Portrait of Luisa de Medrano (Atienza 9 August 1484 – 1527)

Luisa de Medrano (Atienza 9 August 1484 – 1527), was a Navarrese-Castilian poet, philosopher, scholar and professor. Luisa de Medrano was the first female professor in Spain (and potentially all of Europe), at the University of Salamanca. Luisa de Medrano Bravo de Lagunas Cienfuegos belonged to the group of Renaissance women called by their contemporaries "puellae doctae" (learned girls).

It is thought that she is the First Sibyl, Samia, in Juan Soreda's "The Sibyls", painted sometime between 1527 and 1532, exhibited in the Museum of Religious Art of San Gil, in Atienza. Juan Soreda excelled in Sigüenza painting landscapes and returned to the previous fashion of golden backgrounds for her painting. Since gold does not rust, it better expresses the eternal. In front of that background, as if emerging from beyond, appears the powerful gaze of the academic Luisa de Medrano.[1]

Life

Coat of arms of Don Diego Lopez de Medrano at the Castle of San Gregorio, Almarza

Luisa de Medrano Bravo de Lagunas Cienfuegos was born into high nobility, her father was the ricohombre Don Diego López de Medrano y Salvadores, lord of San Gregorio in Almarza and a direct descendant of the Navarrese regent and ricohombre Juan Martínez de Medrano. Her father Don Diego López belongs to the prestigious Medrano family; perpetual lords of Iguzquiza (in the merindad of Estella) and one of the most ancient lineages from the Kingdom of Navarre.[2]

Luisa's mother Dona Magdalena Bravo de Lagunas came from Berlanga de Duero and Atienza in the Kingdom of Castile and was the daughter of Don Garci Bravo de Lagunas, Alcaide of Atienza and Sigüenza, and his wife Catalina Núñez de Cienfuegos. Luisa's mother Magdalena Bravo de Lagunas was the great-great-granddaughter of Don Alonso Pérez de Guzmán el Bueno (progenitor of the Dukes of Medina-Sidonia). Luisa's mother was also the first cousin of the comuneros captain of Segovia, Don Juan Bravo de Lagunas y Mendoza.

Don Diego Lopez de Medrano and Dona Magdalena Bravo de Lagunas married in 1476. Nine children were born from the marriage, including Luisa de Medrano on August 9, 1484. Her sister Catalina de Medrano was a lady of the court of Queen Isabel I and took charge of resuming the construction of the convent of San Francisco in Atienza, where her mother had already been buried in 1531. Luisa's father Don Diego López de Medrano (on his mother and grandmother's side) also belonged to the Salvadores lineage (including Barnuevo and Chancellor), members of the Twelve Lineages of Soria (The Diputación de Caballeros Hijosdalgo de los Twelve Linajes) and therefore received royal privileges in Soria. The Lineages of Soria are an ancient historical corporation, used to control the urban government for centuries. It was one of the three institutions that governed the city of Soria from the Middle Ages to the liberal reforms of the 19th century.[3]

Luisa de Medrano at the Castle of San Gregorio

The Castle of San Gregorio (Casa Fuerte de San Gregorio) built by Don Diego Lopez de Medrano in 1461

Luisa de Medrano lived in the Castle of San Gregorio (Casa Fuerte de San Gregorio), located in the municipality of Almarza.[4] The origin of this castle is recorded in the document drawn up in Medina del Campo and dated July 29, 1461, by which King Henry IV gave Diego López de Medrano permission to build this fortified house. It is a solid square house with a coat of arms, a central patio, defended with a barrier, part of which still exists, battlements on its walls, and round towers in three of its corners, which still preserve the gargoyles carved in stone and the tubes of artillery pieces of the fifteenth century. Later, under the protection of Don Francisco de Medrano, a Dominican convent was founded in the 16th century, giving up a house and a villa for its establishment.[5]

Church of San Gregorio, Almarza (Spain)

The church, attached to the Castle of San Gregorio, has a Latin cross plan and has a central nave with ribs, a wide dome and a beautiful portal. A classic polychrome choir is preserved under which there is a baptismal font from medieval times. The Church was a parish for many years under the patronage of San Gregorio. The cloister consists of two arcaded buildings at an angle and is paved with pebble stones in the traditional style of the great houses of Soria. It is now used for wedding ceremonies.[6]

Isabel I's grandson, Emperor Carlos I of Spain, Karl V of Germany, tried to rid the world of the memory of his mother Joanna I and of other women as well, including Luisa de Medrano. He had one of Lucio Marineo Sículo's books censured, "De Rebus Hispaniae Memorabilibus" which was published in Castilian also, as “Cosas memorables de España”, or "Memorable Things in Spain", a kind of encyclopedia that covered different subjects. There are very few copies of the first edition from 1530 because the Emperor ordered it to be removed, but it contained a chapter that mentions and praises Luisa de Medrano.

Luisa de Medrano, professor at the University of Salamanca

Old Library in the University of Salamanca

Luisa de Medrano's intellectual abilities and solid formation enabled her to teach Latin at the University of Salamanca. Her brother Don Luis de Medrano was the Rector of Salamanca University during her time. The scholar Sículo misspelled her name, using Lucia, instead of Luisa. She received the chair left by Antonio de Nebrija (Antonio Martínez de Cala) in 1508 (Poetry and Grammar), although it is not known how long she maintained the post.[7] Luisa de Medrano wrote poems and philosophy, though her work has been lost. She benefited from living in the climate of tolerance and advancement for women that Isabella I actively cultivated in her court. Luisa de Medrano not only received a privileged and nurtured education with the royal daughters, Isabel and Juana, she undoubtedly benefited from living in the climate of tolerance and advancement for women that Isabel I actively cultivated in her court, and which disappeared after her death. Under the protection of Queen Isabel I, Luisa de Medrano learned history, culture and humanist philosophy alongside children of the royal family.

Michelangelo's Delphic Sibyl, Sistine Chapel ceiling

The news about Luisa de Medrano appears throughout history over and over again copied from two main sources: a note by Pedro de Torres, a student and rector from Salamanca, and by Lucio Marineo Siculo. Marineo Sículo recorded Luisa de Medrano's extraordinary talent in his work "Cosas Memorables de España" (1530) and in one of his letters that compose his "Opus Epistolarum" (1514), also in both the Latin edition and in the Castilian edition of 1530, and in a Letter addressed to Luisa herself:

"Lucius Marineus Siculus to Lucía (Luisa) de Medrano: Your fame for your great studies and your eloquence had reached me before I had seen you, my dear and illustrious Clara. And now that I have had the privilege of seeing you in person and hearing you speak so elegantly, I have been even more impressed. You are not only learned and eloquent, but also beautiful and charming, surpassing all the Spanish men in eloquence in the Latin language. O happy parents who have given birth to such a daughter! You, my dearest girl, owe much to the Almighty God, who has bestowed great talents upon you, and also to your parents, who have not assigned you to the ordinary duties of women, nor to the unpleasant toils of the body, which are quickly destroyed, but have freed you for the pursuit of the most illustrious studies and arts, and have consecrated you to eternal memory. Debent and they owe you, for you have surpassed them all in hope and opinion with your singular virtue and great zeal.

The whole of Spain owes you, as you illuminate it with the glory of your knowledge and steadfastness. As for myself, a most worthy young lady, I certainly owe you more than I can repay. Indeed, thanks to you, I envy neither the muses nor the Sibyls of past ages, nor the Pythian prophets, nor the female philosophers among the Pythagoreans. Now, what was previously in doubt, I easily believe that in Rome there were daughters of Lelius and Hortensius, and in Sicily, the daughters of Sthesicorus, and other most eloquent women. And now I know that nature has not denied women genius, which is especially proven in our time by you, who have raised your head higher than men in letters and eloquence. You, a tender and young girl in Spain, handle not wool, but books, not a spindle, but a pen, not a needle, but a stylus, with diligence and zeal. Farewell, and if there is anything in which you wish to use my help, know that I am always at your service. Farewell again, and please inform me of your health and the course of your life through letters."

In the chronicle registry of the professor and later Rector of the University of Salamanca (Cronicón) in 1513, a testimony by Pedro de Torres:

On November 16, 1508, Medrano's daughter reads in the chair of Canons.[7]

The Book of the University's Claustro for the year 1668-1669 describes the relationship between the Medrano family of San Gregorio and the University of Salamanca. For at least about one hundred and sixty years, they were linked to the University: in 1508, Luisa de Medrano was a professor, and in 1669, Domingo and García de Medrano y Mendizabal, her fourth nephews, were rectors of the University of Salamanca.[8]

Medrano and Bravo de Lagunas lineage in Atienza

View of Atienza, in Guadalajara

Luisa de Medrano's maternal grandfather, Garcí Bravo de Lagunas, migrated from Soria (or Sigüenza) to establish residence in Atienza. When Garcí Bravo assumed responsibility for the Alcaidia of Atienza Castle, his relocation was not solitary; he brought his entire family, including his wife, children, and sons-in-law. Among those accompanying him were his daughter Magdalena Bravo de Lagunas and her husband, Diego López de Medrano, along with at least three sons and two daughters—Diego, Garci, Luis, Catalina, and Isabel. Subsequently, in Atienza, the marriage bore at least four additional children, among them Luisa.

Coat of Arms of Agoncillo: hollow Calatrava cross in argent on a gules field, Or Castle on a field of azure, of Medrano

Her father potentially came from the Medrano lineage that lived in La Rioja before moving to Atienza with his wife. In 1337, Rodrigo Alfonso de Medrano, crossbowman of Alfonso XI, bought the village of Agoncillo and the Castle of Aguas Mansas in La Rioja, and started carrying out several remodelling works adapting it to the style of the 14th century.[9] In 1392, it was owned by Rodrigo Alfonso de Algoncillo who bequeathed it to his nephew Diego López de Medrano (mayordomo of the king). The coat of arms of the House Medrano with the Calatrava Cross can be found on the eastern facade of the Castle of Aguas Mansas, a sign of its dominion and ownership.[10]

At the onset of Queen Isabella the Catholic's rule in Castile, Atienza, like the rest of the kingdom, faced the choice between loyalty to the reigning king and the prospect of allegiance to the prospective queen, Isabella. In the Castilian War of Succession, Luisa's maternal grandfather, Garci Bravo de Lagunas, played a pivotal role in securing the city of Sigüenza for Queen Doña Isabel. Engaging in a noteworthy act during the conflict, Garci Bravo de Lagunas and his relative Pedro de Almazán courageously scaled Sigüenza Castle, capturing Bishop Diego López of Madrid, a supporter of the Beltraneja, thereby aiding the cause of Queen Isabella I. Don Juan Bravo, Alcaide of Atienza Castle, and Pedro de Almazán facilitated the ascent of Garci Bravo's men, securing the castle and town, aligning it with the sovereignty of Queen Isabella I. Consequently, the descendants of Garci Bravo wielded considerable influence in the town. Following the city's restoration to the Catholic Monarchs, Garci Bravo de Lagunas assumed the role of Alcaide, maintaining a prominent position in Atienza.

Castle of Atienza

In that year, during the siege of the city, he made a military testament in the royal style, which was later legally recorded on May 31, 1570, by Juan Sánchez Canales, a notary in Toledo. Through this disposition, he established a trust for a third and a fifth of his assets and the perpetual alcaidía (wardenship) of Atienza in Garci Bravo de Medrano, his grandson, the second son of his daughter Magdalena and Diego López de Medrano. This marked the origin of the Bravo estate in Atienza.[11]

Luisa's father Don Diego López de Medrano and her maternal grandfather, Garcí Bravo, died in the Queen's service at the Siege of Málaga in 1487. The Chronicle of the Catholic Monarchs by Don Juan M. Carriazo confirmed the news that Garci Bravo de Lagunas and Diego López de Medrano had died in battle. Mosén Diego de Valera writes about this battle: "And the Christians had received very great damage at the beginning and more than fifty of them were killed and others wounded. Among them, three principal men were killed: Garci Bravo, governor of Atienza; Diego de Medrano, his son-in-law; and Gabriel de Sotomayor, brave knights of noble lineage." Juan Bravo's wife Catalina Núñez de Cienfuegos, on the occasion of the death of her husband and son-in-law in that action, received a heartfelt letter of condolences and gratitude from the Catholic Monarchs on June 7, 1487.[12]

Siblings

  • Diego López de Medrano, heir to the paternal estate, and to the fortress of San Gregorio, near Soria. He was born on July 30, 1477.
  • Garcí Bravo de Medrano, heir to the maternal estate, was born on November 20, 1478.
  • Francisco de Medrano, born on May 15, 1481, the date of his death unknown.
  • María Bravo de Medrano, born on May 9, 1492, a nun in Soria, according to the will of her sister Catalina.
  • Leonor de Medrano, the other nun sister, was born on June 14, 1483.
  • Luis de Medrano, rector of the University of Salamanca around 1511–12, born on November 9, 1485, and died before 1527.
  • Isabel Bravo de Medrano, born on January 6, 1487, and died after 1531.
  • Catalina de Medrano, born on October 31, 1479, and died without children, in Atienza, on December 2, 1541, being buried in San Francisco. Catalina de Medrano was a lady of the court of Isabel la Católica, married to Hernando de Rojas Sandoval, commander of Huélamo in the Order of Santiago, brother of Bernardo de Sandoval y Rojas, II Marquis of Denia, count of Lerma, great seneschal of Sicily, mayordomo of Kings Fernando the Catholic and Juana la Loca and a direct ancestor of Francisco de Sandoval y Rojas, 1st Duke of Lerma, a close relative of Tomas Fernandez de Medrano through his wife Isabel Ibáñez de Sandoval and their children Dona Maria and Don Juan Fernandez de Medrano y Sandoval.

Luisa de Medrano's family at the University of Salamanca

1568 Coat of Arms of Garci Bravo de Medrano y Mendoza (left to right: Medrano, Lagunas, Bravo and Mendoza) in Atienza

Luisa de Medrano's brother Garci Bravo de Medrano was perpetual Alcaide of the Atienza castle and lord of the house of Bravo in Atienza, linked to him by his mother and grandfather Don Juan Bravo de Lagunas. He married Catalina de Mendoza, daughter of Íñigo de Molina, III lord of the towns of Embid, Santiuste and El Pobo in the Molina lordship. Catalina was the granddaughter of Pedro Carrillo de Mendoza, second Count of Priego, and María de Quiñones, his wife was the sister of Diego Fernández de Quiñones, the first Count of Luna, chief merino of León and Asturias. Garci Bravo de Medrano and Catalina de Mendoza were the parents of Garci Bravo de Medrano y Mendoza who married Dona Ana Sarmiento de Ayala y Rojas, and Diego López de Medrano y Mendoza, the second son, was the lord of San Gregorio and married Francisca de Vinuesa. They inherited many lands in Soria, and their son succeeded them. From them, the counts of Torrubia are descended. The counts of Torrubia are united with the Dukes of Villahermosa, Dukes of Sotomayor, Dukes of Alba, Marquises of Villamayor, Marquis of Salamanca and the Marquisate of Las Nieves.

Don Garcia de Medrano y Vinuesa, second cousin of Luisa de Medrano and son of Don Diego López de Medrano y Mendoza, later played a significant political role: he was a member of the Cortes of Segovia from 1592 to 1593, and the speeches he delivered are preserved in the protocols of those Cortes. In the trial against Don Rodrigo Calderón, Marquis of the Seven Churches, judge Don Garcia de Medrano y Vinuesa was one of the few who voted against the Marquis's death.[13]

His son Garcia de Medrano y Castejon, third nephew of Luisa de Medrano, was a professor at the University of Salamanca and married Maria de los Rios y Mendoza. Likewise, his son Garcia de Medrano y Alvarez de los Rios, also named García like his father, was a student at the Old College of San Bartolomé, a scholar and professor at the University of Salamanca and the regent of the Kingdom of Navarre and Seville.[14] According to Ruiz y Vergara, he graduated as a Licentiate in Canons at the College in 1636, and on October 17, the Council gave him the position of Sixth Chair of Property, above all the other professors who had been promoted before him.[15] He was married to María Ignacia de Mendizábal y Uribe and had one son, García de Medrano y Mendizabal, I Count of Torrubia, lord of the Medrano estate of San Gregorio. The county of Torrubia is a Spanish noble title created on August 29, 1694, by King Carlos II in favor of Garcia de Medrano y Mendizabal.[16]

The Marquesate of Lanzarote

Luisa de Medrano is a direct ancestor of Doña Luisa Bravo de Guzmán, IV Marchioness of Lanzarote, Countess of Fuerteventura. She was born in Alcalá de Henares in 1595 and passed away in Madrid on November 24, 1661. In 1622 Don Agustín de Herrera y Rojas, the second Marquis of Lanzarote, married Doña Luisa Bravo de Guzmán, daughter of Jerónimo de Guzmán and Antonia Bravo del Castillo. Doña Luisa Bravo de Guzmán became the IV Marchioness of Lanzarote after the death of her son Agustín de Herrera y Rojas, III Marquis of Lanzarote. The IV Marchioness Doña Luisa Bravo de Guzman was the granddaughter of Don Pedro de Guzmán, Lord of Olmedilla, and Doña Luisa Bravo de Lagunas, who in turn was the daughter of Garci Bravo de Medrano y Mendoza, Alcaide of Atienza and Doña Ana Sarmiento de Ayala y Rojas.[17]

Catalina de Medrano and the Franciscan Chapel in Atienza

Town of Atienza

Luisa's sister Catalina de Medrano is considered a person of high culture for her time, she began to serve Isabel of Castile in 1497, remaining with her until the death of the Queen herself, receiving 27,000 maravedís per year for her services. Later, Catalina, together with her husband, Hernando de Rojas y Sandoval, participated in the custody, or care, of Queen Juana I in Tordesillas.[18]

In the early 16th century, Doña Catalina de Medrano Bravo Lagunas and Don Hernando de Rojas Sandoval emerged as benefactors, financing the construction of two transept chapels dedicated to the Immaculate Conception (on the Gospel side) and to saints Sebastian, Fabian, and Roque (on the Epistle side). Shortly thereafter, the couple funded the establishment of a new chapel in the transept devoted to Saint Anthony.[19]

This endeavor involved commissioning chasubles and a vestment, contributing tapestries, an altar frontal, sheets, a chalice, and wine jugs. Catalina de Medrano and her husband orchestrated the installation of an ornate wrought-iron gate at the chapel's entrance and commissioned the carving of two recumbent statues, presumably designed to house their remains eternally in white alabaster material within the confines of the Saint Anthony chapel. The existence of these funerary statues remains uncertain, although strong indications suggest their creation.[19]

During the zenith of the 14th and 15th centuries, the town of Atienza thrived as a significant hub for communication and commerce. At the heart of this locale stood a Franciscan friary established in the mid-13th century. Demonstrating a commendable initiative to enhance the religious edifice of San Francisco in Atienza, Doña Catalina de Medrano, in 1507, instigated the construction of a main entrance, the restructuring of the choir, and numerous other intricate embellishments, marking a noteworthy chapter in the history of the friary.[19]

Her brother, Don Garcí Bravo de Medrano, assumed the patronage of the newly renovated temple's main chapel, marking a pinnacle moment for the Franciscan monastery. In 1507, during the regency of Friar Francisco Ximénez de Cisneros, the convent attained the status of a Royal Convent of Atienza. The appointed Guardian or Superior also held the position of Dean Regidor in the town, wielding two votes in the Councils and various prerogatives, underscoring the considerable influence of the friars in the governance of Atienza.[19]

Noteworthy visits from Spanish monarchs, including Philip II in 1592, Philip III, and Philip IV in 1660, as well as Philip V in 1706, attest to the monastery's prominence. However, the zenith of the monastery waned drastically on the night of January 7, 1811, when Napoleonic forces ravaged the residence of the religious and the temple, leading to the near-total destruction of this cultural and religious heritage. It was during this calamitous event that the artistic treasures bequeathed to posterity by Catalina de Medrano were tragically lost.[19]

Legacy

Lucia de Medrano, Hall of Cloisters of the Higher Schools of Salamanca

In 1943, the Ministry of National Education of Spain granted, at the proposal of the Cloister of the National Institute of Secondary Education of Salamanca, female, that this Institute be called "Lucía de Medrano".On October 12, 2015, the Rectorate and the University of Salamanca agreed that the Hall of Cloisters of the Higher Schools of the university be named "Lucía de Medrano" to honour the first female professor in Spain and Europe.[20]

In 2015, the Castilla-La Mancha Community Board created the Castilla-La Mancha International Award for Gender Equality "Luisa de Medrano,” which has been awarded annually since 2016 by the Castilla-La Woman Institute in La Mancha with the aim of distinguishing those people, groups, entities or institutions that have stood out or stand out in the defense of equality between women and men.[21]

On August 9, 2022 Google celebrated Luisa's 538th birthday.[22]

There is also a book titled "Luisa de Medrano: The First Professor - Biographical Notes" by Tomas Gismera Velasco.[23]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Jacinto Chicharro Santamera, June 23, 2018, during the inauguration of the Luisa de Medrano library in Atienza https://www.guadaque.com/cultura-guadaque/el-retrato-de-luisa-de-medrano
  2. ↑ "MEDRANO - Auñamendi Eusko Entziklopedia". aunamendi.eusko-ikaskuntza.eus. Retrieved 2023-11-01.
  3. ↑ "SORIA – Rutas aparte". Retrieved 2023-10-16.
  4. ↑ Casa Fuerte de San Gregorio
  5. ↑ Church of San Gregorio
  6. ↑ "Casa Fuerte de San Gregorio - Historia". CasaFuerte San Gregorio (in Spanish). Retrieved 2023-10-17.
  7. 1 2 Pedro de Torres: Cronicón, Salamanca, 1508.
  8. ↑ Oettel, Thérèse (1935). "Una catedrática en el siglo de Isabel la Católica : Luisa (Lucía) de Medrano" (in Spanish). {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  9. ↑ Goicoechea, Cesáreo (1949). Castillos de la Rioja, notas descriptivas e históricas (in Spanish). Logroño. p. 125. ISBN 84-398-9272-1.
  10. ↑ "Castillo de Aguas Mansas". La Rioja Sin Barreras (in Spanish). Retrieved 2023-11-07.
  11. ↑ F. Layna, p. 200.
  12. ↑ The letter, dated in the Royal [Palace], regarding Málaga, on June 7, 1487, was signed by Their Highnesses and Fernán Álvarez, and it read as follows: "The King and the Queen. Doña María de Cienfuegos, you have already learned of the passing of Don Garci Bravo, your husband, which grieves us deeply, and we are left with a heavy burden, both for the loss we have suffered and for the great service he rendered during his life, as well as concerning you. Since he died as his duty required, fighting against the infidels and in our service, we are burdened to reward you, and we shall have your affairs, as they pertain to you and your relatives, carefully examined, with all due gratitude." Ápud T. Gismera
  13. ↑ Espasa-Calpe Encyclopedia, See about Garcia: Nicolás Antonio. Biblioteca Nova.
  14. ↑ "García de Medrano y Álvarez de los Ríos | Real Academia de la Historia". dbe.rah.es. Retrieved 2023-11-12.
  15. ↑ Arteaga, II, pages 137 and 489
  16. ↑ Fayard, Janine (1981). «Los ministros del Consejo Real de Castilla». Revista Hidalguía (165): 62.
  17. ↑ https://guanches.org/index.php?title=Luisa_Bravo_de_Guzm%C3%A1n
  18. ↑ Tomás Gismera Velsaco, August 7, 2020
  19. 1 2 3 4 5 Casado, Herrera. "Algo sobre los franciscanos de Atienza – Los Escritos de Herrera Casado" (in Spanish). Retrieved 2023-11-12.
  20. ↑ Singh, Saurav (2023-07-09). "9 August: Remembering Luisa de Medrano on Birthday". Observer Voice. Retrieved 2023-10-16.
  21. ↑ "Global Thinkers: Geography and History 3. Secondary (demo) by Grupo Anaya, S.A. - Issuu". issuu.com. 2022-04-11. Retrieved 2023-10-16.
  22. ↑ "Luisa de Medrano's 538th Birthday".
  23. ↑ Luisa de Medrano: The First Professor - Biographical Notes https://www.betterworldbooks.com/product/detail/luisa-de-medrano-la-primer-catedr-tico-apuntes-biogr-ficos-9781537779249
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