Juan de Mendoza y Luna, marqués de Montesclaros

Don Juan de Mendoza y Luna, 3rd Marquis of Montesclaros (Spanish: Juan de Mendoza y Luna, marqués de Montesclaros, or sometimes marqués de Montes Claros) (January, 1571, Guadalajara, Spain – October 9, 1628, Madrid), Spanish nobleman, man of letters, and the tenth viceroy of New Spain. He governed from October 27, 1603 to July 2, 1607. Thereafter he was viceroy of Peru, from December 21, 1607 to December 18, 1615. After returning to Spain, he became advisor to the king and a high official in the Court.

Juan de Mendoza y Luna was the posthumous son of the second Marqués de Montesclaros. He was raised by his mother, Isabel Manrique de Padilla.

He served with distinction in the army of the Duke of Alba in the Portuguese campaign, as a captain of lancers. For his service, he was awarded the Order of Caballero de Santiago in 1591. Later he was governor of Seville, where he first became acquainted with the affairs of the Indies. On May 19, 1603 the Crown named him viceroy of New Spain.

He made his formal entry into Mexico City on October 26, 1603, accompanied by his wife Ana de Mendoza, and assumed the reins of government. He immediately accused his predecessor, Gaspar de Zúñiga y Acevedo, Count of Monterrey of excessive spending and of exceeding his authority. Plans to colonize Alta California in the wake of Sebastián Vizcaíno's exploration were cancelled.

In August 1604 there was another major inundation of Mexico City. Damage was extensive. The viceroy initially suggested moving the capital to the nearby hills of Tacubaya, but this was deemed too expensive. Then he decided to finish the drainage canal of Huehuetoca, but this was a project requiring many years and the labor of 15,000 Indians to complete. In the meantime he repaired the dikes constructed under Viceroy Luis de Velasco, at the same time paving the streets of San Antonio Abad, Chapultepec, San Cristóbal and Guadalupe. Nevertheless, parts of the city remained submerged for a year.

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