Bernardino de Mendoza (Captain General)

Bernardino de Mendoza
Captain General of the Galleys of Spain
A Spanish ship from the same time as Bernardino de Mendoza was Captain General
Spouse(s)	Elvira Carrillo y Córdoba
Father	Íñigo López de Mendoza y Quiñones, 1st Marquis of Mondéjar
Mother	Francesca Pacheco
Born	1501 Granada
Died	1557 St. Quentin
Occupation	Captain General of the Galleys of Spain

Bernardino de Mendoza (Granada, 1501 - Saint-Quentin 1557), was a Spanish aristocrat from the House of Mendoza and Captain General of the Galleys of Spain.

He was the third son of Íñigo López de Mendoza y Quiñones, 1st Marquis of Mondéjar and Francesca Pacheco. His siblings were Luis, Maria, Antonio and Diego Hurtado.

Bernardino was destined for a career in the Spanish Navy. Already in his youth, he sailed with two galleys to fight the Barbary corsairs in the Mediterranean Sea, at his own expense. In October 1525, he participated in the failed attempt to reconquer Peñón de Vélez de la Gomera, led by his brother Luis Hurtado de Mendoza y Pacheco, 2nd Marquis of Mondéjar and Captain General of Granada.

In 1533, he became Captain General of the Galleys of Spain. In 1535 he led twelve galleys, some of them previously captured from the Turks, to take part in the Conquest of Tunis (1535). He remained in Tunis, to defend the fortress of La Goleta at the head of 1,000 Spanish troops. He returned to sea with six galleys, but was recalled to La Goleta to prevent the unpaid and mutinous Spanish garrison from selling the fortress to the Turks. He sailed them to Sicily with a promise of payment. When they were not paid there either, the troops caused problems in Sicily.

In 1540, Bernardino gained an important victory in the Battle of Alborán, crushing superior Turkish forces. He was injured at the head and partially lost control of the use of his arms. One year later, he led 15 galleys in the failed Algiers expedition. In 1550, he won another important battle against the Turks, when he took Mahdiye.