Diego de Medrano

In this Basque name, the surname is Medrano.
Diego de Medrano
Captain and Squadron General
Coat of arms of the House of Medrano in 1568
Full name
Diego Fernández de Medrano
Other titlesInterim Admiral of the Spanish Armada
Born1545
Hinojosa del Campo, Soria, Crown of Castile
Died1588
Noble familyMedrano
FatherJuan Fernández de Medrano
OccupationSquadron general and captain of the Spanish and Portuguese galleys, captain of the Fortuna de Napoli galley

Diego de Medrano (1545 – 1588) was a nobleman from the House of Medrano in the Kingdom of Castile and a prominent Spanish naval commander of the late 16th century. He played a significant role in several key military campaigns, including the battles of Cyprus, Lepanto, Navarino, and Tunis, as well as other expeditions in Italy and Barbary.[1] Diego de Medrano fought in the Mediterranean for twenty years before he was appointed commander of twelve galleys that joined Álvaro de Bazán, Marquess of Santa Cruz in the 1583 expedition to Terceira.[2][3] As a Squadron General and Captain, Don Diego de Medrano commanded four galleys in the Spanish Armada, and on the voyage back to Spain, he became interim Admiral of the Spanish Armada.[4]

Diego de Medrano was also the Captain of the Fortuna de Napoli galley at the battle of Lepanto. Medrano personally oversaw the construction of the Port of Gibraltar and guarded its strait, including the coast of Andalusia.[1] He is noted for innovating naval warfare techniques by enhancing the design of his galleys, becoming the first person to successfully cross the ocean with this type of galley.[5] He contributed to the surrender of Faial. For 25 years of service, he was awarded a habit of Santiago and the role as Squadron General and Captain of the São João galleys in the Spanish Armada by King Philip II of Spain.[6][7]

  1. ^ a b Collection Sans de Bartuel, art. 4, no. 859.
  2. ^ Cabrera de Córdoba, Luis (1876). Filipe Segundo, Rey de España. Robarts - University of Toronto. Madrid, Aribau. p. 288.
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference :14 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ "Libro La Batalla del Mar Oceano Vol IV Tomo I Libreria nautica Fragata, la libreria nautica online". www.fragata-librosnauticos.com. Retrieved 2024-08-27.
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference :16 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ "La Costa da Morte y la Armada Invencible - Adiante Galicia" (in Spanish). 2015-02-12. Retrieved 2024-08-27.
  7. ^ "The Portuguese Galleon Squadron of The Armada Invencible | World Heritage of Portuguese Origin by The Perfect Tourist". Retrieved 2024-11-12.