Gaspar de Zúñiga y Acevedo, Count of Monterrey
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Don Gaspar de Zúñiga Count of Monterrey Caballero de Santiago |
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| Viceroy of New Spain | |
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In office November 5, 1595 – October 26, 1603 |
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| Monarch | Philip II |
| Preceded by | Luis de Velasco |
| Succeeded by | Juan de Mendoza |
| Viceroy of Peru | |
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In office January 18, 1604 – March 16, 1606 |
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| Monarch | Philip III |
| Preceded by | Luis de Velasco |
| Succeeded by | Diego Núñez de Avendaño |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1560 Monterrei, Spain |
| Died | March 16, 1606 Lima, Peru |
| Religion | Catholic |
Gaspar de Zúñiga Acevedo y Fonseca, 5th Count of Monterrey (Spanish: Gaspar de Zúñiga Acevedo y Fonseca, quinto conde de Monterrey) (1560 – March 16, 1606, Peru), Spanish nobleman, the ninth viceroy of New Spain. He governed from November 5, 1595 to October 26, 1603. From January 18, 1604 until his death in 1606, he was viceroy of Peru.
De Zúñiga y Acevedo was born the eldest son of the fourth Count of Monterrei, Géronimo de Acevedo y Zúñiga. He studied in Monterrei under the direction of Jesuit priests. In 1578 he entered the service of King Philip II. He participated in the Portuguese campaign, where he led the Galician militia, paying them out of his own pocket. De Zúñiga y Acevedo also took part in the defense of the port of A Coruña when it was attacked by the English corsair Francis Drake in 1589.
On May 28, 1595, de Zúñiga y Acevedo was nominated viceroy of New Spain. He arrived in the colony, at Veracruz, in mid-September, as the successor to Viceroy Luis de Velasco, marqués de Salinas. On November 5, 1595 he made his solemn entry into Mexico City, taking up the reins of government.
He increased taxes on the Indians, but he was said to pay personal attention to adjustments required of the Indians in order to prevent their being exploited. In 1596, the viceroy Count of Monterrey reported, in a letter sent to Philip II to justify the increase of the salary of the royal officials, that those had seized and burned some delinquents for the unspeakable sin of sodomy, although he does not give the number of victims or the circumstances of the event.
On September 20, 1596, Diego de Montemayor founded the city of Monterrey, Nuevo León. This city was named in the viceroy's wife's honor.
In 1597 pirates attacked the port of Campeche, taking over the center of the town and terrorizing the inhabitants. De Zúñiga y Acevedo ordered increased protection for the ports. He also moved the town of Veracruz from its old site to its present location, which was more secure.
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