Francisco de los Cobos y Molina

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Francisco de los Cobos y Molina with the Santiago cross sewn onto his coat

Francisco de los Cobos y Molina (* around 1475/85 in Úbeda ; † May 10, 1547 ibid) was State Secretary under Charles V and responsible for politics in Spain, overseas and Italy.

family

Francisco de los Cobos y Molina came from an impoverished Andalusian noble family from Úbeda . The father was Diego de los Cobos, who took part in the conquest of Granada ; the mother was Catalina de Molina. In 1522 he married Dona Maria de Mendoza, then only fourteen, the daughter of the Count of Rivadavia. The marriage resulted in son Diego and daughter Maria, who later married Gonzalo de Córdoba, Duke of Sessa . Cobos appointed his son chancellor for the (West) Indian possessions at an early stage.

Life

With the intercession of his uncle Diego Vela Allide, who held a position at the court of Queen Isabella of Castile , he began working in the country's secretariat at a young age. Above all valued as a financial expert, he rose to the civil service. Ferdinand II appointed him royal notary and clerk in 1503. From 1508 he was treasurer of Granada.

After the king's death, he traveled to Burgundy on behalf of the regent, Cardinal Francisco Jiménez de Cisneros , in order to win the trust of the councils of the new king Charles V there. From December 1516 he was a member of the King's Spanish Secretariat. He accompanied the king to Spain when he came to power and was then part of Charles' entourage on his travels to the Netherlands and the Holy Roman Empire .

Already at the beginning of the reign of Charles V, Cobos was an indispensable employee of the leading "Minister" Guillaume II. De Croÿ . He also played an important role under the Grand Chancellor Mercurino Gattinara . As a close advisor to the emperor, especially in Spanish affairs, both worked together in part without consulting Gattinara.

Cobos was involved in the reorganization of the administration in Spain. Responsibility for overseas possessions was withdrawn from the Council for Castile and assigned to the new Council of India , nominally headed by the King. As secretary of the Council of India, Cobos had been in charge of the smelting of the precious metal coming from the American colonies since 1519. He himself had the right to keep 1% of the income. He had a similar right when importing salt. In 1523 he was appointed secretary of the new Consejo de la Hacienda . With that he gained further influence on the Spanish financial policy. Later he also became secretary of the four other councils. Only the Council of Aragon was able to retain some of its independence under a Vice Chancellor. In 1528 he successfully opposed Gattinara's attempt to establish a government that encompassed all parts of the empire.

The Sacra Capilla del Salvador church donated by Cobos y Molina

In 1529 Cobos was appointed Secretary of State. The State Secretariat was split into a Franco-Burgundian department under Nicolas Perrenot de Granvelle and a Spanish department under the direction of Cobos. After the death of the Grand Chancellor Mercurino Gattinara, Charles V no longer occupied this office, so that there was no longer any common bracket. Cobos was now directly responsible for Spanish affairs, including the colonies and Italian politics, under the emperor. The viceroyalty of New Spain (Mexico) was founded in 1535 and the viceroyalty of Peru in 1542 . When he accompanied the emperor abroad, Cobos left a representative in Spain.

From 1529 he was also one of the advisors of the later King Philip II during his reign. He became Contador Mayor and some time later he was responsible for all Spanish finance. He was one of the opponents of Bartolomé de Las Casas , who campaigned for a less exploitative policy towards the Indians. When Philipp left Spain for his wedding to Maria Tudor and a trip through Europe, Cobos was a member of the Regency Council in Spain.

In private terms, he was able to increase his fortune and possessions in the service of the king. In 1537 he acquired the rule of Sabiote and some time later that of Canena and Torres ; The possessions each included a manor house, but Cobos also had a palace built in his native city. He also had one in Valladolid , the seat of the government. He was also active as a mining entrepreneur. His fortune was estimated at around 130 million maravedis after his death .

Cobos was Grand Commander (Comendator Mayor) of the Order of Santiago for Leon from 1529 . He appeared as a patron for various artists. In his hometown of Ubeda, whose upswing is largely due to him, he donated the Sacra Capilla del Salvador church . He is also buried in their crypt. The church is part of the ensemble of historical buildings, including palaces belonging to the family, which are now part of the world cultural heritage .

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personal data
SURNAME Cobos y Molina, Francisco de los
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Spanish Secretary of State
DATE OF BIRTH between 1475 and 1485
PLACE OF BIRTH Úbeda
DATE OF DEATH May 10, 1547
Place of death Úbeda