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The Mendoza family was a powerful line of Spanish nobles. Members of the family wielded considerable power, especially from the 14th to the 17th centuries in Castile. The family originated from the village of Mendoza (Basque mendi+oza, 'cold mountain') in the province of Álava in the Basque countries.
The seigneury of Mendoza became part of the Kingdom of Castile during the reign of Alfonso XI (1312–1350), and thereafter the Mendozas participated in Castilian politics, becoming advisers, administrators, and clerics. The family's branches and name expanded out of its original nucleus in later centuries.