José Joaquín Vélaz de Medrano y Gante, 1st Marquess of Fontellas

José Joaquín Vélaz de Medrano y Gante, 1st Marquess of Fontellas (2 March 1761 - 10 February 1826) 1st Viscount of Amaláin, 7th Viscount of Azpa, Lieutenant of the Royal Spanish Guards, 14th lord of Fontellas, lord of Autol, Knight of the Order of Malta, representative to the General Courts for the military branch, magistrate of Pamplona and a member of the Cortes of Navarre. He was created 1st Viscount of Amaláin and the 1st Marquess of Fontellas by Royal decree on April 19, 1793, by Charles IV of Spain. He was born in Pamplona and died unmarried in Fontellas on 10 February 1826. His nephew Don Fernando Vélaz de Medrano y Alava succeeded him as the II Marquess of Fontellas.

Family background
The Most Excellent Don José Joaquín Vélaz de Medrano was the son of Don Joaquín Antonio Vélaz de Medrano y Alava, VI Viscount of Azpa, Lord of the Villa de Autol and Yerga, etc. and Doña Antonia Francisca de Gante. Don José Joaquín Vélaz de Medrano was born into the illustrious House of Medrano, high nobility from the Kingdom of Navarre, an ancient family renowned in Europe for their political, religious, academic, architectural, and military contributions. The House of Medrano obtained numerous titles and lordships, they were granted the county of Torrubia, the Marquessate of Tabuerniga, the Marquessate of Espinal, the Marquessate of Vessolla, etc. The family had their original seat at the Palace of Vélaz de Medrano, previously owned by the Marquesses of Vessolla.

This branch of the Medrano family resided in the now-disappeared palace of Fontellas, increasing their territorial assets during the Mendizábal confiscations in Navarra. The title of Fontellas has recently passed outside the descendants of the ancient Lords of this Villa. The Medrano family had notable figures in the military, church, and politics, rising to international prominence when Juan Martinez de Medrano 'El Mayor' became regent of the Kingdom of Navarre in 1328.

Territory
The Marquess Don José Vélaz de Medrano was the 21st Lord of Autol and Yerga, 13th of Quel de Suso and Ordoño, and 14th of Fontellas and of the places and palaces of Mendillorri and Beúnzalarrea, the places of Amaláin, Lavaiz, and Villanueva, and of the palaces and mayorazgo (entailed estate) of Liédena, Aoiz, and Ripalda.

Lordship of Fontellas
Don José Joaquín Vélaz de Medrano was the XIV lord of Fontellas. Fontellas is located 4 miles (6.5 km) away from Tudela. The fiscal inventory carried out after the Castilian invasion of the Kingdom of Navarra in 1512, reflected that Fontellas did not pay "alcaba," which was a tax of the time, because its population was entirely Moslem.

1st Marquess of Fontellas, Viscount of Amaláin
On April 10, 1793, Charles IV of Spain granted the title of Marquess of Fontellas and Viscount of Amaláin to José Joaquín Vélaz de Medrano, VII Viscount of Azpa and a Knight of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta and Saint John of Jersusalem, whose Hospitaller Order had estates in Fontellas since the 13th century.

Career
The Marquess of Fontellas was the Lieutenant of the Royal Spanish Guards, responsible for protecting the monarchs of Spain. He was a knight of the sovereign and religious military Order of Malta. Involved in political affairs, José Joaquín Vélaz de Medrano y Gante served in the Cortes of Navarre in 1794 and 1801. He was a representative to the General Courts for the military arm, and magistrate of Pamplona.

Legal disputes
On 6 June 1791 José Joaquín Velaz de Medrano y Gante, Viscount of Azpa and Lord of several territories in La Rioja, including Autol, Yerga, Quel, and Ordoyo, as well as the estate of Fontellas, was in a legal dispute against Lorenzo Pérez de Laborda, Antonio Pasalodos, Teresa de Sos, and others from Tudela and Fontellas. The dispute revolves around the invalidity of deeds transferring three inheritances in the Las Estacas area and elsewhere, which were granted in perpetuity with conditions such as commutation and liability, allegedly without proper authorization and belonging to the Fontellas estate. José Joaquín requested the restitution of these inheritances along with their incomes.

Ancestry
José Joaquín's father Don Joaquín Antonio Vélaz de Medrano y Álava was the VI Viscount of Azpa. The town of Azpa is recognized as a Basque town and a council of the Foral Community of Navarra belonging to the municipality of Valle de Egüés. Within the town of Azpa, one can find the palace of the viscounts of Azpa, Marquesses of Fontellas, whose family fought in the renowned Battle of Amaiur-Maya in 1522. This conflict marked the defeat of the final defenders of the Navarrese monarchy at the hands of Castilian forces.

Don José Joaquín's father Don Joaquín Vélaz de Medrano y Álava, 6th Viscount of Azpa, was the son of Don Joaquín Vélaz de Medrano y Larrea, 5th Viscount of Azpa, and Teresa Brígida Álava.

Don Joaquín Vélaz de Medrano y Larrea was the son of José Velaz de Medrano y Navarra, 4th Viscount of Azpa, and Ana María de Larrea y Zunzarren.

José Vélaz de Medrano y Navarra was the son of Alonso Vélaz de Medrano y Navarra, 3rd Viscount of Azpa, and Maria de Ripalda y Ayanz de Ureta. Alonso Vélaz de Medrano y Navarra was the son of Don Alonso Vélaz de Medrano, 2nd Viscount of Azpa, and a Lady from the House of Navarra, a royal branch of the House of Évreux.

Viscountcy of Azpa
The Viscountcy of Azpa was created by royal decree in the mid 16th century for the noble Medrano family in Navarre. José Joaquín was the son of Don Joaquín Vélaz de Medrano y Álava, 6th Viscount of Azpa. The 6th Viscount of Azpa was the son of Don Joaquín Vélaz de Medrano y Larrea, 5th Viscount of Azpa, and Teresa Brígida Álava. Their palace of Azpa appears as a corporal of armory on the official payroll of the Kingdom. Azpa is located in the Merindad of Sangüesa, 16km east of Pamplona. The palace of Azpa belonged in 1631 to Alonso Vélaz de Medrano y Navarra, whose guardian, on his behalf, brought a lawsuit in the chamber over the rebate of the barracks. In those years, the firstborn of the Medrano lineage already bore the title of viscounts of Azpa.

Palace and Estate of Ripalda
José Joaquín's father pressed his claim to the County of Ripalda. Even though Ripalda acknowledged Jerónima de Ripalda as his daughter in the mentioned document, it wasn't until December 24, 1726, that Philip V issued a royal decree legitimizing her. While this decree granted her the title of the second Countess after her father's death, it did not secure her succession to the family estate. In 1737, Joaquín Vélaz de Medrano, Viscount of Azpa, claimed his rights to the inheritance in court, asserting his rights as the legitimate grandson of María de Ripalda Ayanz de Ureta, born out of a lawful marriage. This claim brought the palace and entailed estate of Ripalda to the Medrano family.

Paternal great-grandparents
José Joaquín was the paternal great-grandson of José Vélaz de Medrano y Navarra, 4th Viscount of Azpa, and María de Larrea.

Paternal great-great-grandparents
José Joaquín was the paternal great-great-grandson of Alfonso (Alonso) Vélaz de Medrano, 3rd Viscount of Azpa, and María de Ripalda y Ayanz de Ureta. María de Ripalda was the daughter of Luis de Ripalda and María Ayanz de Ureta. Luis de Ripalda's parents were Luis Ripalda and Agueda Amatriain. Luis de Ripalda, later known as the Count of Ripalda, married María Sebastián. María Sebastián's father was Salvador Sebastián, who was the uncle of Luis Sebastián y Donamaría, the lord of Iriberri.

In the lawsuit over the lordship of Iriberri, the Medrano family, represented by José's father Joaquín Vélaz de Medrano, Viscount of Azpa, pressed their claim for the lordship of Iriberri, alongside other claimants. Joaquín Vélaz de Medrano's connection to the lordship stemmed from his lineage, which included Luis Sebastián y Donamaría, the lord of Iriberri. However, Agustín Solano won the claim.

Maternal grandparents
Don José Joaquín Vélaz de Medrano was the maternal grandson of Don Francisco Javier de Gante y Sáenz de Tejada, 12th lord of Fontellas, Quel and Ordoyo (baptised in Quel on April 23, 1713) and Dona Manuela Gutiérrez de Labarreda. Their daughter Doña Antonia Francisca de Gante Gutiérrez de la Barreda was the last Lady of Fontellas and Quel from this lineage.

Siblings
Don José Joaquín Vélaz de Medrano was the brother of:


 * D. Judas Vélaz de Medrano y Gante, Lord of Fontellas and Quel, who died unmarried.
 * D. Pedro Vélaz de Medrano y Gante. He was the father of D. Fernando Vélaz de Medrano y Alava, II Marquess of Fontellas, and successor in the Estates of the House of Gante, who left no legitimate heirs († 1858). The title then passed to his brothers D. Ramón and D. Eduardo Vélaz de Medrano, the latter dying unmarried in 1865. Don Ramón Vélaz de Medrano y Alava, III Marquess of Fontellas, etc., also died unmarried in 1875. His executors had to engage in a highly publicized legal dispute with Don Evencio de Gante y San Clemente, the last representative of the Tafalla line.