Sebastián Ramírez de Fuenleal
Encyclopedia
Sebastián Ramírez de Fuenleal (b. ca. 1490, Villaescusa de Haro
, Cuenca
, Spain
, d. January 22, 1547, Valladolid
, Spain) was bishop of Santo Domingo
and president of the Audiencia of Santo Domingo 1528 to 1531. He was also president of the second Audiencia of New Spain
(January 10, 1531 to April 16, 1535). Later he was a member of the Council of the Indies.
at the age of 16, where he received a degree in canon law. In 1520 he became inquisitor of Seville
. He was later a member of the Royal Chancery of Granada
.
At this time the African slave trade
to Hispaniola and Cuba was just beginning, in order to supply labor for the mines and for sugar production. Bishop Ramírez did not oppose this slave trade, which was considered necessary at the time. He did oppose monopolies in the slave trade that led to inflated prices.
, Alonso de Maldonado
, Francisco Ceinos
and Vasco de Quiroga
as oidores (judges). These individuals had been nominated by the bishop of Badajoz, who was also president of the Chancery of Valladolid. In contrast to the members of the first Audiencia, all of these men were honest, honorable and capable. All were licentiates.
The nominated oidores were located in various parts of Spain at the time; Ramírez de Fuenleal was in Santo Domingo. The king directed that whoever among them arrived first in New Spain should begin immediately to govern.
Cortés was returning to New Spain from Spain at about this time. He had just successfully defended his previous actions before the king, and was newly created Marqués del Valle de Oaxaca and reappointed captain general of the colony. He stopped in Santo Domingo on his way, to become acquainted with Ramírez de Fuenleal. Cortés continued on to New Spain, arriving at Veracruz on July 15, 1530. Bishop Ramírez de Fuenleal and Licenciado Quiroga arrived in Mexico City
in early October. They took time to find lodgings and rest before they taking over the government.
They began to exercise government functions on January 10, 1531. Bishop Ramírez carried with him a letter of strong reprimand for Mexico City Bishop Juan de Zumárraga
and instructions to begin juicios de residencia
against the members of the first Audiencia (Nuño Beltrán de Guzmán
, Juan Ortiz de Matienzo
and Diego Delgadillo
), as well as Cortés and Diego Hernández de Proaño. These investigations took place in due time.
The second Audiencia improved the road from Veracruz to Mexico City, and along the way founded the city of Puebla de los Angeles as a resting-place for travelers (April 16, 1531). It imported horses and cattle from Spain, took steps to import a printing press, founded the Imperial College of Santiago Tlatelolco for higher learning for young Indigenous men, renewed exploration, and continued work on the cathedral of Mexico City.
Bishop Ramírez was among those who encouraged the Franciscan missionaries in Mexico to investigate and document the pre-Columbian cultures of the Aztec Empire. He was a defender of the human rights of the Indigenous population. He proposed the substitution of payment in kind and encomienda
s to replace the payment of tributes then imposed on the Indians. He ordered the construction of an aqueduct to supply Mexico City. He pacified the country and organized the laws, paving the way for the arrival of the first viceroy, Antonio de Mendoza
, in 1535.
The year 1532 was a tumultuous one in New Spain. For one thing, the institution of slavery became subject to governmental regulation. The enslavement of Indians was prohibited. Also, the Audiencia brought back verdicts on the juicios de residencia of Cortés, the oidores of the first Audiencia, and others. Cortés and Bishop Zumárraga were acquitted; Ortiz de Matienzo and Delgadillo were convicted, but not sentenced. On April 25, 1532, Emperor Charles V
signed a degree raising Oaxaca
to the rank of a city.
Meantime the calumnies spread by the enemies of Bishop Zumárraga and the partisans of the first Audiencia had shaken the confidence of the Spanish Court. Zumárraga was ordered to return to Spain to defend himself before the Council of the Indies. He set sail in May 1532. Zumárraga, however, had little difficulty vindicating his good name, and was formally consecrated bishop at Valladolid
on April 27, 1533. He returned to New Spain in October 1534.
On April 15, 1535, Cortés began an expedition to explore the coasts of Sinaloa
, Sonora
and Baja California
. On this expedition he is credited with discovering the Sea of Cortés.
of 1542, serving as editor.
He died on January 22, 1547 in Valladolid, Spain. At the time of his death he was president of the Chancery of Valladolid and bishop of Cuenca. He was interred in the Dominican convent of La Santa Cruz, in the town of Villaescusa de Haro, where he had been born.
Villaescusa de Haro
Villaescusa de Haro is a municipality located in the province of Cuenca, Castile-La Mancha, Spain. According to the 2004 census , the municipality has a population of 585 inhabitants....
, Cuenca
Cuenca (province)
Cuenca is a province of central Spain, in the eastern part of the autonomous community of Castile-La Mancha.-Guide to the area:Located in a natural setting of beauty, the Old Town of Cuenca occupies a superb site between two river gorges. Famous are its 15th Century "hanging houses" , that appear...
, 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...
, d. January 22, 1547, Valladolid
Valladolid
Valladolid is a historic city and municipality in north-central Spain, situated at the confluence of the Pisuerga and Esgueva rivers, and located within three wine-making regions: Ribera del Duero, Rueda and Cigales...
, Spain) was bishop of Santo Domingo
Santo Domingo
Santo Domingo, known officially as Santo Domingo de Guzmán, is the capital and largest city in the Dominican Republic. Its metropolitan population was 2,084,852 in 2003, and estimated at 3,294,385 in 2010. The city is located on the Caribbean Sea, at the mouth of the Ozama River...
and president of the Audiencia of Santo Domingo 1528 to 1531. He was also president of the second Audiencia of New Spain
New Spain
New Spain, formally called the Viceroyalty of New Spain , was a viceroyalty of the Spanish colonial empire, comprising primarily territories in what was known then as 'América Septentrional' or North America. Its capital was Mexico City, formerly Tenochtitlan, capital of the Aztec Empire...
(January 10, 1531 to April 16, 1535). Later he was a member of the Council of the Indies.
Early life
Ramírez de Fuenleal was born in Cuenca, to a family of the hidalgo class. He entered the University of ValladolidUniversity of Valladolid
The University of Valladolid is a public university in the city of Valladolid, province of Valladolid, in the autonomous region of Castile-Leon, Spain...
at the age of 16, where he received a degree in canon law. In 1520 he became inquisitor of Seville
Seville
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...
. He was later a member of the Royal Chancery of Granada
Granada
Granada is a city and the capital of the province of Granada, in the autonomous community of Andalusia, Spain. Granada is located at the foot of the Sierra Nevada mountains, at the confluence of three rivers, the Beiro, the Darro and the Genil. It sits at an elevation of 738 metres above sea...
.
Bishop of Santo Domingo
He was named bishop of Santo Domingo and president of its Audiencia, occupying these positions from 1528 to 1531. In Hispaniola he punished mistreatment of the Indians, reorganized the treasury, and faced the rebellion of Enriquillo in Bahoruco. He built schools, established villages and constructed public works. He paid particular attention to mining, and to the rights of the Indians.At this time the African slave trade
African slave trade
Systems of servitude and slavery were common in many parts of Africa, as they were in much of the ancient world. In some African societies, the enslaved people were also indentured servants and fully integrated; in others, they were treated much worse...
to Hispaniola and Cuba was just beginning, in order to supply labor for the mines and for sugar production. Bishop Ramírez did not oppose this slave trade, which was considered necessary at the time. He did oppose monopolies in the slave trade that led to inflated prices.
President of the Audiencia of Mexico
The second Audiencia of New Spain was named in a royal decree dated January 12, 1530. It included Bishop Ramírez de Fuenleal as president and Juan de SalmerónJuan de Salmerón
Juan de Salmerón was a Spanish colonial official New Spain, and an oidor of the Second Audiencia, which governed the colony from January 10, 1531 until April 16, 1534. On the latter date, the government was turned over to Antonio de Mendoza, the first viceroy...
, Alonso de Maldonado
Alonso de Maldonado
Alonso de Maldonado was a Spanish lawyer and a member of the Second Audiencia of Mexico City, which governed New Spain from January 10, 1531 to April 16, 1535. He was also president of the First Audiencia of Guatemala, and in that capacity interim governor of Guatemala from 1536 to September 15, 1539...
, Francisco Ceinos
Francisco Ceinos
Francisco Ceinos was one of five oidores of the second Audiencia of New Spain. This group governed the colony from January 10, 1531 to April 16, 1535. Ceinos was also in the Audiencias that served as interim governments of New Spain from 1564 to 1566 and from approximately July 1568 to November...
and Vasco de Quiroga
Vasco de Quiroga
Vasco de Quiroga was the first bishop of Michoacán, Mexico and one of the judges in the second Audiencia that governed New Spain from January 10, 1531 to April 16, 1535....
as oidores (judges). These individuals had been nominated by the bishop of Badajoz, who was also president of the Chancery of Valladolid. In contrast to the members of the first Audiencia, all of these men were honest, honorable and capable. All were licentiates.
The nominated oidores were located in various parts of Spain at the time; Ramírez de Fuenleal was in Santo Domingo. The king directed that whoever among them arrived first in New Spain should begin immediately to govern.
Cortés was returning to New Spain from Spain at about this time. He had just successfully defended his previous actions before the king, and was newly created Marqués del Valle de Oaxaca and reappointed captain general of the colony. He stopped in Santo Domingo on his way, to become acquainted with Ramírez de Fuenleal. Cortés continued on to New Spain, arriving at Veracruz on July 15, 1530. Bishop Ramírez de Fuenleal and Licenciado Quiroga arrived in 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...
in early October. They took time to find lodgings and rest before they taking over the government.
They began to exercise government functions on January 10, 1531. Bishop Ramírez carried with him a letter of strong reprimand for Mexico City Bishop Juan de Zumárraga
Juan de Zumárraga
Juan de Zumárraga was a Spanish Basque Franciscan prelate and first bishop of Mexico.-Origins and arrival in New Spain:...
and instructions to begin juicios de residencia
Juicio de residencia
A juicio de residencia was a judicial procedure of Castilian law and the Laws of the Indies. It consisted of this: at the termination of a public functionary's term, his performance in office was subject to review, and those with grievances against him were entitled to a hearing...
against the members of the first Audiencia (Nuño Beltrán de Guzmán
Nuño Beltrán de Guzmán
Nuño Beltrán de Guzmán or sometimes Nuño de Guzmán was a Spanish conquistador and colonial administrator in New Spain. He was Governor of the province of Pánuco from 1525–1533, and of Nueva Galicia from 1529–1534, President of the first Audiencia from 1528-30. He founded several cities in...
, Juan Ortiz de Matienzo
Juan Ortiz de Matienzo
Juan Ortiz de Matienzo was a Spanish colonial judge and a member of the first Real Audiencia in the New World, that of Santo Domingo, in 1511...
and Diego Delgadillo
Diego Delgadillo
Diego Delgadillo was a judge of the first Audiencia of New Spain, which governed the colony from December 9, 1528 to January 9, 1531.Delgadillo was a native of Granada...
), as well as Cortés and Diego Hernández de Proaño. These investigations took place in due time.
The second Audiencia improved the road from Veracruz to Mexico City, and along the way founded the city of Puebla de los Angeles as a resting-place for travelers (April 16, 1531). It imported horses and cattle from Spain, took steps to import a printing press, founded the Imperial College of Santiago Tlatelolco for higher learning for young Indigenous men, renewed exploration, and continued work on the cathedral of Mexico City.
Bishop Ramírez was among those who encouraged the Franciscan missionaries in Mexico to investigate and document the pre-Columbian cultures of the Aztec Empire. He was a defender of the human rights of the Indigenous population. He proposed the substitution of payment in kind and encomienda
Encomienda
The encomienda was a system that was employed mainly by the Spanish crown during the colonization of the Americas to regulate Native American labor....
s to replace the payment of tributes then imposed on the Indians. He ordered the construction of an aqueduct to supply Mexico City. He pacified the country and organized the laws, paving the way for the arrival of the first viceroy, Antonio de Mendoza
Antonio de Mendoza
Antonio de Mendoza y Pacheco, Marquis of Mondéjar, Count of Tendilla , was the first viceroy of New Spain, serving from April 17, 1535 to November 25, 1550, and the second viceroy of Peru, from September 23, 1551 to July 21, 1552...
, in 1535.
The year 1532 was a tumultuous one in New Spain. For one thing, the institution of slavery became subject to governmental regulation. The enslavement of Indians was prohibited. Also, the Audiencia brought back verdicts on the juicios de residencia of Cortés, the oidores of the first Audiencia, and others. Cortés and Bishop Zumárraga were acquitted; Ortiz de Matienzo and Delgadillo were convicted, but not sentenced. On April 25, 1532, Emperor Charles V
Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor
Charles V was ruler of the Holy Roman Empire from 1519 and, as Charles I, of the Spanish Empire from 1516 until his voluntary retirement and abdication in favor of his younger brother Ferdinand I and his son Philip II in 1556.As...
signed a degree raising Oaxaca
Oaxaca
Oaxaca , , officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Oaxaca is one of the 31 states which, along with the Federal District, comprise the 32 federative entities of Mexico. It is divided into 571 municipalities; of which 418 are governed by the system of customs and traditions...
to the rank of a city.
Meantime the calumnies spread by the enemies of Bishop Zumárraga and the partisans of the first Audiencia had shaken the confidence of the Spanish Court. Zumárraga was ordered to return to Spain to defend himself before the Council of the Indies. He set sail in May 1532. Zumárraga, however, had little difficulty vindicating his good name, and was formally consecrated bishop at Valladolid
Valladolid
Valladolid is a historic city and municipality in north-central Spain, situated at the confluence of the Pisuerga and Esgueva rivers, and located within three wine-making regions: Ribera del Duero, Rueda and Cigales...
on April 27, 1533. He returned to New Spain in October 1534.
On April 15, 1535, Cortés began an expedition to explore the coasts 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....
, Sonora
Sonora
Sonora officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Sonora is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided into 72 municipalities; the capital city is Hermosillo....
and Baja California
Baja California
Baja California officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Baja California is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is both the northernmost and westernmost state of Mexico. Before becoming a state in 1953, the area was known as the North...
. On this expedition he is credited with discovering the Sea of Cortés.
Later career
On August 25, 1535, news was received in Mexico City of the expected arrival of Antonio de Mendoza, the first viceroy of New Spain. He took over governmental functions from the Audiencia on November 14, 1535, the day of his arrival. Ramírez de Fuenleal, ill, returned to Spain in 1537 to recover his health. He was successively bishop of Tuy, León (1540) and Cuenca (1542). From 1540 he was president of the Chancery of Valladolid and a member of the Council of the Indies. He had some involvement in the New LawsNew Laws
The New Laws, in Spanish Leyes Nuevas, issued November 20, 1542 by King Charles V of Spain regarding the Spanish colonization of the Americas, are also known as the "New Laws of the Indies for the Good Treatment and Preservation of the Indians", and were created to prevent the exploitation of the...
of 1542, serving as editor.
He died on January 22, 1547 in Valladolid, Spain. At the time of his death he was president of the Chancery of Valladolid and bishop of Cuenca. He was interred in the Dominican convent of La Santa Cruz, in the town of Villaescusa de Haro, where he had been born.