Calle de Juan Hurtado de Mendoza
Recalls Juan Hurtado de Mendoza “the Clean,” a Castilian noble who served as chief steward and power broker of the court between the late 14th and early 15th centuries.
Juan Hurtado de Mendoza, nicknamed “the Clean” (c. 1329-1404), was a Castilian courtier of the great Álava house of Mendoza who came to wield nearly as much power as the kings he served. He began on the side of Peter I and then went over to the party of Henry of Trastámara, a shift that let him prosper under the new dynasty. He was admiral of Castile and, above all, the king’s chief steward, the post that placed him at the center of power.
The specific reason for the name has not been documented. The calle de Juan Hurtado de Mendoza runs through a quiet, well-off district of Chamartín, dotted with embassies, where poets such as Dámaso Alonso and Gloria Fuertes once lived.