Juan Pardo de Tavera

Spanish cardinal and minister of state. Born at Toro (Zamora), a nephew of Diego de Deza, archbishop of Seville and Inquisitor General, he studied locally and at Salamanca. His career, thanks to his family connections, was meteoric. In 1504 he became rector of Salamanca university, later member of the supreme council of the Inquisition, and vicar general of the diocese of Seville, in 1514 bishop of Ciudad Rodrigo, then of Osma and then was translated (1524) to the archbishopric of Santiago. By the same period he was president of the high court of Valladolid, created cardinal 1531, and in 1534 became archbishop of Toledo. He was one of the principal ministers of Charles V, became Inquisitor General (1539), was president of the royal council, and one of the regents of the realm during the absences of the emperor from Spain. Enormously wealthy, he left much of his money to maintain the large hospital for the poor he founded in Toledo in 1541.