Diego Fernández de Córdoba, Marquis of Guadalcázar
Encyclopedia
Diego Fernández de Córdoba y López de las Roelas, Marquis of Guadalcázar and Count of Posadas (1578 – Guadalcázar
, 6 October 1630), was Viceroy of Mexico from October 18, 1612 to March 14, 1621 and Viceroy of Peru from July 25, 1622 to January 14, 1629.
.
In 1598, aged 20, he was in Central Europe, as an Ambassador to travel and bring back to Spain 13-14 year old orphaned bride Margaret of Austria (daughter of archduke Charles II of Austria and Maria Anna of Bavaria), the first, and unique, wife of king Philip III of Spain
, being awarded the title of marquis of Guadalcázar, in 1609.
, for whom he had served as lord of the bedchamber.
Early in his mandate in New Spain, he sent Captain Diego Martínez de Hurdáiz to suppress an uprising of the Tehuecos, an ethnic subgroup of the Cahuita
s of Sinaloa
. Martínez de Hurdáiz was successful after fighting several battles. The viceroy also founded many cities, such as Lerma
(1613), Córdoba
(1618), and Guadalcázar
(1620).
The mexican Córdoba, in what is now Veracruz State, was founded in part to help suppress marauding bands of escaped black slaves that preyed on travelers between Veracruz
and Mexico City
. He also completed the Fort of San Diego in Acapulco
, by the borders of the Pacific Ocean
.
In 1616, the drainage system for the Valley of Mexico
, long under construction but suspended since 1614, was restarted. King Philip III had chosen the Dutch hydrographer Adrian Boot to investigate the drainage project and take charge of operations. Boot had been in charge of numerous drainage projects in France. He traveled to Mexico City (at a salary of 100 ducats a month) and reviewed the work already done. His opinion was that it would not serve to drain the lakes, but that it could be used to divert the Cuautitlán
river, the major cause of the nearly annual floods. Engineer Enrico Martínez
offered to complete the diversion with 300 men and 100,000 pesos, but work was delayed pending approval of the king.
On November 16, 1616 another, particularly bloody, Indian insurrection broke out, this time among the Tepehuanes
and neighboring tribes in the north. It was led by a cacique claiming to be the Son of the Sun and God of Heaven and Earth. The rebels quickly killed some Jesuit missionaries and 200 Spaniards and mestizos of various ages and both sexes. The governor of Durango
, with aid sent by the viceroy, raised a militia. After three months of intense fighting, the rebels were largely defeated.
Also in 1616 drought led to crop failure and famine in New Spain. In 1620 a fire destroyed a large part of Veracruz
.
Fernández also improved the sanitation and water supply of Mexico City, completing the aqueduct from Chapultepec
in 1620. This aqueduct consisted of 900 arches. He established a tribunal to regulate the buying, selling and taxing of mercury
metal used in the gold and silver ores metallurgy, which the mines of New Spain had begun to produce in some quantity at Huancavelica
. Due to his various improvements, he received the nickname el Buen Virrey (The Good Viceroy).
, between "vicuñas" and "vascongados". He also fortified in 1624 Lima
against pirate attacks, included Jacques l'Hermite
, a Dutch
merchant
, explorer and admiral
known for his journey around the globe with the Nassau Fleet (1623–1626) and for his blockade and raid on Callao in 1624 during that same voyage in which he also died. In 1629, Viceroy Diego Fernández de Córdoba gave up his charge and returned to Spain
, where he died the following year, at Guadalcázar
, aged 52.
Guadalcázar
Guadalcázar is a city located in the province of Córdoba, southern Spain.-External links:* - Sistema de Información Multiterritorial de Andalucía...
, 6 October 1630), was Viceroy of Mexico from October 18, 1612 to March 14, 1621 and Viceroy of Peru from July 25, 1622 to January 14, 1629.
Early life
He was born in SevilleSeville
Seville is the artistic, historic, cultural, and financial capital of southern Spain. It is the capital of the autonomous community of Andalusia and of the province of Seville. It is situated on the plain of the River Guadalquivir, with an average elevation of above sea level...
.
In 1598, aged 20, he was in Central Europe, as an Ambassador to travel and bring back to Spain 13-14 year old orphaned bride Margaret of Austria (daughter of archduke Charles II of Austria and Maria Anna of Bavaria), the first, and unique, wife of king Philip III of Spain
Philip III of Spain
Philip III , also known as Philip the Pious, was the King of Spain and King of Portugal and the Algarves, where he ruled as Philip II , from 1598 until his death...
, being awarded the title of marquis of Guadalcázar, in 1609.
Viceroy of New Spain
Fernández de Córdoba was named viceroy of New Spain by King Philip III of SpainPhilip III of Spain
Philip III , also known as Philip the Pious, was the King of Spain and King of Portugal and the Algarves, where he ruled as Philip II , from 1598 until his death...
, for whom he had served as lord of the bedchamber.
Early in his mandate in New Spain, he sent Captain Diego Martínez de Hurdáiz to suppress an uprising of the Tehuecos, an ethnic subgroup of the Cahuita
Cahuita
Cahuita is a small city located on the Caribbean coast of Costa Rica. Cahuita is located in the Talamanca Canton of Limón Province. Cahuita is the capital of the Cahuita District. Due to its proximity to the Caribbean shoreline, Cahuita is renowned for Afro-Caribbean influence on dining and local...
s of Sinaloa
Sinaloa
Sinaloa officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Sinaloa is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 18 municipalities and its capital city is Culiacán Rosales....
. Martínez de Hurdáiz was successful after fighting several battles. The viceroy also founded many cities, such as Lerma
Lerma
Lerma is a comune in the Province of Alessandria in the Italian region Piedmont, located about 90 km southeast of Turin and about 30 km south of Alessandria....
(1613), Córdoba
Córdoba, Veracruz
Córdoba, officially known as Heroica Córdoba, is a city and the seat of the municipality of the same name in the Mexican state of Veracruz. It was founded in 1618....
(1618), and Guadalcázar
Guadalcázar, San Luis Potosí
Guadalcázar is a small, municipal town located in the Mexican state of San Luis Potosí.-History:The town was one of the many colonies founded by Spanish explorer Juan Cordoba de Guadalcazar. In the decades following its creation, Guadalcazar flourished as a wealthy town. Its main exports were...
(1620).
The mexican Córdoba, in what is now Veracruz State, was founded in part to help suppress marauding bands of escaped black slaves that preyed on travelers between Veracruz
Veracruz
Veracruz, formally Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave , is one of the 31 states that, along with the Federal District, comprise the 32 federative entities of Mexico. It is divided in 212 municipalities and its capital city is...
and Mexico City
Mexico City
Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
. He also completed the Fort of San Diego in Acapulco
Acapulco
Acapulco is a city, municipality and major sea port in the state of Guerrero on the Pacific coast of Mexico, southwest from Mexico City. Acapulco is located on a deep, semi-circular bay and has been a port since the early colonial period of Mexico’s history...
, by the borders of the Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
.
In 1616, the drainage system for the Valley of Mexico
Valley of Mexico
The Valley of Mexico is a highlands plateau in central Mexico roughly coterminous with the present-day Distrito Federal and the eastern half of the State of Mexico. Surrounded by mountains and volcanoes, the Valley of Mexico was a centre for several pre-Columbian civilizations, including...
, long under construction but suspended since 1614, was restarted. King Philip III had chosen the Dutch hydrographer Adrian Boot to investigate the drainage project and take charge of operations. Boot had been in charge of numerous drainage projects in France. He traveled to Mexico City (at a salary of 100 ducats a month) and reviewed the work already done. His opinion was that it would not serve to drain the lakes, but that it could be used to divert the Cuautitlán
Cuautitlán
Cuautitlán is a city and municipality in the State of Mexico, just north of the northern tip of the Federal District within the Greater Mexico City urban area. The city has engulfed most of the municipality, making the two synonymous...
river, the major cause of the nearly annual floods. Engineer Enrico Martínez
Enrico Martínez
Enrico Martínez , Henri Martín or Heinrich Martin, was cosmographer to the King of Spain, interpreter for the Spanish Inquisition, publisher, and hydraulic engineer....
offered to complete the diversion with 300 men and 100,000 pesos, but work was delayed pending approval of the king.
On November 16, 1616 another, particularly bloody, Indian insurrection broke out, this time among the Tepehuanes
Tepehuán
The Tepehuán are a Native American ethnic group in northwest Mexico, whose villages at the time of Spanish conquest spanned a large territory along the Sierra Madre Occidental from Chihuahua and Durango in the north to Jalisco in the south...
and neighboring tribes in the north. It was led by a cacique claiming to be the Son of the Sun and God of Heaven and Earth. The rebels quickly killed some Jesuit missionaries and 200 Spaniards and mestizos of various ages and both sexes. The governor of Durango
Durango
Durango officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Durango is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. The state is located in Northwest Mexico. With a population of 1,632,934, it has Mexico's second-lowest population density, after Baja...
, with aid sent by the viceroy, raised a militia. After three months of intense fighting, the rebels were largely defeated.
Also in 1616 drought led to crop failure and famine in New Spain. In 1620 a fire destroyed a large part of Veracruz
Veracruz
Veracruz, formally Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave , is one of the 31 states that, along with the Federal District, comprise the 32 federative entities of Mexico. It is divided in 212 municipalities and its capital city is...
.
Fernández also improved the sanitation and water supply of Mexico City, completing the aqueduct from Chapultepec
Chapultepec
Chapultepec Park, more commonly called the "Bosque de Chapultepec" in Mexico City, is the largest city park in Latin America, measuring in total just over 686 hectares. Centered on a rock formation called Chapultepec Hill, one of the park's main functions is to be an ecological space in the vast...
in 1620. This aqueduct consisted of 900 arches. He established a tribunal to regulate the buying, selling and taxing of mercury
Mercury (element)
Mercury is a chemical element with the symbol Hg and atomic number 80. It is also known as quicksilver or hydrargyrum...
metal used in the gold and silver ores metallurgy, which the mines of New Spain had begun to produce in some quantity at Huancavelica
Huancavelica
Huancavelica is a city in Peru. It is the capital of the Huancavelica region and has a population of approximately 40,000. Indigenous peoples represent a major percentage of the population. It has an approximate altitude of 3,600 meters; the climate is cold and dry between the months of February...
. Due to his various improvements, he received the nickname el Buen Virrey (The Good Viceroy).
Viceroy of Peru
In Peru, Fernández de Córdoba reformed the fiscal system and stopped the inter-family rivalry that was bloodying the domain, mainly in the fabulous silver city of PotosíPotosí
Potosí is a city and the capital of the department of Potosí in Bolivia. It is one of the highest cities in the world by elevation at a nominal . and it was the location of the Spanish colonial mint, now the National Mint of Bolivia...
, between "vicuñas" and "vascongados". He also fortified in 1624 Lima
Lima
Lima is the capital and the largest city of Peru. It is located in the valleys of the Chillón, Rímac and Lurín rivers, in the central part of the country, on a desert coast overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Together with the seaport of Callao, it forms a contiguous urban area known as the Lima...
against pirate attacks, included Jacques l'Hermite
Jacques l'Hermite
Jacques l'Hermite , sometimes also known as Jacques le Clerq , was a Dutch merchant, explorer and admiral known for his journey around the globe with the Nassau Fleet and for his blockade and raid on Callao in 1624 during that same voyage in which he also died...
, a Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
merchant
Merchant
A merchant is a businessperson who trades in commodities that were produced by others, in order to earn a profit.Merchants can be one of two types:# A wholesale merchant operates in the chain between producer and retail merchant...
, explorer and admiral
Admiral
Admiral is the rank, or part of the name of the ranks, of the highest naval officers. It is usually considered a full admiral and above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet . It is usually abbreviated to "Adm" or "ADM"...
known for his journey around the globe with the Nassau Fleet (1623–1626) and for his blockade and raid on Callao in 1624 during that same voyage in which he also died. In 1629, Viceroy Diego Fernández de Córdoba gave up his charge and returned to Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, where he died the following year, at Guadalcázar
Guadalcázar
Guadalcázar is a city located in the province of Córdoba, southern Spain.-External links:* - Sistema de Información Multiterritorial de Andalucía...
, aged 52.