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List of viceroys of New Spain

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Portrait of Viceroy Juan O'Donojú, a historical figure from the early 19th century, depicted in formal attire with decorative orders.

This article lists the viceroys who ruled the Viceroyalty of New Spain from 1535 to 1821 in the name of the monarch of Spain. These leaders were important because they managed a huge area that included much of what is now North and South America.

In addition to the viceroys, this article also includes the highest Spanish governors of the viceroyalty. These governors took charge before the first viceroy was appointed or when there was no viceroy at the time. Most of these governors carried out the duties of a viceroy, often temporarily, helping to guide the lands of New Spain during important moments in history.

Governor of the Spanish Indies

This office was in charge of the lands discovered by Christopher Columbus.

From 1492 to 1499, Christopher Columbus was the governor and viceroy of the West Indies. He was followed by Francisco de Bobadilla from 1499 to 1502, then Nicolás de Ovando from 1502 to 1509. Finally, Diego Columbus served as governor from 1509 to 1518, and then became viceroy until 1511.

Governor of New Spain

This role managed the lands claimed by Hernán Cortés. It took over from the Governor of the Indies in 1524.

From 13 August 1521 to 24 December 1521, the governor was Hernán Cortés. Then, Cristóbal de Tapia served briefly until 30 December 1521. Hernán Cortés returned as governor and captain general from 30 December 1521 to 12 October 1524, and again from 15 October 1522 during this time.

Several people shared the role after that, including Alonso de Estrada, Rodrigo de Albornoz, Alonso de Zuazo, Gonzalo de Salazar, and Pedro Almíndez Chirino, serving in different periods up to 1535. Later governors included Luis Ponce de León, Marcos de Aguilar, and members of the first and second Audiencia, such as Nuño Beltrán de Guzmán, Juan Ortiz de Matienzo, and Sebastián Ramírez de Fuenleal, among others.

Viceroys of New Spain (1535–1821)

The first person to be called the Viceroy of New Spain was chosen in 1535. This role brought together the jobs of the Governor of the Indies and the Governor of New Spain into one position.

No.PortraitGovernorFromUntilSecretary of the IndiesValido
Secretary of the Universal Bureau
First Secretary of State		RegentMonarch
1Antonio de Mendoza14 November 153525 November 1550Vacant (Overseas Affairs hold by the President of the Council of the Indies)No validoNo regency
Charles I
2Luís de Velasco25 November 155031 July 1564

Philip II
Int.Francisco Ceinos,
Dean of the Audiencia		1 August 156419 October 1566
3Gastón Carrillo de Peralta y Bosquete,
3rd Marquess of Falces		19 October 156611 November 1567
ActingAlonso de Muñoz,
Royal commissioner of New Spain		11 November 156715 April 1568
Luis Carrillo,
Royal commissioner of New Spain
Francisco Ceinos,
Dean of the Audiencia		15 April 15685 November 1568
4Martín Enríquez de Almanza5 November 15684 October 1580
5Lorenzo Suárez de Mendoza,
4th Count of La Coruña		4 October 158019 June 1583
Int.Luis de Villanueva y Zapata,
Dean of the Audiencia		19 June 158325 September 1584
6Pedro de Moya y Contrerás
(Archbishop of Mexico)		25 September 158417 October 1585
7Álvaro Manrique de Zúñiga
1st Marquess of Villamanrique		17 October 158527 January 1590
8Luís de Velasco
Marquess of Salinas		27 January 15905 November 1595
9Gaspar de Zúñiga Acevedo y Fonseca,
5th Count of Monterrey		5 November 159527 October 1603

Philip III
10Juan de Mendoza y Luna,
Marquess of Montesclaros		27 October 16032 July 1607
11Luís de Velasco,
Marquess of Salinas		2 July 160719 June 1611
12García Guerra, O.P.
(Archbishop of Mexico)		19 June 161122 February 1612
Int.Pedro Otárola,
Dean of the Audiencia		22 February 161218 October 1612
13Diego Fernández de Córdoba,
Marquess of Guadalcázar and Count of Posadas		18 October 161214 March 1621
ActingPaz de Valecillo,
Dean of the Audiencia		14 March 162111 September 1621
14Diego Carrillo de Mendoza y Pimentel,
1st Marquess of Gélves		21 September 16211 November 1624
Vacant
Due to the discrepancy on the arrival of successor Viceroy
from 1 to 3 November 1624.
15Rodrigo Pacheco y Osorio de Toledo,
3rd Marquess of Cerralvo		3 November 162416 September 1635
16Lope Díez de Aux de Armendáriz,
Marquess of Cadreita		16 September 163528 August 1640
17Diego Roque López Pacheco Cabrera y Bobadilla,
7th Duke of Escalona, 7th Marquess of Villena and 7th Count of Xiquena		28 August 164010 June 1642
18Juan de Palafox y Mendoza
(Bishop of Puebla)		10 June 164223 November 1642
19García Sarmiento de Sotomayor,
2nd Count of Salvatierra and Marquess of Sobroso		23 November 164214 May 1648
20Marcos de Torres y Rueda
(Bishop of Yucatan)		15 May 164822 April 1649
Int.Matías de Peralta,
Dean of the Audiencia		22 April 164928 June 1650
21Luis Enríquez de Guzmán,
9th Count of Alba de Liste and Marquess of Villaflor		28 June 165015 August 1653
22Francisco Fernández de la Cueva,
8th Duke of Alburquerque, Marquess of Cuéllar, Count of Ledesma and of Huelma		15 August 165316 September 1660
23Juan de Leyva de la Cerda,
Marquess of Adrada		16 September 166029 June 1664
No valido
24Diego Osorio de Escobar y Llamas
(Bishop of Puebla)		29 June 166415 October 1664
25Antonio Sebastián de Toledo Molina y Salazar,
2nd Marquess of Mancera		16 October 166420 November 1673
Mariana of Austria
Charles II
26Pedro Nuño Colón de Portugal y Castro,
6th Duke of Veragua, 6th Marquess of Jamaica and 6th Count of Gelves		20 November 167313 December 1673
27Payo Enríquez de Rivera Manrique, O.S.A.
(Bishop of Guatemala and Archbishop of Mexico)		13 December 16737 November 1680
No regency
28Tomás Antonio Manuel Lorenzo de la Cerda y Aragón
3rd Marquess of La Laguna de Camero Viejo		7 November 168016 June 1686
Count of Oropesa
29Melchor Portocarrero y Lasso de la Vega,
3rd Count of Monclova		16 June 168620 November 1688
30Gaspar Melchor Baltasar de la Cerda Silva Sandoval y Mendoza,
8th Count of Galve, Lord of Salcedón and Tortola		20 November 168827 February 1696
31Juan de Ortega Cano Montañez y Patiño
(Bishop of Durango, Guatemala, Michoacán and Archbishop of Mexico)		27 February 169618 December 1696
32José Sarmiento Valladares Arines de Romay,
1st Duke of Atrisco, Count of Moctezuma and of Tula		18 December 16964 November 1701
Count of Oropesa
Government Board of the RealmsVacant
Antonio de Ubilla
Philip V
33Juan de Ortega Cano Montañez y Patiño
(Archbishop of Mexico)		4 November 170127 November 1702
34Francisco V Fernández de la Cueva Enríquez y Fernández de la Cueva,
10th Duke of Alburquerque and Marquess of Cuéllar		27 November 170213 November 1710
No regency
Marquis of Mejorada del Campo
35Fernando de Alencastre Noroña y Silva,
1st Duke of Linares and Marquess of Valdefuentes		13 November 171016 July 1716
Manuel de Vadillo y Velasco
Bernardo Tinajero de la Escalera
No secretary
36Baltasar de Zúñiga Guzmán Sotomayor y Mendoza,
1st Duke of Arión and Marquess of Valero		16 July 171615 October 1722

Miguel Fernández Durán
Andres Matías de Pes Marzaraga
37Juan de Acuña y Bejarano,
2nd Marquess of Casa Fuerte		15 October 172217 March 1734
No secretary
Antonio de Sopeña y Mioño
Juan Bautista de Orendáin

Louis I
From 1700 to 1724, Philip V was the king; then from 1724 to 1746. Louis I only reigned in 1724.

Philip V
José de Patiño y Rosales
Juan Bautista de Orendáin
38Juan Antonio de Vizarrón y Eguiarreta
(Archbishop of Mexico)		17 March 173417 August 1740
Mateo Pablo Díaz de Lavandero
Marquess of Villarías
39Pedro de Castro Figueroa y Salazar,
1st Duke of La Conquista and 1st Marquess of Gracia Real		17 August 174022 August 1741
Int.Pedro Malo de Villavicencio,
President of the Audiencia		23 August 17412 November 1742
40Pedro Cebrián y Agustín,
5th Count of Fuenclara		3 November 17429 July 1746
Marquess of Ensenada
41Juan Francisco de Güemes y Horcasitas,
1st Count of Revillagigedo		9 July 17469 November 1755
Ferdinand VI
Ricardo Wall (Interim)
Julián de Arriaga y Ribera
42Agustín de Ahumada y Villalón,
Marquess of Amarillas		10 November 17555 February 1760

Charles III
No regency
Int.Francisco Antonio de Echávarri,
Dean of the Audiencia		5 February 176028 April 1760
43Francisco Cajigal de la Vega28 April 17605 October 1760
44Joaquín de Montserrat,
Marquess of Cruillas		5 October 176024 August 1766
45Carlos Francisco de Croix,
Marquess of Croix		24 August 176622 September 1771
46Antonio María de Bucareli y Ursúa22 September 17719 April 1779
Marquess of Sonora
Int.Francisco Romá y Rosell,
Regent of the Audiencia		10 April 177922 August 1779
47Martín de Mayorga Ferrer,
Captain General of Guatemala		23 August 177928 April 1783
48Matías de Gálvez y Gallardo,
Captain General of Guatemala		28 April 178320 October 1784
–Vicente de Herrera y Rivero,
Regent of the Audiencia		20 October 178417 June 1785
49Bernardo de Gálvez y Madrid,
1st Viscount of Galveston and 1st Count of Gálvez		17 June 178530 November 1786
Int.Eusebio Sánchez Pareja y Beleño
Regent of the Audiencia		30 November 17868 May 1787
50Alonso Núñez de Haro y Peralta
(Archbishop of Mexico)		8 May 178716 August 1787
Count of Floridablanca (Interim)
Antonio Porlier
51Manuel Antonio Flórez Maldonado16 August 178716 October 1789
52Juan Vicente de Güemes Pacheco de Padilla y Horcasitas,
2nd Count of Revillagigedo		17 October 178911 July 1794

Charles IV
No secretary (affairs of Indies distributed among different secretariats)
Count of Aranda (Interim)
53Miguel de la Grúa Talamanca de Carini y Branciforte,
1st Marquess of Branciforte		12 July 179431 May 1798
54Miguel José de Azanza Alegría,
1st Duke of Santa Fe		31 May 179830 April 1800
55Félix Berenguer de Marquina30 April 18004 January 1803
56José de Iturrigaray4 January 180316 September 1808
Ferdinand VII
Miguel José de Azanza
Joseph I
57Pedro de Garibay16 September 180819 July 1809
58Francisco Javier de Lizana y Beaumont
(Archbishop of Mexico)		19 July 18098 May 1810
59Pedro Catani8 May 181014 September 1810
60Francisco Javier Venegas,
1st Marquess of Reunión and of New Spain		14 September 18104 March 1813
61Félix María Calleja del Rey,
1st Count of Calderón		4 March 181320 September 1816
No secretary
Juan O'Donoju (Interim)
Fernando de Laserna (Interim)
Manuel Antonio de la Bodega y MollinedoJosé Luyando (Interim)
Miguel de Lardizabal
No secretaryJaun Estebán Lozano de Torres
62Juan Ruiz de Apodaca,
1st Count of Venadito		20 September 18165 July 1821
Antonio González Salmón (Interim)
Juan Jabat Aztal
Antonio Porcel Román
Ramón Gil de la Cuadra
Antonio de Guilleman (Interim)Joaquín Anduaga Cuenca (Interim)
Francisco de Paula Escudero (Interim)
Ramón Olaguer Feliú
Ramón López Pelegrín
63Francisco Novella Azabal Pérez y Sicardo15 July 182121 July 1821
64Juan O'Donojú21 July 182128 September 1821

Related articles

Audiencia Real
Viceroy
Viceroyalty of New Spain
Monarchy of Spain
Viceroyalty
Archbishop of Mexico

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