. They took the flag with gold saltires on a field of war when participating in the Battle of Salado on October 30, 1340."
Diego de Medrano was born during the reign of Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, who ruled as King of Spain from 1519 to 1556. On 1 September 1552, Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, issued the Carta Ejecutoria de Hidalguía to confirm the noble status of the Medrano family. Detailed genealogical records are presented to support his family's claim to nobility. The document, created in Valladolid and Arenas, Spain, concludes with official signatures and seals, affirming their noble status. It contains copies of documents issued in the names of the Countess Juana Pimentel, King Henry III, Álvaro de Luna, and others.[34]
Coat of arms of Medrano on top of the coat of arms of Valdeosera as seen in the political treatise Republica Mista by Tomás Fernández de Medrano, 1602.[35]
Diego de Medrano was the paternal uncle of Juan Fernández de Medrano y Sandoval and Maria Ana Fernández de Medrano y Sandoval, legitimate children of Tomas Fernández de Medrano and Isabel de Sandoval, his wife, a relative of Francisco de Sandoval y Rojas, 5th Marquess of Denia, 1st Duke of Lerma.[32]
Diego's second brother Francisco Fernández de Medrano was the Lord and Divisero of Regajal, who fought during the French Wars of Religion under Alexander Farnese, Duke of Parma. Francisco Fernández de Medrano married Maria Ana de Espinosa.[32] His brother Francisco was the ancestor of Diego Fernández de Medrano y Zapata, Lord and Divisero of Regajal, Governor of the Province of Carrión in the valley of Atlixco.
Captain Diego de Medrano was the paternal uncle of Diego Fernández de Medrano y Espinosa and Don Francisco Fernández de Medrano y Espinosa, legitimate sons of Don Francisco Fernández de Medrano and Doña María Ana de Espinosa, his wife, Lords of the Solar and Divisa de Regajal. El Regajal is a unique estate located in the municipality of Aranjuez, at the southern border of the Community of Madrid.
Diego's nephew Diego Fernández de Medrano y Espinosa was born in Logroño in 1564, his grandfather had also been a secretary to Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor.[36] In 1607, he was appointed chaplain of honor, judge of the royal chapel, administrator and deputy of the Royal Hospital of the court and even testamentary executor of Margaret of Austria, Queen of Spain.[36]
Diego's brother Captain Francisco Fernández de Medrano was registered in the census of divisional knights: "captain, neighbor of Entrena. Registered on 1 May 1596. Divisa de Regajal."[8]
In the lists of councilors published by José María Bañuelos, his brother "Captain Francisco de Medrano" appears as a yearly councilor in 1606, along with "Captain Medrano" in 1612, 1615, and 1628.[39]
Diego's third brother Lázaro Fernández de Medrano served in the military as an ensign. Lázaro Fernández de Medrano, a resident of Entrena, was registered on May 1, 1596, in the land of Valdeosera, from the Velilla branch, lords of that town.[32]
His relative Captain Gonzálo de Medrano fought and died at the great siege of Malta in 1565 while leading his company from Sicily against the Ottoman Turks.[40][41][42]
In the late 15th and early 16th century, The Medrano family in the Kingdom of Castile had a very successful rope business under the direction of Diego's relative Don Martine de Medrano, who ran his father's rope trading business from San Juan, Puerto Rico, the gateway to New Spain.[45]
During the battle of Terceira in 1583, Diego's relative Don Juan de Medrano participated with him in the campaign. Captain Don Juan de Medrano, leader of one of the seven companies under the command of Don Juan de Sandoval, Marquess of Villamizar, brother of Francisco de Sandoval y Rojas, V Marquess of Denia (future Duke of Lerma), with fifteen banners from Naples and Lombardy, drawn from the garrisons of Portugal, leading a force of one thousand five hundred and forty-four soldiers.[24]
^The Pérez de Araciel de Alfaro By Manuel Luis Ruiz de Bucesta y Álvarez, Member and Founding Partner of the ARGH Vice Director of the Asturian Academy of Heraldry and Genealogy Correspondent of the Belgian-Spanish Academy of History Pages. 50-51 https://dialnet.unirioja.es/descarga/articulo/3991718.pdf
^CABRERA DE CÓRDOBA, L., Historia de Felipe II. Rey de España, edición de José Martínez Millán y Carlos Javier de Carlos Morales, Valladolid: Junta de Castilla y León, Consejería de Educación y Cultura, 1998, 3 vols, Tomo III, p. 1020.
^Cabrera de Córdoba, Luis (1876). Filipe Segundo, Rey de España. Robarts - University of Toronto. Madrid, Aribau. p. 16.
^ abcLa conquista de las Azores en 1583, descrita por el Capitán de Navío Cesáreo Fernández Duro de la Real Academia de la Historia. Pages 426-427 https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/71525375.pdf
^Casado Soto, José L (1991). "Atlantic shipping in sixteenth-century Spain and the 1588 Armada". In Rodríguez-Salgado, M J; Adams, Simon (eds.). England, Spain and the Gran Armada 1585–1604. Barnes & Noble. ISBN 0389209554
^The Pérez de Araciel de Alfaro by Manuel Luis Ruiz de Bucesta y Álvarez Member and Founding Partner of the ARGH Vice Director of the Asturian Academy of Heraldry and Genealogy Correspondent of the Belgian-Spanish Academy of History Pages 50-51 https://dialnet.unirioja.es/descarga/articulo/3991718.pdf
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