Don Juan Vélaz de Medrano y Echauz Lord of Igúzquiza, Aguinano, Orendain, Zabala, Arróniz, and Learza
Coat of arms of Juan Vélaz de Medrano y Echauz
Merino of the Merindad of Estella
In office 16th century – Position abolished
Governor of the Castle of Santacara
In office 1500–1510
Governor of Monjardín Castle
In office 16th century – Position abolished
Governor of the Castle of Del Castillo
In office 16th century – Position abolished
Personal details
Born	15th century Palace of Vélaz de Medrano, Igúzquiza, Kingdom of Navarre
Died	16th century
Spouse	Ana de Mauleon y Navarra
Relations	Jaime Vélaz de Medrano y Echauz (brother)
Children	Juan Vélaz de Medrano y Mauleon
Parents	Juan Vélaz de Medrano y Goñi (father) Elvira de Echauz y Beaumont (mother)
Military service
Allegiance	Kingdom of Navarre
Rank	Major Knight of Navarre
Battles/wars	Spanish conquest of Navarre

Juan Vélaz de Medrano y Echauz (15th century –16th century) was a high ranking nobleman and military leader in the final years of an independent Kingdom of Navarre. Head of the ancient House of Medrano in Navarre and the Vélaz de Medrano mayorazgo, he was the Lord of Igúzquiza, Aguinano, Orendain, Zabala, Arróniz, the 4th Lord of Learza and the maternal great-great-great-grandson of Queen Joan II of Navarre and King Philip III of Navarre. He was appointed merino of the merindad of Estella, and became the governor of the castles of Del Castillo, Santacara,^[1] Monjardin. Juan was the Major Knight of King John III of Navarre and Henry II of Navarre.^[2] He became a vassal of Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor after the Spanish conquest of Navarre.^[3] Juan was a significant representative of the Agramontese faction, rivals of the Beaumontese.^[4]

He is the son of Juan Velaz de Medrano y Goni and Elvira de Echauz y Beaumont.^[2] Juan was born in the Palace of Vélaz de Medrano. He was the maternal grandson of Carlos, Viscount de Baigner (Baigorri) and Juana Margarita de Beaumont, sister of the first Count of Lerín, Luis de Beaumont.^[5] Through his mother Elvira, Juan is the maternal great-great-great-grandson of Queen Joan II of Navarre from the House of Capet, and King Philip III of Navarre from the House of Évreux.^[6]

The Medrano lineage produced knights of great antiquity and nobility.^[7] Juan Vélaz de Medrano belongs to a rich and warrior family of the Navarrese high nobility. His life spanned crucial battles and political turmoil as he fought to keep the Kingdom of Navarre independent alongside his brother Jaime Vélaz de Medrano y Echauz, mayor and alcaide of Amaiur-Maya, captain of the kings standing army, and royal guard of the monarchs of Navarre.^[8]

Juan Vélaz de Medrano's coat of arms was listed in the official archives of the Kingdom of Navarre.^[9] The Medrano family is a very ancient house of noble origin, it is found in different times and in different places. Many principles are attributed to them by authors and historians:

...for its antiquity, its splendor, for their military prowess and virtue and for every other value of chivalry that prospered with this family, in great numbers, magnificent and generous.^[10] The family origin is very old; [they] were related in some way to royalty.^[11]

Juan Vélaz de Medrano's Palace of Vélaz de Medrano was always considered a nobleman's palace and a major defensive structure in the Kingdom of Navarre. Around 1512, it was deemed a potential threat to Castilian control, leading to the appointment of a military commander, Colonel Villalba, as its governor. The lord of the palace, Juan Vélaz de Medrano, was recognized as a knight exempt from military duties in 1513.^[9]

In 1496, King John III of Navarre gave Juan Vélaz de Medrano y Echauz the property that belonged to Langarot de Yaniz, who was declared a traitor.^[2]

Juan Vélaz de Medrano y Echauz was the last independent Navarrese Governor of Santacara. As a leading Lord, merino and knight in the independent Kingdom of Navarre, Juan Vélaz de Medrano controlled the merindad of Estella, along with several lands and castles, notably Del Castillo, Igúzquiza and Monjardín. Before Medrano became Governor of Santacara in 1500, the Agramonte faction took control of Santacara and its castle in 1494, but the Count of Lerín, aided by Castilian forces, besieged and recaptured it.^[1]

After the death of the Prince of Viana in 1461, Louis de Beaumont, 2nd Count of Lerín allied with Juan de Aragón, marrying his daughter and serving the King of Aragon and Fernando el Católico. Due to this marriage, the Count of Lerín was later expelled from Navarre and lost his titles and lands. Subsequently, in 1500, the Prince of Viana granted the royal castle and manor of Santacara to Juan Vélaz de Medrano, because he was a member of the Beaumont family. In 1500, Juan Vélaz de Medrano spent eight to ten years in the Castle and remained loyal to the kings of an independent Navarre.^[1]

Despite his maternal Beaumont ancestry, Juan and his family chose to support the Agramont faction. The Agramont faction was represented by the most significant lineages from the Kingdom of Navarre: Navarra, Garro, Goni, Enriquez de Lacarra, Velaz de Medrano, Ezpeleta, Rada, Baquedano, Mauleon and other significant Houses.^[3]

At the beginning of the invasion of Navarre in 1512, Juan Vélaz de Medrano and his palace of Vélaz de Medrano became strategic during the uprising of his merindad of Estella, as he served as merino during the insurrection of Navarre. In October 1512, Juan Vélaz de Medrano y Echauz, Lord of Iguzquiza, went to war against the Castilian and Aragonese invaders led by Ferdinand II of Aragon. The lords, in the face of an external threat, summoned the Medrano surname, distributed arms and organized an army to join the other Navarre valleys in support of Henry II of Navarre.^[12]

Juan Vélaz de Medrano y Echauz defended the royal castles of Del Castillo, Monjardin and Santacara. After bravely fighting against the Castilian invasion, and following the conquest of Navarre by Ferdinand II of Aragon, Juan Vélaz de Medrano followed his legitimate king to France and participated in the unsuccessful attempt to restore the Navarrese Monarchy.^[1]

After the regaining of Navarre's temporary independence, Juan's brother Jaime Vélaz de Medrano played a leading role in the defense of the legitimists as the alcaide of the royal fortress of Amaiur-Maya in 1522,^[12] "having personified the Navarrese resistance to the Spanish conquest like no other."^[13]

After the final conquest of Navarre in 1524, Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, imposed travel restrictions on several notable figures, including Juan Vélaz de Medrano, lord of Igúzquiza. He was prohibited from visiting Pamplona, Puente-la-Reina, and Huarte-Araquil—locations under the constable's control—except for significant events such as the entry and coronation of Their Highnesses in Pamplona.^[14]

Don Juan Vélaz de Medrano y Echauz married Ana de Mauleon y Navarra.^[15][2] Don Juan made his will and testament on 30 April 1531, and his wife Ana de Mauleon made hers on 4 May 1506.^[16] His namesake son and heir was Don Juan Vélaz de Medrano y Mauleon.

Juan Vélaz de Medrano's wife Doña Ana de Mauleon y Navarra is the daughter of Landron de Mauleon y Claver and Juana de Navarra y Enriquez de Lacarra, the latter being a great-great-granddaughter of King Charles II of Navarre and a descendant of King Enrique I de Navarra. His wife was the maternal great-great-great-granddaughter of King Charles II of Navarre through his son Prince Don Leonel de Navarra, first Viscount of Muruzábal, half brother of Joan of Navarre, Queen of England. The Viscount of Muruzabal takes its name from an old royal manor town called Muruzabal. In 1407, King Charles III of Navarre included it within the viscount created in favor of his brother Prince Leonel de Navarra, I Viscount of Muruzábal, both sons of King Charles II of Navarre.

Juan's mother in-law Doña Juana de Navarra y Enríquez de Lacarra is the daughter of Pedro de Navarra y Peralta, III Viscount of Muruzábal and Inés Enríquez de Lacarra y Foxan. The III Vizcountess consort of Muruzábal Ines Enriquez de Lacarra y Foxan, descendant of King Henry I of Navarre, is the daughter of Beltran "el Joven" Enriquez de Lacarra y Moncayo, IV Lord of Ablitas. Her father Beltran Enriquez de Lacarra y Moncayo, IV Lord of Ablitas, is the grandson of Martín Enríquez de Lacarra, I Lord of Ablitas; great-grandson of Juan Enríquez de Lacarra, Prince of Navarra; great-great-grandson of Henry I of Navarre, king of Navarre and Garaztar de Lacarra.

Juan Vélaz de Medrano's mother Elvira de Echauz y Beaumont was the daughter of Carlos de Echauz, 15th Viscount of Baigner and Juana Margarita de Beaumont.^[17] Juana Margaret de Beaumont was the daughter of Carlos de Beaumont, the granddaughter of Prince Louis of Navarre, Duke of Durazzo, King of Albania in 1376, and the great-granddaughter of Queen Joan II of Navarre and King Philip III of Navarre, of the house of Évreux, which is a minor branch of the Capetian dynasty.^[18]

Juan Vélaz de Medrano y Echauz was the son of Juan Vélaz de Medrano y Goni and Elvira de Echauz y Beaumont. His father Juan Vélaz de Medrano y Goni was the fifth of the name, Lord of Igúzquiza, Agos, Aguinano, the 3rd Lord of Learza, and alcaide of the castle of Monjardín. He was a prominent nobleman and knight during the reign of John III of Navarre and Catherine of Navarre. His father was the son of Ferran Vélaz de Medrano and Elvira de Goni.^[18]

Juan's paternal grandfather Ferran Vélaz de Medrano was the Lord of Iguzquiza, the 2nd Lord of Learza, and a ricohombre of Navarre.^[19] In 1455, the king gave Ferran Vélaz de Medrano the Pechas de Muez, Mendoza and Legaria as compensation for the two thousand florins he had spent in the conquest of Geneville, and in 1471, he was given the valleys of Allin and Santesteban de la Solana.^[20]

In 1456, Ferran was the alcaide of the castle of Monjardín, and in 1461, he was the lord of Igúzquiza. In 1471, the king granted him the taxes of the valleys of Allín and Santesteban de la Solana.^[21] Ferran rebuilt the Palace of Vélaz de Medrano, which was famous for the splendor of the festivities held by Ferran Velaz de Medrano and his children and grandchildren, which were often attended by the Navarrese monarchs themselves.^[22]

Juan's great-grandfather Juan Vélaz de Medrano was the fourth of the name, royal chamberlain of the Kings of Navarre and Aragon, lord of Iguzquiza, Arguiñano, Arzoz, Artazu, Zabal, Orendáin, the 1st lord of Learza, founder of the Vélaz de Medrano mayorazgo in 1437 (the oldest in Viana)^[23] and the Royal Chamberlain of the Kings of Navarre.^[24]