Diego Fernández de Córdoba, Marquis of Guadalcázar

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For an earlier Spanish adventurer and chronicler, see Diego Fernandez.

Diego Fernández de Córdoba, Marquis of Guadalcázar and Count of Posadas (Spanish, in full: Diego Fernández de Córdoba y López de las Roelas Benavides y Melgarejo, marqués de Guadalcázar y conde de Posadas) (born in Seville, Spain in 1578; died October 6, 1630 in Córdoba, Spain) was viceroy of New Spain from October 18, 1612 to March 14, 1621 and of Peru from July 25, 1622 to January 14, 1629.

[edit] As viceroy of New Spain

Fernández de Córdoba was named viceroy of New Spain by King Philip III, for whom he had served as lord of the bedchamber.

Early in his mandate in New Spain, he sent Captain Diego Martínez de Hurdáiz to suppress an uprising of the Tehuecos in Sinaloa. Martínez de Hurdáiz was successful after fighting several battles. The viceroy also founded many cities, such as Lerma (1613), Córdoba (1618), and Guadalcázar (1620). Córdoba, named for the viceroy, was founded in part to help suppress marauding bands of escaped black slaves that preyed on travelers between Veracruz and Mexico City. He also completed the Fort of San Diego in Acapulco.

In 1616, the drainage system for the Valley of Mexico, long under construction but suspended since 1614, was restarted. King Philip had chosen the Dutch hydrographer Adrián Boot to investigate the drainage project and take charge of operations. Boot had been in charge of numerous drainage projects in France. He traveled to Mexico City (at a salary of 100 ducats a month) and reviewed the work already done. His opinion was that it would not serve to drain the lakes, but that it could be used to divert the Río Cuautitlán, the major cause of the nearly annual floods. Engineer Martínez offered to complete the diversion with 300 men and 100,000 pesos, but work was delayed pending approval of the king.

On November 16, 1616 another, particularly bloody, Indian insurrection broke out, this time among the Tepehuanes and neighboring tribes in the north. It was led by a cacique claiming to be the Son of the Sun and God of Heaven and Earth. The rebels quickly killed some Jesuit missionaries and 200 Spaniards and mestizos of various ages and both sexes. The governor of Durango, with aid sent by the viceroy, raised a militia. After three months of intense fighting, the rebels were largely defeated.

Also in 1616 drought led to crop failure and famine in New Spain. In 1620 a fire destroyed a large part of Veracruz.

Fernández also improved the sanitation and water supply of Mexico City, completing the aqueduct from Chapultepec in 1620. This aqueduct consisted of 900 arches. He established a tribunal to regulate the buying, selling and taxing of mercury, which the mines of New Spain had begun to produce in some quantity. Due to his various improvements, he received the nickname el Buen Virrey (The Good Viceroy).

[edit] As viceroy of Peru

In Peru, Fernández reformed the fiscal system and stopped the inter-family rivalry that was bloodying the domain. He also fortified Lima against pirate attacks. In 1629 he gave up his charge and returned to Spain, where he died the following year.

[edit] References

(Spanish) "Fernández de Córdoba, Diego" Enciclopedia de México, v. 5. Mexico City, 1988.
(Spanish) García Puron, Manuel, México y sus gobernantes, v. 1. Mexico City: Joaquín Porrua, 1984.
(Spanish) Orozco L., Fernando, Fechas Históricas de México. Mexico City: Panorama Editorial, 1988, ISBN 968-38-0046-7.
(Spanish) Orozco Linares, Fernando, Gobernantes de México. Mexico City: Panorama Editorial, 1985, ISBN 968-38-0260-5.

Preceded by García Guerra, Archbishop of Mexico	Viceroy of New Spain 1612 – 1621	Succeeded by Diego Carrillo de Mendoza y Pimentel, marqués de Gélves
Preceded by Juan Jiménez de Montalvo, President of Audiencia	Viceroy of Peru 1622 – 1629	Succeeded by Luis Jerónimo Fernández de Cabrera