Juan Martínez de Medrano

In this Basque name, the first surname is Medrano and the second is Aibar.

Juan Martínez de Medrano y Aibar
Baron and Lord of Sartaguda, Arróniz and Villatuerta
Coat of arms of the House of Medrano: Gules field, Or cross in fluery, a goshawk landing on the hand of the family progenitor, argent border with the family motto "Ave Maria"
Other titles	"The Elder" and "The Mayor"
Born	Late 13th century Kingdom of Navarre
Died	1337-1338
Noble family	Medrano
Spouse(s)	Aldonza Sánchez
Issue	Juan Martínez de Medrano 'The Younger' Sancho Sanchez de Medrano Álvaro Diaz de Medrano Fernando Sanchez de Medrano Juan Velaz de Medrano Rodrigo Diaz de Medrano
Father	Juan Martínez de Medrano

Juan Martínez de Medrano y Aibar (Basque: Ganix, Spanish: Juan, French: Jean; 13th century – December 1337–May 1338), nicknamed the Elder or the Mayor, was a judge of the Navarrese Cortés, baron and lord of Arroniz, Sartaguda, Viana and Villatuerta, ricohombre of Navarre, and regent of the Kingdom of Navarre from 13 March 1328 until 27 February 1329. Don Juan Martínez de Medrano y Aibar was a prominent figure of the Navarrese high nobility and main head of his lineage. Juan participated in the most relevant political events that occurred in the Kingdom of Navarre in the first half of the 14th century.

Don Juan Martínez de Medrano and his son Don Álvaro Diaz de Medrano are known for their modifications or amendments (amejoramientos) of the Navarrese Fueros, commissioned in 1330 by King Philip III of Navarre. Charles II of Navarre, for his services, gave Juan the Castle of Dicastillo and shortly after the town of Arróniz. He was the Lieutenant of the Governor of Navarre, a position he held from 1329–1330, and Judge of the Corte of Navarre.

Ricohombre of Navarre

Juan Martínez de Medrano took center stage in the sociopolitical arena with his appointment as ricohombre (rich man), a dignity that he enjoyed shortly before 1309 during the reign of King Louis X of France and Navarre. Under this condition, along with five ricoshombres and other representatives of the kingdom, he went to Paris for the oath ceremony of Philip V of France and Navarre on 30 September 1319. Since the beginning of the century, he was known by the nickname "the Elder," undoubtedly to distinguish him from his namesake son, "the Younger," who received a ricohombría in 1323.

His father Juan Martinez de Medrano I, was a ricohombre in 1291. Ricohombre is a title given to twelve members of the highest nobility in Navarra during the Late Middle Ages, previously known as princes, barons, or lords. In most cases, they were related to the kings. Ricohombre was the highest noble title in the early centuries of Iberian monarchies.

In 1329, it still appears that the number of ricoshombres was limited to twelve. It is known that in the oath made by King Philip III and Queen Joan II: Don Juan Martínez de Medrano the Elder and Don Juan Martinez de Medrano the Younger attended.

Background

Juan Martínez de Medrano was the son of the ricohombre Juan Martinez de Medrano, Lord of Sartaguda and Viana, and Maria de Aibar.

Seal of Juan Martínez de Medrano

1276 AD seal of Juan's father Juan Martínez de Medrano

In 1276 his father Juan Martinez de Medrano used a heraldic scalloped seal measuring 50mm. The seal features a design of a flory and voided cross of Calatrava within a square that also includes a legend that says "S. [seal of] Joan Martínez d' Medrano." Each side of the square displays a demi-circle, each containing a cross similar to the on the center. This seal is affixed to a document, specifically a receipt dated 1276. The second seal used by Juan Martínez de Medrano, lord of Viana and Sartaguda, is a scalloped seal of 45mm.

It features the same design and legend as his earlier seal. This seal is affixed to a 1279 letter from the bishop of Pamplona and several Navarrese lords. The letter thanks King Philip IV of France and his wife, Joan I of Navarre, for appointing Gerin d'Amplepuits as governor, and it requests that he be knighted.

The House of Medrano in Viana (1260)

In 1260 AD, the regent's father Juan Martínez de Medrano was given the tower of Viana by the king of Navarre. His father was designated as the person responsible for defending the town and villages in that area on the border of Navarra with Castilla. In the year 1264, Juan Martinez de Medrano was a noble knight and the alcaide of the castle of Corella.

As a result, his father's prestige rose, since in 1300 the council of Viana recognized the representation that Juan Martínez de Medrano made before the kings of Navarra defending their claims to the Kingdom. The presence of the Medrano family in Viana was significant, however it also generated tensions and conflicts. In 1310, a peace agreement was finally reached between Don Juan González de Medrano, the moneylender of Viana, and the council of Viana, whose confrontation was considerable. There had been deaths on both sides, who gave up their hostilities, disputes, and violence. The house of Medrano maintained a relative influence in the town in the second half of the 14th century and until the mid-15th century. In the mid-15th century, the Vélaz de Medrano family continued to lead a military garrison in Viana.

Between 1277 and 1307, Juan Martínez de Medrano, lord of Sartaguda, appeared as the warden, with an annual retention of 7 pounds and 35 cahíces. From 1307, his son Don Juan Martinez de Medrano y Aibar continued in charge of the castle until 1321. When the Principality of Viana was established, the town and castle were integrated as its head. During the war with Castile in 1430, mosén Juan Vélaz de Medrano IV reinforced the fortification with 10 armed men and 20 crossbowmen.

Lordship of Fontellas and Monteagudo

King Philip I of Navarre (IV of France) granted the town of Fontellas and Monteagudo as a lifetime donation to Don Juan Martínez de Medrano in 1304, which later do not appear in royal records because Juan managed them directly. As the rule of the Evreux progresses in 1330, donations and agreements with the nobility increasingly resemble traditional homage commitments in their terms, language, and benefits. This evolving relationship between the king and the nobility, begun by Joan II and Philip III, incorporates new financial practices but remains rooted in a significant feudal structure.

Rise in Ranks

Merindades of Estella and La Ribera in the Kingdom of Navarre

The council of Baigorri granted him the hunting and firewood rights of the lower pasture of Baigorri in 1291. As a leading knight in the Kingdom of Navarre, Don Juan Martinez de Medrano 'El Mayor' held the position of Alcaide, bailiff and tenant in various fortresses of the merindades of Estella and La Ribera since the end of the 13th century and the beginning of the 14th century, such as Artajo castle in 1280 during the reign of Queen Joan I of Navarre. He was given the Corella castle in 1283, along with Viana, and the castle of Asa, forming a large chain of fortified castles along the Navarrese and Castilian border in the two merindades of Estella and La Ribera.

Juan Martínez de Medrano delivers letters to the Kingdom of Navarre

A trusted person of the Crown, in 1305, Philip the Fair (Philip IV of France, King of Navarra from 1284 to 1305) and the heir prince Louis X sent him along with the knight Juan de Bochierre with letters destined to calm the kingdom of Navarre after the death of Queen Juana I.

Regency of Navarre (1328–1329)

Arms of the Monarchs of Navarre (1328-1425) with the Royal Crest

The House of Medrano gained prominence when the Capetian main line went extinct, as Don Juan Martínez de Medrano became regent of the Kingdom of Navarre in awaiting the arrival of his Queen Joan II and her husband Philippe d'Erveux. Medrano's leading role in the political scene came after the death of the last Capetian sovereign, Charles the Fair, on 1 February 1328.

Election in the Cortes in Puente la Reina

The death of Charles, Joan's younger uncle, in February 1328 paved the way for Joan's accession to the throne of Navarre, as there was no longer anyone who could challenge her right to it. The Navarrese, uncomfortable with repressive governors appointed from Paris, were pleased to see the personal union with France come to an end. They held a general assembly at Puente la Reina on 13 March 1328, electing Juan Martínez de Medrano 'The Elder' and Juan Corbarán de Lehet as regents.

Juan Martínez de Medrano and Juan Corbarán de Lehet were barons of the greatest antiquity. Undoubtedly, the personal prestige of both weighed in an unprecedented election in the history of Navarre. The appointment as regent of Navarre is a rare and distinguished honour. Such appointments were not handed out casually and were reserved for individuals of exceptional capability and loyalty to the crown. The regency of Juan Martinez de Medrano is seen as the beginning of a new era in the history of Navarre, now once again free from the government of France.

Regency under the House of Medrano (1328-1329)

Regency Crown

Don Juan Martínez de Medrano administered the Kingdom of Navarre and public affairs in the name of Joan II, with the title of regent. A solemn embassy was also sent to Rome, in the name of Joan II of Navarre, which was extremely well received. Navarre supported this candidacy since they disregarded the Salic Law that counted so much for the French. The regents dismantled the ruling elite and assumed the supreme jurisdictional faculties corresponding to the Lordship for almost a year until the arrival of the new Monarchs.

The regents assembled in May, at the General Courts on May 1, 1328, in Pamplona's Dominican convent, deciding that the legitimate right to the crown should go to Joan, married to Philip de Évreux. The agreement was documented and taken to Paris by Franciscan Pedro de Atarrabia and Dominican Ochoa de Salinas. The embassy succeeded as Joan and Philip accepted the decision. The ambassadors returned with official letters and the new kings' initial decisions. On 23 August 1328, Atarrabia met with regents Juan Corbarán de Lehet and Juan Martínez de Medrano in Olite.

The regency of Don Juan Martinez de Medrano, which began on 13 March 1328, heralded eleven months of “popular government” in Navarra. During the regency, the exercise of public power clearly manifested its “popular” nature in two ways: through people and through symbols. The change of regime took place via the almost total replacement of those holding public posts; posts which would have gone to a group of individuals unrelated to the monarchy and directly committed to the cause of the uprising. Meanwhile, the new Navarrese government led by Medrano and Lehet adapted the royal symbols to the new political situation to reflect the strange, unprecedented situation of a kingdom without a king through such vehicles as language and family seals.

Conditions for the new Monarchy

The Navarrese had taken certain precautions with the new dynasty when three Frenchmen arrived in Navarre as lieutenants of the kingdom. The regent Juan Martínez de Medrano refused to hand over the powers they had received in the Cortes held in Puente la Reina. They indicate that they would only do so to their "natural lords" once they had presented themselves in Navarre and sworn to abide by the provisions of the Fuero General. They will also be required to agree to other conditions established in the Cortes of Larrasoaña:

• Restrictions on minting new currency
• Prohibition of foreigners holding offices and positions in the kingdom
• Prohibition of selling, encumbering, or exchanging territories of the kingdom
• Their first male child will be crowned king as soon as he turns 20
• In case the queen owner dies before the male child reaches 21, King Felipe should leave the realm so that the successor governs it (which the king accepted not without protesting for forsaking his "right of widowhood," being then compensated with 100,000 pounds of sanchetes)

Restoration of the Monarchy

The Navarrese regency successfully ended on 27 February 1329 in Larrasoaña, where Juan Martínez de Medrano handed over the seals to Joan and Philip. With the acceptance of these and other conditions that implied serious decisions - "fechos granados" - the ceremony of fidelity oath was held on 5 March 1329 in the Cathedral of Pamplona. In the end, both Joan and Philip were crowned, anointed by bishop Arnalt de Barbazan and raised on the shield in Pamplona Cathedral on 5 March 1329. On that day, Don Juan Martínez de Medrano participated in the royal oath and raised his voice on behalf of the ricoshombres and estates, a genuine representation of the kingdom. The most prestigious surnames reflected in ‘The Book of Armory of the kingdom of Navarre’ corresponded to very active families in Navarrese politics from the beginning of the 13th century to the first half of the 14th century. Upon arrival of Charles II to the Navarrese throne, few of those famous surnames were part of the social dome: only Monteagudo, Medrano and Lehet remained as rosters of the old noble preponderance.

Medrano's legacy: future regents of Navarre

After 1328, the Medrano family held the regency of Navarre for the King of Spain two more times. García de Medrano was elected regent of Navarre on 17 January 1645 for King Charles II of Spain. Pedro Antonio de Medrano was elected regent of the Royal Council of Navarre from 1702 to 1705 for King Philip V.

Medrano's amendments of the Fueros of Navarre (1330)

Memorial constructed in Pamplona to the Fueros (1903)

The prestige achieved by the baron Don Juan Martínez de Medrano 'the Elder,' a judicious man versed in negotiation, did not cease with the restoration of the Monarchy. He played a pivotal role as a Judge in the Cortes meetings where the succession was decided, and where his proposed amendments to the Fueros—known as "amejoramientos"—were approved.

This marked the return of the Navarrese to their traditional laws. The "Amejoramiento" of the Fuero General, originally crafted during the reign of Sancho el Sabio, was revised in 1330 with the consent of the Cortes. This significant legal update is attributed to Don Juan Martínez de Medrano the Elder and his son, Don Álvaro Díaz de Medrano, under the commission of King Felipe de Évreux.

New laws and regulations

Juan Martínez de Medrano and his son introduced several new laws and regulations that were not present in earlier versions of the Fueros. These included:

• Witness Testimonies: New criteria were established regarding the validity of witnesses in legal proceedings.
• Prenda (Pledge) Laws: Specific laws regarding the treatment of pledged items, such as animals and precious objects, were added to ensure fair dealings.
• Tax and Tithe Laws: The Fueros included new regulations on tithes, particularly concerning the obligations of Jews and Muslims under Christian rule.

Amendments and Corrections

Juan corrected various errors from previous editions, including transcription errors and omissions that altered the meaning of certain laws. Some chapters were reorganized, and the numbering system was adjusted to improve the coherence and application of the laws. Juan Martínez de Medrano introduced entirely new laws not found in the earlier versions. For instance:

• Hereditary Rights: New provisions were made regarding the inheritance rights of different social classes, particularly concerning land ownership and the obligations of heirs.
• Military Obligations: Specific duties were outlined for certain religious figures, such as the Abbot of Montearagón and the Bishop of Pamplona, in providing military support to the king of Navarre.

Lieutenant of the Governor of Navarre (1329-1330)

In addition to these public appearances, conditioned by his rank, his harmony with the house of Évreux was evident in the appointment of lieutenant of the governor, a position he held at least in 1329 and 1330.

Tax revolts in Tudela

Tudela, Navarre

Since the ancient times of its conquest in 1119, the municipality of Tudelana (Tudela) has sought to assert the uniqueness of its tax regime. The conflict and resistance to Royal Treasury demands escalated to a level of rebellion, requiring the intervention of Lieutenant Don Juan Martínez de Medrano 'The Elder' before the people of Tudela. This insubordination led to coercive measures, involving armed men dispatched to quell the rebellion, accompanied by economic sanctions. These actions extended to other towns, as reflected in corresponding expense items. The total households or houses "maintaining fire" amounted to 39,510, with 15 to 20% considered poor. The resulting figure of approximately 48,000 households aligned closely with estimates by royal treasury agents, forming the basis for subsequent fiscal and financial policies.

For the first annuity, Don Juan Martínez de Medrano y Aibar oversaw the collection of contributions, including income from coinage, which represented a significant portion of the total annual receipt in the Royal Treasury. For the first annuity, including contributions from prelates and Jews, the income from coinage represented 39.67% of the total annual receipt in the Treasury. Almost 88.52% of this percentage came from the inhabitants of the good towns and royal farmers. Additionally, the pending collection of one hundred thousand pounds promised to the king, as compensation for supporting his wife's candidacy for the throne of Navarre, was not accounted for in the treasury records. Expenses related to sending emissaries to councils for commitment claims were incurred by Don Juan Martínez de Medrano 'The Elder' before various councils.

The expenses occasioned by sending emissaries to a series of councils, claiming their commitment (“make an obligation through the queen's lady to the king's lord of 100,000 pounds in the general court”) are recorded with letters from the noble Don Juan Martínez de Medrano, lieutenant of the governor, before the councils of Los Arcos, Viana, Laguardia, San Vicente de la Sonsierra, Aguilar and Bernedo; Lerín, Miranda, Larraga, Berbinzana, Artajona, Mendigorria and the abbot of Iranzu; Ujué, Mélida, Santacara, Rada, Caparroso, Marcilla, Peralta, Falces, Cárcar, Andosilla and San Adrián; from the valleys of Aibar, Roncal and Salazar; towns of Sesma, Mendavia, Baigorri, Lapoblación and Labraza. The emissaries covered a range of councils, revealing the currency districts, with the messengers approaching the councils.

Medrano's Brotherhood between Navarrese and Gipuzkoans

The seven historical provinces usually included in the definition of the greater region of the Basque Country (Navarre in red, Gipuzkoa in yellow)

In 1328, his son, the merino Juan Velaz de Medrano of the merindad of Estella, knight, with ten horsemen and sixty foot soldiers, marched to meet with Don Beltran Ibañez de Guevara, lord of Oñate and with those from Álava and Salva-Tierra of the Kingdom of Castile in order to discuss peace and harmony between the borders of the Kingdoms of Navarre and Castile.

The following year, in 1329, witnessed the establishment of the first border brotherhood between the Navarrese and the Gipuzkoans. Responding to a request from the Council of Segura, Don Juan Martínez de Medrano the Elder, Lieutenant of the Governor of Navarre, embarked on a mission with six horsemen and five hundred and sixty foot soldiers to recover stolen cattle and pigs from Santa Maria de Iranzo (Iranzu). These were taken by Garci Ivaynnes de Arbizu, and upon successful retrieval, the recovered livestock was returned to the monks.

In appreciation of this assistance, the men of Gipuzkoa appealed to Don Juan Martínez de Medrano the Elder to establish a brotherhood with the Merino of Pamplona for mutual benefit. Recognizing the advantages for the people under his jurisdiction, Don Juan Martínez de Medrano the Elder agreed, solidifying a five-year brotherhood with the Gipuzkoans.

The subsequent contractual agreement between the Merino of Pamplona and the representatives of Segura for five years is narrated by the officials. This agreement was later extended, upon request, to include the councils of San Sebastián, Fuenterravía, and Tolosa. The King, in response to the need to address killings and cattle thefts by the men of Gipuzkoa in the regions of Burunda and Aranaz, decreed the preparation of a hundred men for the defense of the border. During this period, the unruly elements of Gipuzkoa were grouped around the restless and criminal lineages of Lazkano and Oñaz. Two curious Latin accounts, both from the Merino of Pamplona, clearly indicate this.

The brotherhood

The circle of the brotherhood was very broad, comprising:

• the valley of Arakil, the towns of Atahondo (Atondo), Murco (which no longer exists), Anoz, San Andrés de Lehet, Artiga (which no longer exists), Ochobi, Heritze (Erice), Sandaynna (which does not exist?), Sarassa, Sarde (which does not exist), Sarluz (id.), Andaz (id.; the five deserted places belonged to the cendea of Iza); the valleys of Bullina (Gulina), Utzama (Ulzama), Odieta, Atez, the town of llarregui (this hamlet is now part of the Ulzama valley), the Lana valley, the town of Eztuniga (Zúñiga), the valleys of Amescoa, Arana, Larraun, Araiz, Bassaburua mayor, Imoz, Deyerri with the monastery of Iranzu, Lerín, Bassaburua menor, the land of Baztan, the five towns near the Lerín valley (Sumbilla, Yanzi, Lesaka, Echalar and Bera), the valley of Anué, the town of Lanz, the valleys of Ezcabart (Ezcabarte), Olabe (this valley is officially called today by its genuine Basque name Olaibar; Olabe is one of its towns), Oyllo (Ollo), San Estéban (this is the valley of Santésban de la Solana, in the Merindad of Estella), Burunda, Araynnaz (Aranáz), the towns of Bernedo and its hamlets, Aguilar, Hussanavilla (Genevilla), Cabredo with its hamlets, Torralba, the valleys of Ega, and La Berrueza.

Information regarding the aforementioned brotherhood is scant, and despite its initial intended duration of five years, it was soon dissolved. By 1334, historical records indicate that the brotherhood of Guipúzcoa, in conjunction with those of Lazcano, besieged the castle of Ausa. It appears that the effectiveness of this brotherhood might have been confined to the year 1330. During that year, Juan García de Reta, the merino from Pamplona, collected revenue from a tax specifically instituted to support the brotherhood. The border brotherhood established by Medrano in 1329, therefore, seems to have evolved on the Navarrese side into a treaty with the towns of Guipúzcoa. This agreement involved a commitment by some towns to take action against criminals who attacked the neighboring territory and sought refuge within their own jurisdiction. The historical context reveals that border skirmishes, involving Oñacino lineages from Gipuzkoa and royal officials of the Kingdom of Navarre, persisted throughout the 13th, 14th, and 15th centuries. This recurring theme of disputes, brawls, and border persecutions was not unique to the specified period but continued with marked intensity throughout the entire century.

The Monastery of Fitero

Monastery of Fitero

Juan Martinez de Medrano 'The Elder' must have enjoyed great power and reputation as a prudent man, since the kings of Navarre and Castile chose him as the arbitrator of their differences so that he would settle them according to his conscience at the beginning of the year 1331. In 1336, Juan Martínez de Medrano was again chosen to be the arbitrator, this time, over the border dispute concerning the ownership of the Monastery of Fitero that had developed into a war with Castille in 1335. Having successfully arbitrated between the two kings, Navarra signed a new peace treaty with Castille on 28 February 1336. The matter was not resolved until 1373 when it was concluded that the Monastery of Fitero had always belonged to Navarre.

Witness in the marriage of Prince Pedro and Princess Joan

As a sign of this high degree of trust, in 1333 and 1334, he was one of the witnesses in the agreements for the marriage of Princess Joan to Pedro, the eldest son of the kings of Aragon. Pedro, who ascended the throne in January 1336, expressed a preference for the second daughter, which forced Joan to renounce her succession rights in favour of Maria of Navarre.

Assets

View of Arróniz, Navarre

Besides receiving temporary rents, in 1312 the Irache Abbey gave him a palace, church, and property in Torres del Río.

Map of the Merindad of Estella in the Kingdom of Navarre

His son Juan Vélaz de Medrano y Sanchez was the merino of the merindad of Estella, responsible for its jurisdiction and protection. The regent was the owner of the Baigorri milestones.

Lordships

In 1322 Juan Martínez de Medrano y Aibar was called the Lord of Sartaguda in the merindad of Estella, and shortly after, the lord of Arróniz and Villatuerta. Villatuerta was once a royal estate that, in 1079, housed at least five noble families. King Theobald I granted residents "costería" rights for 7 cahíces of wheat and 3 of barley yearly. By 1280, they owed 200 sueldos and 80 cahíces of wheat, barley, and oats. The Medrano lineage sold these rents to the Crown in 1342, with the council contributing 6,000 sueldos, making the village part of the Crown's patrimony.

In 1342, his heirs sold the town of Arróniz to the King for 48,500 sueldos, except for the chaplaincy he himself had founded and a house that his son Álvaro Díaz retained. His other son, Sancho Sánchez de Medrano, proceeded in the same way with the sale of the lordship of Villatuerta. It was actually a forced sale because these properties were linked to the debt letters that the crown had taken from the Jewish banker Ezmel de Ablitas. Judas (brother of Abraham Ezquerra) was also in debt to the Medrano family in the year 1341 when his son Açach signed a letter as a witness for a debt of one hundred and twenty pounds of small torneses. The indebted party was the affluent Jewish merchant Judas Abenavez, son of Don Ezmel de Ablitas, known as "El Viejo".

This debt was owed to Sancho Sánchez de Medrano, the lord of Sartaguda, along with his wife María Pérez and Juan Pérez de Arbeiza, the chief magistrate of the Court of Navarra. Sancho Sánchez de Medrano was a wealthy and influential figure of the time, a member of the well-known Medrano family. He was the son of Juan Martínez de Medrano the Elder, who held considerable influence in the Navarrese government.

Sartaguda

Juan Martínez de Medrano was the hereditary Lord of Sartaguda. In the 13th and 14th century, the Medrano family owned it until King Charles III gave it to Carlos de Beaumont and later to Marshal Martín Enríquez de Lacarra in 1406. Depopulated by civil wars, it was sold to Juan de Arellano in 1508. The Monastery of Irache and the Hospitallers of Saint John of Jerusalem held lands there. Pope Lucius II confirmed the Pamplona episcopal see's rights over the local church in 1144.

Marriage, Death and Children

Married to Aldonza Sánchez, Juan Martínez de Medrano 'The Elder' died between December 1337 - May 1338 and left a long list of descendants who reinforced his lineage:

• Juan Martínez de Medrano 'The Younger'
• Sancho Sanchez de Medrano
• Álvaro Diaz de Medrano
• Fernando Sanchez de Medrano
• Juan Vélaz de Medrano
• Rodrigo Diaz de Medrano, rector of Piedramillera

One of the regent's daughters was married in 1318 to the nobleman Ramiro Pérez de Arróniz.

Juan Vélaz de Medrano

In 1328, the regent's son Don Juan Vélaz de Medrano, ricohombre of Navarre, appeared as the Alcaide of the Tower of Viana. He received an emolument of 35 pounds. Don Juan Velaz de Medrano, third of the name, Alcaide of Viana and Dicastillo died in 1342. He married Dona Bona de Almoravid and was the father of Don Alvar Díaz de Medrano y Almoravid, lord of Iguzquiza.

Coat of arms of the lordship of Igúzquiza, Navarre

His son Don Alvar Diaz de Medrano y Almoravid became a ricohombre of Navarre and the lord of Igúzquiza and of the ancient Palace of Vélaz de Medrano. In 1380 he was Alcaide of Monjardin Castle, and the following two years he was listed among the King's Mesnaderos. He commanded a retinue or company of armed people in the service of the king. Mesnadero, (In Basque: Mesnadaria) is one who served in the mesnadas. It comes from Mesnada, which would mean house, because it was a troop of the Royal House. Mesnadero's were the cadet sons of a Ricohombre. It refers to the King's guard and the captain of a company. The mesnadas were roles held by certain nobles in Navarra, who received appropriate salaries and were required to maintain a horse and arms. These mesnaderos formed the King's guard when he personally went to war, and their nobility was thoroughly examined. The ransom for mesnaderos and ricohombres was set at a thousand maravedíes or salaries.

Juan Martínez de Medrano 'The Younger'

The regent's namesake son, the nobleman and ricohombre Juan Martínez de Medrano 'The Younger' died around 1333 and left several children, Juana, Bona, Toda, and another Juan Martínez de Medrano, fourth of the name, a knight and mesnadero of Tierra Estella since 1343 and a nobleman in 1350 at the coronation of Charles II of Navarre. In the 14th century, for his efforts and service, Juan Martínez de Medrano was given the castle and town of Dicastillo in perpetuity, near the town of Estella, as a reward and gift from king Charles II of Navarre.

Creation of the Ayanz de Navarra branch

Coat of arms of the Counts of Guenduláin: 1st Quarter; of Navarre, 2nd of Ayanz, 3rd Quarter: of Asiâin, 4th Quarter; of Medrano.

Doña Toda Martinez de Medrano, Lady of Santa Olalla y Sarria, daughter of Juan Martinez de Medrano 'The Younger', married the famous knight Don Fernando de Ayanz, Lord of Mendinueta. Medrano's harmony with the royal House of Évreux strengthened even further when Toda Martinez de Medrano and Fernando's son Don Ferrant Martinez de Ayanz y Medrano, II Lord of Guenduláin, married Dona Leonor de Navarra, daughter of Prince Leonel, I Vizcount of Muruzábal, and granddaughter of Charles II of Navarre.

King Charles III of Navarre, her carnal uncle, offered Dona Leanor 4,000 pounds of dowry, and in guarantee of it, gave Don Ferrant Martinez de Ayanz y Medrano, in 1417, the pechas of Lizarraga. The marriage between Don Ferrant Martinez de Ayanz y Medrano and Dona Leonor de Navarra created the royal Ayanz de Navarra branch. Doña Toda Martinez de Medrano's grandson Don Juan Ayanz de Navarra was the first of the Ayanz de Navarra, III Lord of Guendulain, Agos and Orcoyen, from the palaces of Sarria and from the pechas of Piedramillera, Galdeano, Aucin and Mendiribarren and great-grandson of King Charles II. His descendants became the Counts of Guenduláin, a Spanish noble title created by the king Felipe IV on 6 March 1658 in favor of Jerónimo de Ayanz de Navarra y Garro Beaumont y Javier although he died before the royal office was issued, which was subsequently granted on 21 September 1663 to his daughter, Josefa de Ayanz de Navarra (1669-1683), heir to the county.

On 25 February 1864 the queen Elizabeth II granted the Greatness of Spain to Joaquín Ignacio Mencos y Manso de Zúñiga, VIII Count of Guenduláin, VII Count of Fresno de la Fuente, IV Marquis de la Real Defensa, XI baron of Bigüezal.

Sancho Sánchez de Medrano

The death of Juan Martínez de Medrano 'The Younger' left his brother Don Sancho Sánchez de Medrano as the main heir and head of the lineage. Sancho Sánchez de Medrano married María Pérez de Arbeiza, daughter of the prestigious mayor of Cort Juan Pérez de Arbeiza, he received the lordship of Sartaguda at the death of his father and was named a nobleman, although he had disappeared by 1350. In 1412, another Sancho Sánchez de Medrano was the alcaide of the Castle of San Vicente de la Sonsierra, located in La Rioja, Spain, a historic fortress dating back to the 10th century.

Fernando Sanchez de Medrano

Fernando Sanchez de Medrano replaced Sancho Sanchez de Medrano as the main head of the Medrano lineage and participated as a nobleman at the coronation of Charles II of Navarre.

The Medrano family at the coronation of Charles II of Navarre

The coronation of King Charles II of Navarre was celebrated solemnly in Pamplona on Sunday 27 June 1350, with the three Estates of the Kingdom gathered together in the Cathedral Church. The record of that ceremony introduces the names of the high ecclesiastical dignitaries, the magnates who had the honour of the places and fortresses, and the representatives of the good towns during the beginnings of that reign, undoubtedly the most suggestive in the history of Navarra. The following persons personally appeared:

The Barons: Lord Juan Martinez de Medrano and Fernando Sanchez de Medrano.

Notable Descendants of the Regent

Well-preserved corner tower of the exterior wall at the Castle of Monjardin

The regent's great-grandson named Don Juan Vélaz de Medrano IV, son of the ricohombre Don Alvar Diaz de Medrano y Almoravid, was a knight of the Kingdom of Navarre, lord of Igúzquiza, Arguiñano, Atzoz, Learza, Artazu, Zabal, and Orendáin, keeper (alcaide) of Monjardín Castle; he participated in the Hundred Years' War in 1397 and the War of Languedoc in 1412. Don Juan Velaz de Medrano IV defended Viana against the Castilians in 1429 and served as chamberlain for Charles III of Navarre in 1412 and King John II in 1432. Don Juan Velaz de Medrano IV accompanied Don Carlos III to France in the year 1397. Don Juan Velaz de Medrano IV remained in the army of the King of France, to whom he rendered great services in the Languedoc war of 1412. By the end of February 1412 the Limousin, the three principal sensechalisies of Languedoc and most of the adjoining provinces south of the Dordogne were firmly under Burgundian control. Don Juan Velaz de Medrano IV also accompanied Princess Dona Eleanor de Borbon, on her trip to Paris in 1420.

From 1512 –1522, Don Juan Martinez de Medrano's direct descendants would prove to be key players against the Spanish conquest of Iberian Navarre:

• Juan Vélaz de Medrano y Echauz, merino of the merindad of Estella, lord of Igúzquiza, Orendáin, Learza, etc., defended his castles of Monjardin and Santacara in 1512 against Castile.
• Jaime Vélaz de Medrano y Echauz (b. 1475), brother of Juan, was the Alcaide and Mayor of Amauir-Maya. Jaime, along with his son Don Luis Velaz de Medrano, defended the royal castle of Maya at the battle of Amaiur-Maya (1522), the last royal Navarrese stronghold in an attempt to resist the Spanish (Castilian-Aragonese) push in the Kingdom of Navarre sent by Isabella's grandson Emperor Charles V.

Coat of arms of Medrano

Velaz de Medrano coat of arms at the Palace of Velaz de Medrano (Iguzquiza)

Coat of Arms of Medrano in Navarre: The earliest coat of arms of the House of Medrano was taken up by the Moorish Prince Don Andrés Vélaz de Medrano, progenitor of the Medrano family, in 979 AD. Don Andrés Vélaz de Medrano is noted for having a coat of arms; it displayed a goshawk in his hand and the Ave Maria written on paper in the beak, with the crosses of San Andres adorning the shield. This shield is an early prototype, as the heraldry system was developed in northern Europe in the mid-12th century. This coat of arms has remained within the Medrano family, with few variations:

• In Gules, a hollow and gilded cross, in gold, accompanied in the right corner of the chief, by a hand, with a silver goshawk, silver border with the legend: "Ave Maria Gratia Plena, Dominus Tecum" in saber letters.
• Gules, argent trefoil cross, argent border with the motto or legend: "AVE MARIA GRATIA PLENA DOMINUS TECUM"
• The Solar Primitive: Gules, a flordelized cross, hollow. Argent border, with the inscription, in sable letters: "Ave María, Gratia Plena". Variations: the argent cross and charged with a gules Greek cross; a azure border, with oro letters of their family motto.

Ancestry

Coat of Arms of Medrano (1568 AD) note the Ave Maria and goshawk on the hand of the prince and progenitor, Andrés Vélaz de Medrano

Don Juan Martínez de Medrano descends from the noble and ancient House of Medrano. The Licenciado Don Francisco Mosquera de Barnuevo, dealing with the lineage of Barnuevo, one of the twelve noble and very ancient lineages of the city of Soria, writes: "The Medrano family, whose nobility is so notorious that there is no house in Spain that surpasses it, are incorporated into this lineage [by marriage]. They are natives of Navarre." The chronicler Baños de Velasco collects a legend, according to which, a knight of the Medrano lineage, relative of the King of Navarre, while fighting against the Moors, raised his eyes to the sky and saw the sun tinged in blood and crowned by a cross with four arms of silver. Astonished by the vision, he addressed his companions and said these words: "Courage, for the Lord shows us a sign in the sky, and we shall overcome them."

Maternal ancestry

Don Juan Martinez de Medrano 'The Elder' was the son of Don Juan Martinez de Medrano and Maria de Aibar. The Aibar family is listed as one of the twelve original ricohombres of Navarre. The house of Aibar is one of the oldest lineages of Navarre, to the point that some scholars say that its origin dates back to the times of the Visigothic King Reccared I. Others mention Iñigo de Aibar, including him among the twelve noble men who were elected in the year 865 to govern Navarre. The lineage had its ancestral home in the town of Aibar (which it likely gave its name to).

Don Juan Martinez de Medrano, lord of Viana and Sartaguda

His father Juan Martínez de Medrano was the son of Inigo Vélaz de Medrano. Don Juan Martínez de Medrano was the lord of Sartaguda and Viana and ricohombre of Navarre, as confirmed by several Royal instruments of the year 1276, 1279 and 1291.

In the unfortunate expedition of 1322, led by Don Ponce de Morentana, a French knight and viceroy of Navarre in Guipúzcoa with an army of 60,000 men, the regents father Juan Martinez de Medrano, a valiant captain, perished in the mountains of Beotriva.

Don Inigo Velaz de Medrano

The regent's paternal grandfather was Don Inigo Vélaz de Medrano, Lord of Sartaguda. He is the son of Pedro Gonzalez de Medrano. The seal of this knight Don Inigo Velaz de Medrano is preserved in several documents, including the one containing a donation from the king to the monastery of Leyre (1268). Don Inigo Velaz de Medrano was in the Eighth Crusade with the kings Louis IX of France and Theobald II of Navarre. The Basque Nobility marched to the Crusade with their King Theobald II of Navarre, and under the supreme direction of the Holy King Louis IX of France. Don Inigo Velaz de Medrano was called and chosen by the King. Don Inigo Vélaz de Medrano, and many other noblemen of no less quality answered the call.

Don Pedro Gonzalez de Medrano

Arms of Pedro Gonzalez de Medrano (16 July 1212)

Juan Martinez de Medrano was the great-grandson of Don Pedro Gonzalez de Medrano, who was noted at the battle of Las Navas de Tolosa on July 16, 1212 and took up arms: Gules Shield and a silver cross, figured as that of Calatrava.

Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa, Baya and Salado

Portrayal of the battle by Francisco de Paula Van Halen (1864): de Medrano in armor on a white horse holds his family heraldic flag of Medrano in his right hand on horseback beside the Knights of Calatrava (to his right) at the Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa (1212)

Don Pedro Gonzalez de Medrano attended the victorious day of Las Navas de Tolosa (16 July 1212), forming part of the brilliant retinue that accompanied king Sancho VII of Navarre, and constituted the most significant nobility of the Kingdom of Navarre. In honor of the Medrano family, their is a street named "Medrano" in Navas de Tolosa, Jaén.

This particular coat of arms from the House of Medrano featured an argent fleur-de-lis cross of Calatrava on a blood-red field, symbolizing their ancient lineage through its straightforward design and connection to the battle of Las Navas de Tolosa. In addition to Don Pedro González de Medrano, Don Martín López de Medrano brought this emblem (in Or) into the battle of Las Navas de Tolosa, and again during the notable battle of Baya on Saint Andrew's Day in 1227.

To commemorate this victorious day, the shield of Medrano was adorned with eight Or crosses of Saint Andrew (saltires), similar to other noble banners. Later, the Medrano family took their flag with gold saltires on a field of war when participating in the Battle of Salado on 30 October 1340.

Prince Andres Velaz de Medrano, progenitor

Palace of Vélaz de Medrano in Iguzquiza, Navarre

The origin of the Medrano surname is not a mere coincidence. In fact, It is common knowledge amongst historians and scholars that the noble Medrano family lineally descend from their progenitor Andrés Vélaz de Medrano, a Moorish prince from the Umayyad Caliphate of Cordoba. This prince settled in Iguzquiza under the protection of King Sancho II of Pamplona and faithfully served the Christian king in battles against the Moors.

This prince arrived in Igúzquiza leading a powerful army, entering Navarra around the year 979. He is supposed to have secretly been devoted to the Blessed Virgin, and as such persecuted by the devil, who, taking human form, was in the position of mayordomo in his service, to assassinate him at an opportune moment; this great lord, being in Igúzquiza accompanied by his diabolical mayordomo, was reciting the Ave Maria, when suddenly a goshawk came, carrying a ribbon written with the angelic salutation in its beak, and alighting on the hand of this prince, the Apostle St. Andres suddenly appeared in the enclosure, exhorting and baptizing him. The mayordomo fled with great noise and terrifying earthquakes.

This Prince was a lord of vassals, a person of great valor in arms, who was fond of the Christian religion, and in particular very devoted to the Virgin Mary, whose Rosary he prayed every day, even before being baptized. He left his lands and lordship in the Umayyad Caliphate of Cordoba.

The king of Pamplona gave him the name Andrés (Andrew, after the apostle) along with Velaz or Belaz (Basque for goshawk, after the one that alighted on his hand). Since Andrés Vélaz was very powerful among the Moors, having great riches, which he lost at that time; the Caliph of Cordoba, Hisham II, amazed at his transformation and departure, and that he had left his Umayyad lands and lordship, asked about Don Andrés Vélaz many times afterwards saying:

"Medra o no? (Does he prosper or no?)" to which the Caliph's courtiers replied no. Don Andrés Vélaz, having knowledge of this, took the Caliph's question and his courtiers answer as his surname, and called himself Medrano.