Lorenzo Suárez de Mendoza, 4th conde de la Coruña (c. 1518, Guadalajara, Spain

Guadalajara, Spain

Guadalajara is a city and municipality in the autonomous community of Castile-La Mancha, Spain, and in the natural region of La Alcarria. It is the capital of the province of Guadalajara. It is located roughly 60 km northeast of Madrid on the Henares River, and has a population of 83,789...

—June 29, 1583, Mexico City

Mexico City

Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...

) was the fifth viceroy

Viceroy

A viceroy is a royal official who runs a country, colony, or province in the name of and as representative of the monarch. The term derives from the Latin prefix vice-, meaning "in the place of" and the French word roi, meaning king. A viceroy's province or larger territory is called a viceroyalty...

 of New Spain

New Spain

New Spain, formally called the Viceroyalty of New Spain , was a viceroyalty of the Spanish colonial empire, comprising primarily territories in what was known then as 'América Septentrional' or North America. Its capital was Mexico City, formerly Tenochtitlan, capital of the Aztec Empire...

, who governed from October 4, 1580 to June 29, 1583. He was born into the old nobility of Spain, being a direct descendant of Íñigo López de Mendoza, marqués de Santillana

Íñigo López de Mendoza, marqués de Santillana

Don Íñigo López de Mendoza y de la Vega, Marquis of Santillana was a Castilian politician and poet who held an important position in society and Literature during the reign of John II of Castile....

, and a second cousin of Antonio de Mendoza

Antonio de Mendoza

Antonio de Mendoza y Pacheco, Marquis of Mondéjar, Count of Tendilla , was the first viceroy of New Spain, serving from April 17, 1535 to November 25, 1550, and the second viceroy of Peru, from September 23, 1551 to July 21, 1552...

, the first viceroy of New Spain.

Early life

Suárez de Mendoza was a man of letters, a writer of merit. He received praise for his novel El pastor de Filida. He participated in the war and conquest of Tunis, where he was taken by his father, who accompanied the emperor. He was patron and protector of the Universidad de Alcalá de Henares.

Appointment and arrival

On March 26, 1580 he was named viceroy by King Philip II

Philip II of Spain

Philip II was King of Spain, Portugal, Naples, Sicily, and, while married to Mary I, King of England and Ireland. He was lord of the Seventeen Provinces from 1556 until 1581, holding various titles for the individual territories such as duke or count....

, to replace the previous viceroy, Martín Enríquez de Almanza

Martín Enríquez de Almanza

Don Martín Enríquez de Almanza was the fourth viceroy of New Spain, who ruled from November 5, 1568 until October 3, 1580. He was subsequently viceroy of Peru, from September 23, 1581 until his death in 1583. His birthplace and origins are uncertain...

, who was leaving to become viceroy of Peru

Peru

Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....

. Suárez de Mendoza made his solumn entry into Mexico City on October 4, 1580, formally taking up the administration of New Spain. He was received there in more pomp than had previously been seen on such occasions. His amiable character and the attention he paid to public business soon made him a popular figure.

Accomplishments

As an honest and upright man, one of his major concerns was ending widespread vice and administrative corruption, which had reached enormous proportions. Members of the Audiencia, government officials, judges and bureaucrats sold their services and their decisions. Suárez attempted to stop such abuses with some, but not total, success. He was limited because some of his actions required approval by the Audiencia. In order to combat the obstructions of the Audiencia, he asked Philip to name a visitador (inspector). This important position was given to Pedro Moya de Contreras

Pedro Moya de Contreras

Pedro Moya de Contreras , prelate and colonial administrator who held the three highest offices in the Spanish colony of New Spain, namely inquisitor general, Archbishop of Mexico, and Viceroy of Mexico, September 25, 1584 - October 17, 1585...

, the first inquisitor general of New Spain, and now also archbishop of Mexico City. Moya de Contreras succeeded Suárez as viceory after the latter's death in 1580.

In order to regulate commercial affairs and to supervise the two grand fairs, at Acapulco

Acapulco

Acapulco is a city, municipality and major sea port in the state of Guerrero on the Pacific coast of Mexico, southwest from Mexico City. Acapulco is located on a deep, semi-circular bay and has been a port since the early colonial period of Mexico’s history...

 and Veracruz

Veracruz

Veracruz, formally Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave , is one of the 31 states that, along with the Federal District, comprise the 32 federative entities of Mexico. It is divided in 212 municipalities and its capital city is...

, Suárez instituted the Tribunal del Comercio (Commercial Tribunal), known also as the Consulado.

Death and succession

Suárez de Mendoza, already elderly when he took up the office, did not survive three years as viceroy. He died on June 29, 1583 in the capital of the viceroyalty. His remains were deposited in the Church of San Francisco, and later transferred to Spain for interment in his family tomb. The Audiencia took up the government of New Spain pending the appointment of a new viceroy. The Audiencia at this time included Dr. Robles, Lic. Sánchez Paredes, and Don Pedro Farfán. This interim government was confronted with major difficulties, and its 16 months in power was a period of insecurity. In 1584 the new viceroy, Archbishop Moya de Contreras, took over the government.