Diego de Cáceres
Ovando
1st Señor de la Casa de las Cigüeñas
(c. 1425/26?–87)
Biographical
1st Señor de la Casa de las Cigüeñas
Señor de Monleón
1480
Royal Councillor
Captain
Diego’s father died when he was still a child.
He entered the service
of Gutierre de Sotomayor, Master of Alcántara, in 1445 and
took part in campaigns against the supporters of the infantes of Aragon.
In 1446, after an unsuccessful attempt to kill Sotomayor, he fled
to Aragon, where he entered the service of King Juan II and was called
Diego de Cáceres, taking part in the fighting against the Beaumont
faction. After Sotomayor’s death in 1454, he returned to Cáceres
and served his successor, Gómez de Solís, remaining
loyal to him during the civil war within the Order of Alcántara
and became known as Captain Diego de Cáceres Ovando. He later
fought on the side of Isabella and Ferdinand during the War of the
Castilian Succession, commanding forces in Extremadura and taking
part in the Battle of Toro in 1476, after which the Catholic Monarchs
entrusted him with the administration of the Mastership of Alcántara.
Enrique IV had granted Diego part of the site of the demolished Alcázar
of Cáceres, where he built the House and Tower of las Cigüeñas.
He continued to fight against the supporters of Juana la Beltraneja
and Portugal, taking part in the campaign that led to the defeat of
the Portuguese at Albuera in 1479, and was rewarded in 1480 for his
services with further royal privileges. Diego later took part in the
War of Granada, including the captures of Álora and Ronda in
1485.
He founded a mayorazgo.
Place of birth: Cáceres
Place of first marriage: Bronzas
Place of death: Monleón
Place of burial: Monastery of San Francisco, Cáceres
Son
of Leonor Alfón
de Ovando and Hernán Blázquez, he was married firstly
before 1458 to Isabel
de Flores with issue:
•
María, †1541; married to Diego Messia, with issue
• Diego (see)
• Fernando (see)
• Rodrigo (see)
• Nicholas (see)
Diego was married secondly to Catalina Godoy, with issue:
•
Francisco, *c. 1477–1552
