Juan Vélaz de Medrano IV

Juan Vélaz de Medrano IV (1382? – 1461) was the royal Chamberlain for King Charles III of Navarre in 1414 and King John II of Aragon and Navarre in 1432. Juan was a noble and knight from the Kingdom of Navarre. He was the baron and lord of Igúzquiza, Arguiñano, Arzoz, Artazu, Zabal, Orendáin, the 1st lord of Learza and the alcaide of Monjardín Castle and Viana. In 1437, Juan founded the Mayorazgo of Vélaz de Medrano, the oldest hereditary mayorazgo in Viana, Spain.

Don Juan is the son of the ricohombre Don Álvar Díaz de Medrano y Almoravid. Don Juan Vélaz de Medrano was active in the Hundred Years' War during the war of Languedoc (1412), the civil war in Aragon (1412) and successfully defended Viana against the Kingdom of Castile in 1429–1430. In 1410, Don Juan Vélaz de Medrano was targeted in a rebellion from his fiefdom of Orendáin. His grandsons Juan and Jaime Vélaz de Medrano y Echauz were leaders in the defense against the conquest of Navarre, particularly in 1512 and 1522.

Feudal holdings and other properties
The ricohombre Don Juan Vélaz de Medrano, fourth of the name, a prominent representative of the Medrano lineage at the beginning of the 15th century, held dominion over many locations in Navarre. He spent his life and rendered services under the successive reigns of King Charles III of Navarre and his daughter Blanche I of Navarre, who was married to John II of Aragon, the future king of Aragon and Navarre. In the early 15th century, Don Juan Vélaz de Medrano possessed territories southwest of the kingdom of Navarra, specifically in the Estella merindad. The 1427 survey of the book of fires provides insights into the localities constituting Medrano's feudal holdings and his other properties elsewhere.

Igúzquiza
Juan Vélaz de Medrano resided in Igúzquiza, where the ancestral palace of the noble Medrano lineage still stands. It is their most ancient lordship, directly attached to their progenitor Andrés Vélaz de Medrano. Among the town's five registered neighbors, all were hidalgos, including his squire Jimeno Martínez de Igúzquiza.

Arguiñano
Arguiñano, in the municipality of Guesalaz, ws among the most populous of Medrano's holdings, with 16 fires, as per the 1427 survey. Among these, four were multiple, five belonged to pegujaleros, one was a widow's fire (considered impotent), and there was also a foreign neighbor. All residents were farmers, except for four who were hidalgos. The village possessed a communal mill, securing wheat to meet its needs for six months, with a surplus for sale, and also maintained cattle. Over recent times, 16 houses had been deserted, according to the residents. The annual tribute paid by the farmers to Juan Vélaz de Medrano amounted to 24 wheat cahíces and 19 oat cahíces.

Arzoz
The second settlement within Juan Vélaz de Medrano's lordship was Arzoz, a village with a registration of 12 fires and three pegujaleros, none of whom were nobles. Arzoz (Basque: Arzotz) is a Spanish town and a council of the Foral Community of Navarra belonging to the municipality of Guesálaz. It is located in the Merindad de Estella. The residents secured wheat to sustain themselves for six months, and their wine production exceeded local needs. Over the past two decades, eight houses in Arzoz were reported as no longer existent. The agricultural residents of Arzoz annually contributed a payment of 31 pounds, 5 strong sueldos, and 25 grain cahíces to Medrano. Additionally, two clergy members who owned property in the village paid an additional 3 pounds and 16 sueldos and 6 dineros.

Learza
Learza is a village belonging to the municipality of Etayo, located in the Merindad de Estella, Navarra (Spain). It is in the Valdega valley, at the foot of the Sierra de Cábrega. Don Juan Vélaz de Medrano became the 1st Lord of Learza, where the 1427 Book of Fires notes the presence of 6 fires, two of which were multiple, and one was noble. The residents barely met their wheat and wine needs from their own harvest, although they also claimed to own livestock. The houses that disappeared in the last ten years were assessed at three. The inhabitants of Learza (where the monastery of Irache and the hospital of San Juan also received small incomes in wheat) contributed each year to Juan Vélaz de Medrano 10 pounds 7 sueldos, 51 half-ground wheat bushels, 289 wine barrels, and additionally, they were "obliged to perform other services to the said Juan Velaz de Medrano of tilling certain lands". Later, Learza was part of the land owned by de Medrano's marquisate of Vessolla and, before that, there are indications it was a nucleus of population in times past: no less than the Bronze Age itself.

Orendáin
Orendáin is a locality within the historical valley of Mañeru, Merindad de Estella, located in the province of Navarre, Spain. The village of Orendáin had a population of 4 fires in 1427, with three of them being multiple. The residents of Orendáin harvested enough wheat to meet their needs for six months, and the surplus wine production was sold. Orendáin's annual payments to Medrano totaled 10 pounds, in addition to the dinner or yanrar payment, which was the catalyst for the 1410 rebellion.

Artazu
Apart from these locations, Juan Vélaz de Medrano possessed several estates in other towns within the Estella merindad. In Artazu, only two nobles lived, although there were ten other non-local residents. Despite this, there were still chest estates in the area. The farmers cultivating these estates paid Juan Vélaz de Medrano an annual sum of 10 strong pounds each. In 1427, during the survey, the residents of Artazu were embroiled in a legal dispute with Medrano regarding the utilization of the town's pastures.

Zabal
In 1427, Juan Vélaz de Medrano possessed a defined residential area in Zabal, situated in the Yerri valley, indicating ownership of houses or estates in the locality. He was also listed among the non-local residents of Arizala.

Los Arcos
Lastly, he held property in the vicinity of the town of Los Arcos, as attested by the locals who acknowledged owing leases to him.

Mayorazgo of Vélaz de Medrano (1437)
According to The General Archive of Navarra (AGN), Juan founded the Vélaz de Medrano mayorazgo, the oldest hereditary estate in Viana, Spain. As recorded in table 6 of the Mayorazgos of Viana, it was founded in 1437 by the Royal Chamberlain of Navarre and Aragon, Don Juan Vélaz de Medrano, the fourth of his name, lord of Iguzquiza and Learza. While Juan established the Vélaz de Medrano mayorazgo in Viana, he did not have his main house in Viana. Still, it appears in the wealth roll of the Viana town hall from the year 1828.

Juan established the Vélaz de Medrano mayorazgo to preserve his family wealth and status across generations, primarily inherited by the eldest son to prevent property division. Originating in medieval times, it ensured the continuity of his noble lineage by imposing legal and social obligations, such as maintaining the estate, supporting his family members, and upholding family dignity. Strict regulations prevented the sale or mortgaging of primary assets without Royal Council permission, often leading to legal disputes. His Mayorazgo played a crucial role in consolidating the economic and political power of his family, with strategic marriages further accumulating wealth.

Early life
The date of his birth is unknown and he appears mentioned in the documentation for the first time in 1396, when he was already honorary squire of King Charles III of Navarre. The following year, 1397, he traveled to France with King Carlos III, receiving a donation of 50 guilders to be able to prepare for the journey. During his absence, his wife, Dona Bianca de Ruen, went to visit her and her husband's relatives. Medrano returned to Navarre before the return of the royal entourage, receiving for this the sum of 20 francs. In the following years, Juan Vélaz de Medrano received small amounts of the royal treasury, equating to 27 florins between 1398 and 1401.

Alcaide of Monjardín Castle
Juan Vélaz de Medrano set out again in 1405, when he went to Béarn for certain things necessary for the Infanta Joan of Navarre. That same year he was appointed by Eleanor of Castile, Queen of Navarre, as Alcaide of the castle of Monjardín, a position that entailed an annual income of 100 sueldos, 24 cahíces and 4 thefts of wheat, divided into two annual payments. In 1406, he was granted two mesnadas, which rented 40 pounds, whose collection was assigned on the chests of the places of Legaria, Mirafuentes and Ubago, having to serve for them with two men-at-arms on horseback.

Panaderia squire at the royal hostel
A year later, in 1407, Medrano was appointed panaderia squire at the royal hostel and obtained exemption from the payment of extraordinary tax aid voted in Cortes. That same year he received a donation of 15 pounds to buy grapes, since the hail had destroyed his vineyards.

Knighthood
The sources of the Navarra royal administration mention Juan Vélaz de Medrano IV as a knight for the first time in 1409. The following year, 1410, he was prepared to go to the civil war in Aragon, but received a prohibition order from Queen Eleanor, governor of the kingdom in the absence of Charles III. He entered the campaign, however, two years later.

The Rebellion of Orendáin (1410)
The rebellion against Juan Velaz de Medrano IV happened in 1410. Historians have three documents related to the uprising in Orendáin: the sentence from the Cortes (the highest Navarrese court), the pardon reducing the sentence for one of the involved parties, and the allocation of part of the fine imposed on the rebels for the benefit of the lord they revolted against.

Don Juan Vélaz de Medrano went to Orendáin to collect money. Usually the local peasants owed him, but the farmers denied him. The farmers began "ringing the bell... they went at night with weapons against the said Mossen Juan Velaz de Medrano, saying “fire fire” and they wanted to kill him". In their attack, the residents of Orendáin obtained the help of other six residents of Artazu, also vassals of Medrano, eight inhabitants of Soracoiz, and two from Guirguillano.

Unsuccessful, they were condemned to continue to satisfy Juan Velaz de Medrano with dinner, to pay considerable fines, plus the costs of the trial, and to demand forgiveness. On June 14, 1412 in the Pampalona court, the Crown read a process dated at the request of the fiscal prosecutor of the King and of Mossen Juan Velaz de Medrano, gentleman, against: the jurors, mayor of the council of d'Orindain et contra Pedro d'Artacu, Sancho Sotes, Simeno Miguel, Sancho de Suso, Michel, his brother, Johanico, said Echeuerry vezinos d'Artacu, Sancho de Suso, Diago, his son-in-law, Johan Miguel, Sancho Berrya, Sancho Loppiz, Miguel Peú, Pedro, his brother, Sancho Berestu, from Soracoiz, and against Johan Periz and Garcia, from Guirguillano.

Origin of the confrontation
On the 14th of June, 1412, in Pamplona, the court document reads: "The court of the Crown condemns the jurors, foremen and council of Orendáin and former neighbors of Artazu, Soracoiz and Guirguilaño, for rebelling against Juan Velaz de Medrano, lord of Orendain, gentleman, whom they wanted to kill, for the payment of a dinner in 1410". As outlined in the court document, the root cause of the conflict stemmed from the payment of the dinner. The dinner represents one of the tributes that unmistakably illustrates the feudal subordination to the lord. In the early stages of feudalism in Navarre, the prevailing practice was for the dinner to be an annual repast benefiting a set number of lords and mounts. As noted by Juan José Larrea, this tribute was perceived as a potentially burdensome and particularly detested obligation.

Despite the franchises and consolidations of taxes that many communities had achieved in the 12th and 13th centuries, the dinner did not easily vanish from the stately landscape of Navarre. The personal visit of Juan Vélaz de Medrano to collect the dinner in Orendáin suggests that the customary perception of this tribute mirrored the La Oliva model, where farmers were obligated to provide sustenance for the lord's entourage and their mounts. It is likely that the presence of Medrano's retinue played a role in thwarting the assault by around twenty angry peasants in 1410.

Results of the rebellion
On the 19th of May, 1412, King Charles III of Navarre wrote: "'Simeno Miguel d'Artaeu, and certain other residents of the Orendáin logar have been condemned by our court, each one in the sum of fifteen strong carlin pounds for the reason that in said logar, they made a certain invasion of our well-beloved mossen Juan Velaz de Medrano, knight'."

The most severely impacted were, naturally, the inhabitants of Orendáin, who were required to collectively pay a fine of 200 pounds in black carlinos. Following them, the six residents of Artazu, also under the authority of Juan Vélaz de Medrano, were obligated to contribute 1 pound each. Lastly, the ten royal farmers from Soracoiz and Guirguillano, who came to the aid of their fellow residents in the manor, were mandated to surrender 10 pounds each. The overall sum reached a significant figure of 390 pounds. Only one of the unfortunate peasants, Jimeno Miguel from Artazu, managed - due to his impoverished circumstances - to secure forgiveness for half of his fine from King himself in Olite on May 19, 1412. Juan Vélaz de Medrano received most of the money from the mandate.

Hundred Years War (1412)
In 1412 he took part in the Hundred Years War during the expedition that Navarra forces undertook in Languedoc in aid of the King of France and the Duke of Bourgogne against their enemies with their English allies, a campaign for which he enlisted a contingent of 4 men-at-arms and 4 crossbowmen. On the same day as the sentence was published, and in preparation for the mentioned operation, he found himself compelled to mortgage his property in Orendáin. However, the king extended 100 gold florins to assist him in reclaiming it: "King Carlos III grants Juan Vélaz de Medrano, knight, the sum of 100 florinu d'e oro to carry out the Orendáin press, which he had pledged to equip himself for the Languedoc campaign. The money comes from the 200-pound fine imposed on the Orendáin residents for their 1410 rebellion. Karlos, by the grace of God king of Navarra, Duke of Nemours". - 1412, June, Pamplona

Medrano's squires
In 1413 Don Juan Vélaz de Medrano successfully appealed to the Crown on behalf of four squires – Diego Aznárez from Zábal, Juan Aznárez from Zábal, Jimeno Manínez de Igúzquiza, and Ramiro de Asiáin, – securing their exemption from the extraordinary tax aid approved by the Cortes of Navarre. It is likely that these four individuals were part of his retinue. In fact, Jimeno de Igúzquiza is documented during the 1429-1430 war in Viana as his squire, responsible for handling the monetary allocations assigned to Juan Vélaz de Medrano for his troops and provisions.

Royal Chamberlain for King Charles III of Navarre
In 1414, he relinquished his role as the Alcaide of Monjardín to assume the position of royal chamberlain, inaugurating this post by leading a mission to Bearn with carts for the Count of Foix. The rise in the status of Don Juan Vélaz de Medrano IV at the Navarrese court was affirmed by the expansion of his financial fiefdoms in 1421. On November 1, 1421, in Olite, his retinue increased to 6 mesnadas, each yielding 30 pounds annually, obliging him to support 6 men-at-arms: "King Charles III grants to Juan Vélaz de Medrano, knight, six companies of 30 annual carline pounds, with the condition that he permanently maintains six men equipped with horses and arms who shall perform an annual display before whomever the king appoints for that purpose".

Journey to France with Princess Eleanor de Borbón (1420)
Don Juan Velaz de Medrano also accompanied Princess Dona Eleanor de Borbon, on her trip to Paris in 1420. In 1423, Medrano and his wife, Dona Bianca de Ruen, accompanied Princess Eleanor de Bourbon, Countess of Pardiac and granddaughter of King Charles III, on her journey to Sauveterre in Béarn and Castres, where she rejoined her father, James II de Bourbon, Count of La Marche.

Salary and donations
In 1423, records indicate that, beyond his allowances, he received an annual donation of 10 sueldos from the royal treasury for the maintenance of his status. This income was derived from the Pechas of the same localities that contributed to the payment of the fiefs of Bolsa. Throughout these years, Medrano also received various donations, 30 pounds in 1424 and 12 pounds 10 sueldos in 1425.

While the initial salary granted when appointed chamberlain in 1414 is unknown, it is documented that by 1427, his allowance had increased to 20 sueldos per day.

The death of Charles III in 1425 did not have adverse effects on Don Juan Vélaz de Medrano IV. The late king's daughter, Queen Blanche I of Navarre, confirmed her father's previous donations to Juan Vélaz de Medrano in 1428.

Alcaide of Viana (1429-1430)
Amidst the war against Castile in 1429–1430, Juan Velaz de Medrano IV was appointed Alcaide of the town of Viana, leading a company comprising 10 men-at-arms and 20 foot soldiers. The total of his contingent included 33 persons and 13 horses. In 1429, Don Juan Velaz de Medrano defended Viana from the Castilian army that besieged her, and which he made them withdraw.

The principality of Viana was established, the town and castle were integrated as its head. During the war with Castile in 1430, lord Don Juan Vélaz de Medrano IV reinforced the fortification with 10 armed men and 20 crossbowmen. Following the war, his appearances in documentation became infrequent, which is understandable given his likely advanced age for the time.

Royal Chamberlain for King John II of Aragon and Navarre (1432)
In 1432, King John II of Aragon and Navarre made Juan Vélaz de Medrano his royal chamberlain.

Pilgrimage with Queen Blanche I of Navarre
Don Juan Vélaz de Medrano, lord of Igúzquiza, accompanied Queen Blanche I on a pilgrimage to Santa María del Pilar in 1433, earning 15 guilders for himself and his squires to serve as merinos.

Death
The last recorded mention of Juan Vélaz de Medrano IV dates back to January 1441, and it is presumed that his death occurred not long after.

Family


Don Juan Vélaz de Medrano, fourth of the name, was the son of Don Alvar Diaz de Medrano y Almoravid, lord of Iguzquiza, alcaide of Monjardin Castle in 1380, and ricohombre of Navarre. His father was listed among the king's Mesnaderos in 1381–1382. His father also attended the Cortes held in Pamplona by Charles III of Navarra, in 1386.

Juan Vélaz de Medrano is the maternal great-grandfather of Don Juan López Vélaz de Eulate y Vélaz de Medrano, son of Doña Maria Vélaz de Medrano, commander of Indurain, representative of the Ecclesiastical branch in 1525 at the General Courts of the Kingdom of Navarre and a member of His Majesty's Royal Council.

He is the paternal grandson of the noble Don Juan Vélaz de Medrano III and Dona Bona de Almoravid. His grandfather was the Alcaide of Viana and Dicastillo.

Juan is the paternal great-grandson of Juan Martinez de Medrano II, regent of the Kingdom of Navarre in 1328, and Aldonza Sánchez.

His paternal great-great-grandfather was Don Juan Martinez de Medrano I. The house of Medrano had a presence in Viana since 1260, when Don Juan Martínez de Medrano I, was given the tower of Viana by the king. He was designated as the person responsible for defending the town and villages in that area on the border of Navarra with Castilla. Juan Vélaz de Medrano's paternal great-great-great-grandfather was named 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. 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 Sancho VII of Navarre, and constituted the most significant nobility of the Kingdom. Don Pedro Gonzalez de Medrano is portrayed on horseback with his heraldic coat of arms beside the Calatrava knights in "the battle of las navas de tolosa" by Francisco de Paula Van Halen (1864).

Marriage and heir
Don Juan Velaz de Medano IV married Dona Bianca de Ruen in 1396. Due to this marriage, he received two grants from King Charles III, on the one hand 20 cubits of rojo (red) from Bristol, which will cost 36 pounds, and on the other, the sum of 40 pounds. He had one heir, who was called Don Ferran Velaz de Medrano y Ruen, Lord of Learza and Iguzquiza, ricohombre of Navarre. Don Ferran Velaz de Medrano was the Alcaide of Monjardin castle in 1456.

Don Ferran Velaz de Medrano y Ruen
In 1455, the king gave Juan's son Don Ferran Vélaz de Medrano the Pechas de Muez, Mendoza and Legaria so that he would compensate for the two thousand florins he had spent in the conquest of Genevilla, and in 1471, he was given the valleys of Allin and Santesteban de la Solana. In 1461, Don Ferran Vélaz de Medrano was the lord of Igúzquiza. In 1471, the king granted him the taxes of the valleys of Allín and Santesteban de la Solana. He rebuilt the castle-palace of Veláz de Medrano, which was famous for the splendor of the festivities held by Don Ferran Velaz de Medrano and his children and grandchildren, which were often attended by the Navarrese Monarchs themselves. Fray Juan López Velaz de Eulate y Velaz de Medrano, born in Estella (Navarre) around 1470, was the grandson of Ferran Velaz de Medrano, Lord of Learza and Igúzquiza. Fray Juan López Velaz de Eulate y Vélaz de Medrano was the Commander of Induráin (Navarre) in 1506, knight of the Order of Saint John in Navarre and assistant by the Ecclesiastical Arm to the Courts of Navarre in 1525; he was buried in the church of San Miguel de Estella.

Ferrán's wife was called Doña Elvira de Goni, daughter of Mosen Juan de Goni, lord of the ancient palace of Goni.

Juan Vélaz de Medrano y Goni
Don Ferran Velaz de Medrano y Ruen was the father of Don Juan Velaz de Medrano y Goni V, Lord of Learza, Iguzquiza, Agos and Aguinano, Alcaide of the castle of Monjardin. Juan Velaz de Medrano IV's grandson figured in the reign of Don Juan and Dona Catalina. Don Juan Vélaz de Medrano y Goni V, married Elvira de Echauz y Beaumont, daughter of Carlos de Echauz, XV Viscount de Baigner and Juana Margaret de Beaumont. Juana Margaret de Beaumont was the daughter of Carlos de Beaumont, the granddaughter of Prince Louis of Navarre, Duke of Durazzo and the great-granddaughter of King Philip III of Navarre, of the house of Évreux, which is a minor branch of the Capetian dynasty. Juan's wife Elvira and his children were thus connected to the Beaumont family, one of the two major factions during the major dispute between the Agramonte and Beaumont, also known as the Navarrese Civil War (1451–1455). Juan Vélaz de Medrano y Goni and Elvira de Echauz y Beaumont are the parents of Jaime Vélaz de Medrano y Echauz and Juan Vélaz de Medrano y Echauz, the latter named after his father. Juan's sons were instrumental in the defense against the conquest of Navarre that happened between 1512-1529. Juan and Jaime Vélaz de Medrano were castle Alcaides, defending strategic royal castles under the authority of the sovereign Kings of Navarre. Juan Vélaz de Medrano y Echauz defended the castles of Monjardin and Santacara in 1512, while his brother the Mayor and Alcaide Jaime Vélaz de Medrano y Echauz defended the castle of Amaiur-Maya against the troops sent by Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor in 1522.

Family background
The house of Medrano began to regularly appear in Navarra documentation in the latter part of the 13th century as a noble family in the Estella merindad, serving the monarchy in roles such as ricohombres, crusaders, knights, barons, lords, mesnaderos, castle alcaides, merinos and within the clergy. A notable member was Don Rodrigo Ibáñez de Medrano, his involvement in the Cathedral Chapter of Pamplona is particularly notable. During the 13th century, this cathedral chapter held a special allure for certain lineages of the high nobility, including de Medrano. Rodrigo Ibáñez de Medrano even aspired to the bishopric, attaining the mitre of Pamplona in 1304, a result of the prominence of this lineage within the ecclesiastical structure. This continued into the 14th century, with de Medrano maintaining their presence in the chapter, contributing to the consolidation of their prestige through various positions in both secular and ecclesiastical administration. Don Andrés Ruiz de Medrano was a member of the clergy of Roncesvalles, undoubtedly a kin of the Pamplona canon Don Rodrigo Ibáñez de Medrano, who sought the episcopal mitre in 1304, two years prior. Andrés Ruiz de Medrano had been chosen as the prior of the collegiate of Santa María de Roncesvalles, a position he held until 1321. This concurrent involvement strongly suggests a deliberate interest in leveraging influential roles within the kingdom's ecclesiastical hierarchy for both advancement and social influence. The Medrano family rose to prominence within the high nobility by the late 13th century, influenced by their loyalty to the Capetian dynasty. Two decades later, they had reached a point where they could assume the prestigious role of prior at Roncesvalles and even challenge for the episcopal seat in Pamplona. They might have received support in these endeavors from representatives of the monarch, namely Philip IV of France and I of Navarre.

Don Juan Martínez de Medrano 'El Mayor' is mentioned in the records as a former bailiff and tenant of the castles of Artajo and Corella in 1280 and 1283. By the early 14th century, the Medrano lineage experienced an upward trajectory, with Don Juan Martínez de Medrano 'El Mayor', attaining the status of a ricohombre in 1313, thus entering the ranks of the high nobility of the kingdom like his father before him. The family's historical prominence peaked with Juan Martínez de Medrano 'El Mayor' playing a significant role in the succession crisis of 1328, which resulted in the Navarrese throne passing to the house of Évreux. In that crucial year, Juan Martínez de Medrano 'El Mayor' was one of the two regents chosen by the kingdom to facilitate the union of Joan II of Navarre and her husband, Philippe, Count of Évreux, thereby breaking the personal union of the Navarrese and French crowns.

Despite this moment of glory, the house of Medrano faced challenges that mirrored the difficulties affecting European society, particularly the nobility, in the first half of the 14th century. Juan's family saw a potential upswing in fortune during the latter half of the century, possibly due to close ties and military services rendered to Charles III of Navarre.