Gastón de Peralta

Gastón de Peralta

Gastón de Peralta , marqués de Falces , Count of Santibestan de Lerín , (* around 1510 in Pau , Navarra , today in France ; † 1580 in Valladolid , Spain ) was a Spanish officer and colonial administrator who served as Viceroy of New Spain.

Origin and career in Europe

Gastón de Peralta came from a noble family from Navarre. He served the Spanish crown as an officer and was on a diplomatic mission in Italy. He gained administrative experience as governor of his home province of Navarre.

When the news of the death of the New Spanish viceroy Luis de Velasco arrived in Spain , King Philip II appointed Peralta as his successor at the suggestion of the Council of India .

Tenure as Viceroy of New Spain

Peralta immediately embarked for the New World and reached the port of Veracruz in September 1566. He was supposed to take over the office of Viceroy from Francisco Ceinos , who had ruled the viceroyalty on an interim basis after the death of Luis de Velasco.

Immediately upon his arrival, Peralta learned of an uprising by some conquistadors that should have led to the colony's independence from the Spanish crown. A group of high-ranking Spaniards, including Martín Cortés and Luis Cortés - sons of the conqueror Hernán Cortés - had been sentenced to death by a judge from the Real Audiencia of Mexico for conspiracy against the king. Peralta lifted the death penalty against the Cortés sons and instead had the convicts brought to Europe to answer before the Council of India.

When Peralta got to Mexico City , he gave orders to withdraw the cannons and soldiers posted at the viceroy's palace and in the main streets of the city.

During his tenure, he set up a hospital for the elderly, the disabled and the mentally ill.

His mild attitude towards the conspirators aroused the suspicion of the oidores (judges) at the Audiencia, who suspected him of sympathizing with the revolt. They made this accusation in a letter to the Spanish Crown.

Peralta evaded the confrontation by moving to Metrópoli .

Because of the Oidores' indictment , the king dispatched two auditors, Luis Carrillo and Alonso de Muñoz, to investigate the case. They ordered Peralta back to Spain to justify his behavior. In the proceedings, Peralta was acquitted.

Life after returning to Europe

Peralta was completely rehabilitated and took over the government of the province of Navarre again. He died in Valladolid in 1580.

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• Short biography (Spanish)
• Short biography (Spanish)
• Biography (spanish)

predecessor	Office	successor
Francisco Ceinos	Viceroy of New Spain 1566–1567	Martín Enríquez de Almansa