Juan de Padilla

Juan de Padilla (Tolède, 1490 - Villalar, Valladolid, April 24th, 1521). Hidalgo and Castilian revolutionist , known for its participation in the War of the Communities of Castille.

It was born within a family hidalga tolédane. Whereas it was very young (1510) is decided its marriage with María Pacheco, of the noble family of Mendoza (of a row higher than his; later the latter were named large of Spain).

Died of his father (1518), it succeeds to him the rank of captain of the militia of Tolède, where it leaves to reside with his wife. Probably risen by the fact that the king did not concede a row to him to which he believed to have a hereditary right, and perhaps encouraged by his wife, he links himself with the protesters and was opposed to the concession of the exceptional tax that the king asked the the Cortes to finance his campaigns in Europe (1520).

Antecedents

It is important to hold account owing to the fact that Charles had promised with the the Cortes Castilians not to grant public responsibilities foreigners nor to intend the public money of Castille for other territories. When it obtains thanks to the vote of deputy (whereas the inhabitants of the cities which they represented theirs had prohibited) 400.000 ducats which it takes along to Frankfurt, and that it leaves as regent of the kingdom a foreigner, Adrien of Utrecht, the whole on bottom of the coup d'etat of the crowning of Charles (his mother Jeanne Ire of Spain was the legitimate heiress), betrayed the Castilians cities rise.

In just two months, Charles had completely lost the respect that the regent, the Cardinal Cisneros, had expressed long time to him. For the citizens it was a provocation and the tension went up; the population felt notched as well by its local representatives as by his king. After three years of reign, nothing had improved and the monarch parassait more préocupé by his new and great empire that by the problems of Castille.

The revolt

At the month of June 1520, the rising of the citizens of Segovia is followed by revolts to Tolède, Salamanque, León, Burgos, Guadalajara and Zamora. The violence of the insurrectionists is directed against the tax collectors of taxes, the local authorities and the royal capacity. The ushers of Zamora flee, they do not dare to turn over in their city and the bodies of some are flarings. The people of Burgos destroy the containers intended to calculate the tax on the wine, occupy of the fortresses and the residence of unquestionable notable, and oblige the local authorities to flee. With Guadalajara, the ushers are expelled and their houses are destroyed, and with Tolède the Alcazar is occupied and the corregidor (local leader appointed by monarchy) is expelled. Once the driven out ushers, the citizens name their own representatives.

Informed of the rebellion Castilian, Charles ordered with his lieutenant, Adrien d' Ultrecht, to take adécuates measurements. Adrien thought that best was to give an exemplary punishment to Segovia, so that the remainder of entreated think of it of twice before continuing, while taking the control of Tordesillas, city in which lived captive the queen. Logic let predict that the first thing that the comuneros would make would be to offer the throne to this one, and it was thus. Since the artillery was with Medina del Campo, it dispatched the Fonseca general there with mission of taking it, but the inhabitants of Medina refused there. The soldiers of Fonseca reflect fire at the city. The so much coveted artillery remained on the spot…

The setting with bag of Medina extended the rebellion to all the valley of the Duero and its echoes were spread through all Castille. Since the month of April 1520, Padilla had taken an active share with the rising of the Communautés of Castille to Tolède. Thereafter, it runs with the militia tolédanes using Segovia for, joined by the militia sent by Juan Bravo, regidor of Segovia, the brothers Maldonado of Salamanque, Guzmán of León and the bishop Antonio de Acuña of Zamora, to fight the royalist forces sent by Rodrigo Ronquillo. July 29th, 1520 the Junta of Comuneros is made up in Ávila, Padilla being appointed general captain of the troops. As such, it took part in the interviews with the queen Jeanne Ire of Spain, recluse with Tordesillas, without obtaining support clarifies with their cause. She says to them however: " Warn me of all and punish the malicious ones, I will be to you well redevable". The malicious ones were the Flemings, must one include/understand…

Adrien d' Ultrecht, skilful, changed strategy. Instead of clashing with the entire kingdom, a war which had been lost in advance, it chooses to divide it. But for that the monarch was to make concessions. He accepted some of the claims of the Comunero S and named two noble Castilians to act as viceroys, with dimensions of Adrien. The strategy functioned with wonder and the effects were immediate: Burgos, capital of Castille, and the nobility, which had remained undecided, broke the bonds with the Junta.

Later, the competitions between the comuneros caused the replacement of Padilla, which returned in Tolède, by Pedro Girón. When Girón deserted and joined the royalist camp in December, Padilla turns over to Valladolid with a new army tolédane (December 31st, 1520). Its troops take Ampudia and Torrelobatón. The noble ones, which had avoided direct confrontation, attended amazed the orgy at destruction of their goods to which the comuneros were delivered. The movement comunero had become a revolt antiseigneuriale, a phenomenon enough running at that time, and the Grands of Spain joined the camp of the king.

The demolished of Villalar

The royalists joined together two armies: that of Burgos and that of Tordesillas, and launched out against Torrelobatón. Padilla gave up the castle to take refuge with Toro, but it did not have time to arrive: April 23rd the royal army joined it in the battle of Villalar. It was a crushing defeat. In a few hours, under a rain inclémente, the count de Haro proclaimed the victory over a battle field strewn with thousands of corpses.

Juan de Padilla was made prisoner and conduit with Villalar, where he was decapitated the following day (April 24th, 1521). With him were also condemned Juan Bravo and Francisco Maldonado, the three which had discussed with the queen and had obtained her relative support. Juan Bravo required to die the first not to see the death of Padilla which he admired, which, looking it in the eyes known as: " Lord Cheer, yesterday was one day to fight like a knight, today is one day to die like a chrétien."

To the difference of the skins of Cheer and Maldonado, which were respectively transported and buried with Segovia and Salamanque, that of Padilla was transported " provisoirement" to the monastery of Mejorada (Olmedo) and never returned to Tolède, probably a revenge on the king in front of the persistence of the rebellion in Tolède, with the hands of María Pacheco.

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