Marcos de Torres y Rueda
Encyclopedia
Marcos de Torres y Rueda (April 25, 1591, Almazán, Spain
—April 22, 1649, Mexico City
) was bishop of Yucatan
(1646-1649), viceroy of New Spain
, and president of the Audiencia of New Spain. His term as viceroy ran from May 13, 1648 to April 22, 1649. His name is sometimes given as Marcos Torres y Rueda.
nominated him for bishop of Yucatan. Pope Innocent X
named him to fill the position on December 18, 1645.
, and took up his position as bishop November 9, 1646. Only a few months later, on July 10, 1647, King Philip IV of Spain
named him viceroy and president of the Audiencia.
He arrived in Mexico City and took up his new offices on May 13, 1648, leaving the governance of the Diocese of Yucatan in the hands of the chapter of the cathedral. The outgoing viceroy, García Sarmiento de Sotomayor, 2nd Count of Salvatierra, did not wish to surrender his office or the royal treasury, and direct intervention from the crown was needed.
Because of his other duties, he was not present at the installation of Our Lady of Izamal as patron of Yucatan (August 23, 1648).
He governed the viceroyalty for a little less than one year. The most notable occurrence during this time was the auto-de-fe held April 11 to April 12, 1649 in the plaza El Volador. There 13 men and women were garroted to death and another 94 received lashes. In the former group was Tomás Tremiño de Campos, a Portuguese Jew. Among the things he was accused of were using the "Mexican language" and speaking ill of the Inquisition, the king and the pope. Antonio Báez and B. Tirado were accused of saying "Christians are beasts". Pedro Mercado was accused of giving preferential seating to Jews at a comedy he produced.
By this point very ill, the viceroy did not attend the event. He died shortly after in Mexico City.
On April 14, 1649, days before the viceroy's death, a revolt broke out among the Tarahumara
Indians. Torres y Rueda was too ill to deal with it, and it was left to his successor, Luis Enríquez de Guzmán, conde de Alba de Liste.
Torres y Rueda died April 22, 1649 in Mexico City. He was interred in the church of the convent of San Agustín. The Audiencia took up the government, pending the arrival of the new viceroy.
Although he performed the functions of viceroy and his name consistently appears in the lists of viceroys of New Spain, Torres y Rueda never formally held the title. His title was gobernador (governor).
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
—April 22, 1649, 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 bishop of Yucatan
Yucatán
Yucatán officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Yucatán is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 106 municipalities and its capital city is Mérida....
(1646-1649), viceroy 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...
, and president of the Audiencia of New Spain. His term as viceroy ran from May 13, 1648 to April 22, 1649. His name is sometimes given as Marcos Torres y Rueda.
In Spain
Marcos de Torres y Rueda was born in Spain in 1591 (some sources say 1588). He studied at the University of Alcalá de Henares, with much distinction, graduating as licenciado in arts. Thereafter he occupied the chair of theology at Alcalá, and also at the University of Valladolid. He was canon of the cathedral of Burgos and rector of the College of San Nicolás in Burgos when King Philip IV of SpainPhilip IV of Spain
Philip IV was King of Spain between 1621 and 1665, sovereign of the Spanish Netherlands, and King of Portugal until 1640...
nominated him for bishop of Yucatan. Pope Innocent X
Pope Innocent X
Pope Innocent X , born Giovanni Battista Pamphilj , was Pope from 1644 to 1655. Born in Rome of a family from Gubbio in Umbria who had come to Rome during the pontificate of Pope Innocent IX, he graduated from the Collegio Romano and followed a conventional cursus honorum, following his uncle...
named him to fill the position on December 18, 1645.
In the New World
He arrived in New Spain the following year, was consecrated in PueblaPuebla
Puebla officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Puebla is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 217 municipalities and its capital city is Puebla....
, and took up his position as bishop November 9, 1646. Only a few months later, on July 10, 1647, King Philip IV of Spain
Philip IV of Spain
Philip IV was King of Spain between 1621 and 1665, sovereign of the Spanish Netherlands, and King of Portugal until 1640...
named him viceroy and president of the Audiencia.
He arrived in Mexico City and took up his new offices on May 13, 1648, leaving the governance of the Diocese of Yucatan in the hands of the chapter of the cathedral. The outgoing viceroy, García Sarmiento de Sotomayor, 2nd Count of Salvatierra, did not wish to surrender his office or the royal treasury, and direct intervention from the crown was needed.
Because of his other duties, he was not present at the installation of Our Lady of Izamal as patron of Yucatan (August 23, 1648).
He governed the viceroyalty for a little less than one year. The most notable occurrence during this time was the auto-de-fe held April 11 to April 12, 1649 in the plaza El Volador. There 13 men and women were garroted to death and another 94 received lashes. In the former group was Tomás Tremiño de Campos, a Portuguese Jew. Among the things he was accused of were using the "Mexican language" and speaking ill of the Inquisition, the king and the pope. Antonio Báez and B. Tirado were accused of saying "Christians are beasts". Pedro Mercado was accused of giving preferential seating to Jews at a comedy he produced.
By this point very ill, the viceroy did not attend the event. He died shortly after in Mexico City.
On April 14, 1649, days before the viceroy's death, a revolt broke out among the Tarahumara
Tarahumara
The Rarámuri or Tarahumara are a Native American people of northwestern Mexico who are renowned for their long-distance running ability...
Indians. Torres y Rueda was too ill to deal with it, and it was left to his successor, Luis Enríquez de Guzmán, conde de Alba de Liste.
Torres y Rueda died April 22, 1649 in Mexico City. He was interred in the church of the convent of San Agustín. The Audiencia took up the government, pending the arrival of the new viceroy.
Although he performed the functions of viceroy and his name consistently appears in the lists of viceroys of New Spain, Torres y Rueda never formally held the title. His title was gobernador (governor).