Merino of the Merindad of Estella Juan Vélaz de Medrano y Echauz Lord of Igúzquiza, Aguinano, Orendain, Zabala, Arróniz, and Learza
Coat of arms of Juan Vélaz de Medrano y Echauz
Merino of the Merindad of Estella
In office 16th century – Position abolished
Governor of the Castle of Santacara
In office 1500–1510
Governor of Monjardín Castle
In office 16th century – Position abolished
Governor of the Castle of Del Castillo
In office 16th century – Position abolished
Personal details
Born	15th century Palace of Vélaz de Medrano, Igúzquiza, Kingdom of Navarre
Died	16th century
Spouse	Ana de Mauleon y Navarra
Relations	Jaime Vélaz de Medrano y Echauz (brother) Pedro de Navarra (uncle-in-law) Louis de Beaumont, 2nd Count de Lerín (maternal first cousin once removed) Carlos de Echauz, 15th Viscount of Baiguer (maternal grandfather)
Children	Juan Vélaz de Medrano y Mauleon
Parents	Juan Vélaz de Medrano y Goñi (father) Elvira de Echauz y Beaumont (mother)
Military service
Allegiance	Kingdom of Navarre
Rank	Major Knight of Navarre, Merino of the Merindad of Estella
Battles/wars	Spanish conquest of Navarre Siege of Monjardín Siege of Santacara Siege of Del Castillo

Juan Vélaz de Medrano y Echauz (15th century –16th century) was a high ranking nobleman and military leader, serving as merino of the merindad of Estella during the final years of an independent Kingdom of Navarre. Head of the ancient House of Medrano in Navarre, the Vélaz de Medrano mayorazgo and the Palace of Vélaz de Medrano (Cabo de Armería), a ricohombre of Navarre, Lord of Igúzquiza, Aguinano, Orendain, Zabala, Arróniz, the 4th Lord of Learza and a descendant of Queen Joan II of Navarre and King Philip III of Navarre. He became the Alcaide (governor) of the castles of Del Castillo, Santacara, and Monjardin.^[1] Juan served as the Major Knight of King John III of Navarre and Henry II of Navarre.^[2] In 1524 the Lord of Igúzquiza accepted the general pardon issued by Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor after the Spanish conquest of Navarre.^[3] Juan was a significant representative of the Agramontese faction, rivals of the Beaumontese.^[4]

He is the son of Juan Velaz de Medrano y Goni and Elvira de Echauz y Beaumont.^[2] Juan was born in the Palace of Vélaz de Medrano, near Estella, where the Medrano family also owned the Palace of the Kings of Navarre, a Romanesque royal residence that served as the seat of Navarrese monarchs from the late 12th century to the mid-15th century.^[5] He was the maternal grandson of Charles, 15th Viscount de Baigner (Baigorri) and Juana Margarita de Beaumont. Juana was the sister of the 1st Count of Lerín, Luis de Beaumont, and the aunt of Louis de Beaumont, 2nd Count of Lerín.^[6] Through his mother Elvira, Juan is the maternal great-great-great-grandson of Queen Joan II of Navarre from the House of Capet, and King Philip III of Navarre from the House of Évreux.^[7]

The Medrano lineage produced knights of great antiquity and nobility.^[8] Juan Vélaz de Medrano belongs to a rich and warrior family of the Navarrese high nobility. His life spanned crucial battles and political turmoil as he fought to keep the Kingdom of Navarre independent alongside his brother Jaime Vélaz de Medrano y Echauz, mayor and alcaide of Amaiur-Maya, captain of the kings standing army, and royal guard of the monarchs of Navarre.^[9]

Juan Vélaz de Medrano's coat of arms was listed in the official archives of the Kingdom of Navarre.^[10] The Medrano family is a very ancient house of noble origin, it is found in different times and in different places. Many principles are attributed to them by authors and historians:

...for its antiquity, its splendor, for their military prowess and virtue and for every other value of chivalry that prospered with this family, in great numbers, magnificent and generous.^[11] The family origin is very old; [they] were related in some way to royalty.^[12]

Juan Vélaz de Medrano's Palace of Vélaz de Medrano was always considered a nobleman's palace and a major defensive structure in the Kingdom of Navarre. After Juan's palace-fortress was sieged in 1512, it was deemed a potential threat to Castilian control, leading to the appointment of a military commander, Colonel Villalba, as its governor (alcaide).^[10]

In 1496, King John III of Navarre gave Juan Vélaz de Medrano y Echauz the property that belonged to Langarot de Yaniz, who was declared a traitor.^[2]

A study on the organization, composition, functioning, and powers of the Royal Council of Navarre under the reign of Catherine of Foix and John of Albret documents Juan Vélaz de Medrano as a member of the Council.^[13] A draft ordinance regulating the protocol and operation of the Royal Council of Navarre, dated circa 1500, records Juan Vélaz de Medrano as a member of the Council within the category known in contemporary sources as los otros del Consejo. This designation referred to individuals who participated in Council affairs without belonging to the small group of ordinary councillors required to reside permanently at the Council's seat in Pamplona.^[13]

The group consisted primarily of high-ranking nobles and included figures aligned with the Agramontese family. Juan Vélaz de Medrano's inclusion in this category situates him among the noble elite engaged in royal governance in Navarre on the eve of the Castilian conquest.^[13]

Juan Vélaz de Medrano y Echauz was the last independent Navarrese Governor of Santacara. A distinguished lord and knight in the Kingdom of Navarre, he also held the office of merino of the Merindad of Estella. Following the death of the Prince of Viana in 1461, Louis de Beaumont, 2nd Count of Lerín, allied with Juan II of Aragon by marrying his daughter and pledging loyalty to both the King of Aragon and Ferdinand the Catholic. As a consequence, the Count of Lerín was expelled from Navarre and lost his titles and lands.^[1]

After the exile of the Count of Lerín, the former owner of the castle, the Prince of Viana granted the royal castle and manor of Santacara to Juan Vélaz de Medrano y Echauz y Beaumont in 1500, in recognition of his ties to the Beaumont family. He resided in the castle for eight to ten years.^[1] Prior to Medrano’s governorship in 1500, the Agramontese faction seized control of Santacara and its castle in 1494. However, the Count of Lerín, with the support of Castilian forces, besieged and recaptured it.^[1]

In the years immediately preceding the Castilian invasion of Navarre, Juan Vélaz de Medrano, Lord of Igúzquiza, held office as merino of the Merindad of Estella and the pechas (feudal dues) over the Valley of San Esteban de la Solana. In this capacity, he was responsible for the organization of local military contingents in royal service.^[14]

A list dated 1510 records men who, with their companions, formed part of the captaincies of the King of Navarre in the Merindad of Estella.^[14] The names recorded for the Valley of San Esteban are:

• Juan Vélaz de Medrano, Lord of Igúzquiza
• Martin Sanz, resident of Igúzquiza
• Johan de Easo, of Luquiayn
• Martin de Liquiayn, resident of Luquiayn
• Ferrando de Luquiayn, alcaide of Monjardín
• Johan de Urbiola, resident of Urbiola
• Miguel de Barbarin, servant of mossen Juan Vélaz de Medrano
• Johan Martiniz de Barbarin, resident of Barbarin
• Johan de Medrano, resident of Bearin
• Lope de Eraso, the younger, resident of Luquiayn
• Jayme de Luquiayn, resident of Luquiayn
• Lope de Eraso, the elder, resident of Luquiayn
• Martin de Medrano, resident of Luquiayn

Following reforms made in 1503, the Castilian army was organized into coronelías, groupings of captaincies. Each coronelía formed units of 1,500 men or more under a coronel general. It included regular infantry units (pikemen, soldiers called escusados, harquebusiers, and crossbowmen), organized into squads of 50 men, each led by a squad leader.^[14]

Cavalry was known as the old guards of Castile (guardias viejas de Castilla). It was divided into men-at-arms (heavy cavalry) and light cavalry. From 1503, the cavalry consisted of line cavalry and light cavalry.^[14]

The guard cohorts consisted of 2,500 horses in 25 companies of 100 riders each. Each company had a captain, lieutenant, ensign, standard-bearer, and a trumpeter.^[14]

In the description of the army that entered Navarre in 1512, it is stated that there were 6,000 infantry, drawn up in formation, in two squadrons (coronelías). One was commanded by the comendador Villalba; the other by Rengifo, a knight of Ávila. There were 2,500 cavalry in total, including 1,000 men-at-arms (heavy cavalry). The captains named are Álvaro de Luna, Pedro de la Cueva, Pedro Manrique, Sancho Martínez de Leiva, Pedro Roiz de Alarcón, Francisco de Cárdenas, and Diego de Toledo.^[14]

In October 1512, Lord Juan Vélaz de Medrano, merino of the merindad of Estella, and his brother, Jaime Vélaz de Medrano, captain of the independent king's standing army, defended the merindad of Estella against the invading forces of Fernando el Católico of Castile and Aragon.^[1] In 1513, Juan Vélaz de Medrano was already listed among the quarter remitters of the merindad (administration and financial governance of the Estella region).^[15] He fiercely resisted the Castilian conquest for years until he ultimately accepted the general pardon issued by Emperor Charles V in 1524.^[1]

Despite his maternal Beaumont ancestry, Juan and his family chose to support the Agramont faction. The Agramont faction was represented by the most significant lineages from the Kingdom of Navarre: Navarra, Garro, Goni, Enriquez de Lacarra, Vélaz de Medrano, Ezpeleta, Rada, Baquedano, Mauleón and other significant Houses.^[16]

At the beginning of the invasion of Navarre in 1512, Juan Vélaz de Medrano and his palace of Vélaz de Medrano became strategic during the uprising of his merindad of Estella, as he served as merino during the insurrection of Navarre. In October 1512, Juan Vélaz de Medrano y Echauz, Lord of Iguzquiza, went to war against the Castilian and Aragonese invaders led by Ferdinand II of Aragon. The lords, in the face of an external threat, summoned the Medrano surname, distributed arms and organized an army to join the other Navarre valleys in support of Henry II of Navarre.^[17]

During the first phase of the Castilian invasion of the Kingdom of Navarre, the fortress of Monjardín was the site of the largest engagement of the initial conquest.^[18] The Battle of Monjardín, fought on 21 October 1512, is identified by modern historiography as the only occasion during the first conquest in which Fadrique Álvarez de Toledo, 2nd Duke of Alba was decisively defeated by Franco-Navarrese forces under Juan's command.^[18]

At the time of the battle, Monjardín was under the authority of Juan Vélaz de Medrano y Echauz, Lord of Igúzquiza and alcaide of the fortress. The successful defense forced the Duke of Alba to withdraw toward Pamplona and interrupted Castilian consolidation in central Navarre.^[18] Historian Peio J. Monteano emphasizes the impact of the defeat, noting that the Spaniards "never forgot the bloody humiliation," which marked a rupture in the momentum of the first conquest.^[18]

Modern historiography has emphasized the logistical constraints faced by the Castilian army during the campaign. Castilian garrisons in Navarre became isolated, the movement of supplies proved difficult, and military consolidation stalled during the first phase of the conquest.^[18] These limitations were especially significant in areas dominated by fortified positions such as Monjardín, where sustained defense under Medrano authority imposed delays and disrupted the operational tempo of the invading forces.^[18]

The outcome at Monjardín demonstrated that the conquest of Navarre was neither uniform nor inevitable. The defeat imposed concrete limits on Castilian military control and contributed to subsequent shifts in allegiance among towns and forces in the region.^[18] As Monteano underlines, early sixteenth-century military authority operated through offices such as the alcaidía, and resistance functioned as lawful defense rather than rebellion.^[18]

In historiographical terms, Monjardín is contrasted with Noáin (1521), which is identified as the decisive battle of the second conquest. Whereas Noáin marked the failure of later restoration efforts, Monjardín represents the moment at which the first conquest was checked.^[18] Juan Vélaz de Medrano's command at Monjardín places him among the principal figures responsible for preventing the immediate and total incorporation of Navarre into the Hispanic Crown in 1512.^[18]

Juan Vélaz de Medrano y Echauz defended Estella, and the castles of Del Castillo, Monjardin and Santacara. After bravely fighting against the Castilian invasion, and following the conquest of Navarre by Ferdinand II of Aragon, Juan Vélaz de Medrano followed his legitimate king to France and participated in the unsuccessful attempt to restore the Navarrese Monarchy.^[1]

After the regaining of Navarre's temporary independence, Juan's brother Jaime Vélaz de Medrano and his nephew Luis Vélaz de Medrano played a leading role in the defense of the legitimists as the mayor and alcaide of the royal fortress and town of Amaiur-Maya in 1522,^[17] "having personified the Navarrese resistance to the Spanish conquest like no other."^[19]

Following the unsuccessful attempt to reclaim Navarre, Juan Vélaz de Medrano accepted the general pardon issued by Charles V in 1524 and reclaimed his lands in Navarre.^[3][20] In that same year, Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, imposed travel restrictions on several notable figures, including Juan Vélaz de Medrano, Lord of Igúzquiza. He was prohibited from visiting Pamplona, Puente-la-Reina, and Huarte-Araquil, locations under the constable's control, except for significant events such as the entry and coronation of Their Highnesses in Pamplona.^[21]

Don Juan Vélaz de Medrano y Echauz married Ana de Mauleon y Navarra.^[22][2] Don Juan made his will and testament on 30 April 1531, and his wife Ana de Mauleon made hers on 4 May 1506.^[23]

His namesake son and heir Juan Vélaz de Medrano y Mauleon y Navarra, considered the oldest of nobility, was summond to the noble estate of the Courts of Navarre in the year 1580.^[24]

His wife Ana de Mauleon y Navarra was the daughter of Landrón de Mauleón y Claver and Juana de Navarra y Enríquez de Lacarra, who married in 1480. Ana’s mother, Juana, was the daughter of Pedro de Navarra, 3rd Viscount of Muruzábal and 5th Marshal of Navarre, and Inés Enríquez de Lacarra. She was also the sister of Pedro de Navarra, 6th Marshal of Navarre, making him Juan Vélaz de Medrano’s uncle by marriage.

Ana de Mauleón y Navarra was a maternal great-great-great-granddaughter of King Charles II of Navarre through his son, Prince Leonel de Navarra, 1st Viscount of Muruzábal and half-brother of Joan of Navarre, Queen of England. The title Viscount of Muruzábal originated from an old royal manor town, Muruzábal. In 1407, King Charles III of Navarre incorporated the town into the newly created viscounty, granting the title to his brother, Prince Leonel de Navarra, thereby establishing the lineage of the Viscounts of Muruzábal.

Juan’s mother-in-law, Juana de Navarra y Enríquez de Lacarra, was the daughter of Pedro de Navarra y Peralta, 3rd Viscount of Muruzábal, and Inés Enríquez de Lacarra y Foxán. Inés Enríquez de Lacarra y Foxán, the 3rd Viscountess consort of Muruzábal, was a descendant of King Henry I of Navarre. She was the daughter of Beltrán "el Joven" Enríquez de Lacarra y Moncayo, 4th Lord of Ablitas. Beltrán, in turn, was the grandson of Martín Enríquez de Lacarra, 1st Lord of Ablitas, the great-grandson of Juan Enríquez de Lacarra, Prince of Navarre, and the great-great-grandson of King Henry I of Navarre and Garaztar de Lacarra.

Juan Vélaz de Medrano's mother Elvira de Echauz y Beaumont was the daughter of Carlos de Echauz, 15th Viscount of Baigner and Juana Margarita de Beaumont.^[25] Juana Margaret de Beaumont was the daughter of Carlos de Beaumont, the granddaughter of Prince Louis of Navarre, Duke of Durazzo, King of Albania in 1376, and the great-granddaughter of Queen Joan II of Navarre and King Philip III of Navarre, of the house of Évreux, which is a minor branch of the Capetian dynasty.^[26]

His father Juan Vélaz de Medrano y Goni was the fifth of the name, Lord of Igúzquiza, Agos, Aguinano, the 3rd Lord of Learza, and alcaide of the castle of Monjardín. He was a prominent nobleman and knight during the reign of John III of Navarre and Catherine of Navarre. His father was the son of Ferran Vélaz de Medrano and Elvira de Goni.^[26]

Juan's paternal grandfather Ferran Vélaz de Medrano was the Lord of Iguzquiza, the 2nd Lord of Learza, and a ricohombre of Navarre.^[27] In 1455, the king gave Ferran Vélaz de Medrano the Pechas de Muez, Mendoza and Legaria as compensation for the two thousand florins he had spent in the conquest of Geneville, and in 1471, he was given the valleys of Allin and Santesteban de la Solana.^[28]

In 1456, Ferran was the alcaide of the castle of Monjardín, and in 1461, he was the lord of Igúzquiza. In 1471, the king granted him the taxes of the valleys of Allín and Santesteban de la Solana.^[29] Ferran rebuilt the Palace of Vélaz de Medrano, which was famous for the splendor of the festivities held by Ferran Velaz de Medrano and his children and grandchildren, which were often attended by the Navarrese monarchs themselves.^[30]

Juan's great-grandfather Juan Vélaz de Medrano was the fourth of the name, royal chamberlain of the Kings of Navarre and Aragon, lord of Iguzquiza, Arguiñano, Arzoz, Artazu, Zabal, Orendáin, the 1st lord of Learza, founder of the Vélaz de Medrano mayorazgo in 1437 (the oldest in Viana)^[31] and the Royal Chamberlain of the Kings of Navarre.^[32]