THEPRINCESS OF EBOLI

Teresa García, 2º B

INDEX1. Introduction2. Mendoza family3. Childhood in Cifuentes4. The eye patch5. Ruy Gómez de Silva6. Marriage7. Madrid8. Pastrana9. Santa Teresa de Jesús10. Back to the Court11. Murder of Juan de Escobedo12. Imprisonment13. Death14. Bibliography

1. INTRODUCTION

Ana de Mendoza y de la Cerda (the Princess of Eboli) is one of the most interesting women of 16th century. She was born and lived in the province of Guadalajara.

2. THE MENDOZA FAMILYThe Princess of Eboli was the only daughter of Diego de Mendoza and Catalina de Silva. Her family was one of the most important of the time: the Mendoza. Her great-grandfather was Pedro González de Mendoza (Gran Cardenal ), prime minister of the Catholic monarchs.Gran Cardenal Mendoza

3. CHILDHOOD IN CIFUENTES

Ana was born the 20th of June of 1540 in Cifuentes. She was baptized and lived her first years in that place. She lived with her mother in a palace (that has disappeared) and also in a castle.

Castle of Cifuentes

4. THE EYE PATCHIt is not known with certainty why he wore a patch over his right eye. Some people think it was beacause she had an accident while she was playing with a rapier with a page during her childhood, in Cifuentes or Alcalá de Henares.

5. RUY GÓMEZ DE SILVARuy Gómez de Silva (1516-1573) was born in Portugal and died in Madrid.He came to Castile to accompany Isabel of Portugal (future wife of Carlos I). Later, he was named secretary of FelipeII. He got married with Ana, with the help of the king. He bought Eboli (in the kingdom of Naples) and Pastrana. Felipe II named him prince of Eboli and duke of Pastrana.

6. MARRIAGE In 1533 Ana married to

Ruy Gómez de Silva, with 13 years old.

They lived together in Pastrana and Madrid. She had 10 children, 4 of them died when they were young. She was princess of Eboli, countess of Mélito and duchess of Pastrana.

In 1554 Ruy accompained Felipe II to London to marry with María Tudor and he spent long seasons without the princess.Ana lived with his mother in Valladolid and Simancas.

Felipe II and María Tudor, 1558, Hans Eworth

In 1561 Felipe II moved the capital of the Court of Toledo to Madrid,(to Royal Alcazar). The Alcazar was burned in the 18th century and the current Royal Palace was built instead of it.

7. MADRID

From 1559 to 1569 Ana and Ruy lived in Madrid, there the princess gave birth to most of her children.Ana was friend of the queen Isabel de Valois (married in 1560 to Felipe II in The Palace of “El Infantado” in Guadalajara).

Isabel de Valois sosteniendo un retrato de Felipe II, 1563, Sofonisba Anguissola. Museo del Prado

8. PASTRANAThe dukes lived from 1569 in the renaissance palace of Pastrana, work of Alonso de Covarrubias. They took moriscos from the Alpujarras to the population and they started an industry with the silk. They founded the Iglesia Colegial and helped to the creation of two convents with Santa Teresa de Jesús.

9. SANTA TERESA DE JESÚS

Santa Teresa de Jesús (1515-1582). She was born in Avila and died in Alba de Tormes. She was an important religious, foundress of “las carmelitas descalzas”, mystic and writer.In 1573 Ruy Gómez died and the princess became nun in the convent of “las Carmelitas de la Concepción”. She had many problems with Santa Teresa and left the convent.

Santa Teresa de Jesús da el hábito a Juan Narduch y Mariano Azzaro. Museo Franciscano de Pastrana.

Felipe II

Antonio Pérez

Juan de Escobedo

Juan de Austria

10. BACK TO THE COURT

Princess of Eboli

In 1576 the princess´s mother died and Ana moved again to live in Madrid with her children. The new wife of Felipe II was Ana de Austria (mother of the future king Felipe III).In the Court the princess of Eboli met some of these characters:

Ana de Austria, 1571, Alonso Sánchez CoelloMuseo Lázaro Galdiano, Madrid

Felipe II (1527-1598). He was born in Valladolid and died in El Escorial. King of Spain. Son of Carlos V and Isabel de Portugal. During his rule the Spanish empire reached its maximum apogee.

Antonio Pérez (1540-1611). He was born in Madrid and died in París. When Ruy Gómez de Silva died he succeeded him as secretary of Felipe II. As a child he lived in Valdeconcha (Guadalajara) and studied in Alcalá de Henares.

Juan de Escobedo (1530-1578): He was born in Colindres and died in Madrid. Secretary of Juan de Austria.

Juan de Austria (1545-1578). He was born in Ratisbona (Germany) and died in Namur (Netherlands). Ilegitimate son of Carlos V. He was diplomatic and military under the orders of his step brother, Felipe II. Hero in the battle of Lepanto.

11. MURDER OF JUAN DE ESCOBEDO

In Madrid, the princess established friendship with Antonio Pérez. Some testimonies indicate that they maintained relationships.In 1578 Juan de Escobedo died in Madrid because he was stabbed. The king Felipe II accused Ana and Antonio Pérez of the murder.

Plaque of the street in Madrid where the succes took place

12. IMPRISONMENTThe 28th of July of 1579, at eleven pm, the king ordered to arrest Ana and Antonio Pérez.The princess was imprisoned in the Tower of Pinto during six months.In 1580 she was moved to the Fortress of Santorcaz. In 1581 Felipe II ordered to move the imprisonment to the palace of Pastrana.

Tower of Pinto

Fortress of Santorcaz

At the beginning Ana could move in the palace and be accompained.In 1590, Antonio Pérez escaped from his prission and the king imprisoned Ana in a room of the palace accompained by her little daughter and a maid. Every day she was allowed to look out of a window with bars only an hour. That window (and the square) was called “of the Hour”.

We can´t never know the real reasons of the Ana´s imprisonment: the relationship with Antonio Pérez, intrigues related to the throne of Portugal, with Juan de Austria, etc.

Ana died in 1592, in her prission of Pastrana. She was 13 years imprisoned.The urn with her remains are in la Colegiata de la Asunción of Pastrana. Under her urn are the remains of her husband.

13. DEATH

14. BIBLIOGRAPHY• Antonio Herrera Casado. “La Princesa

de Éboli : una guía para descubrirla”. Guadalajara, AACHE, 2000.

• www.pastrana.org• www.cifuentes.es