Diego de Mazariegos August 4, 2021
In many ways, little Diego’s sad story is very Mexican—a boy grows up in a fatherless household, lost and lonely and left behind, only to grow into the bitter man his own dad had become, with the same destructive tendencies. Hijos de la Chingada. A chip off the old block, even in absentia, Diego de Mazariegos pillaged and plundered his way, at least briefly, into a king’s good graces. But would dad even notice? In the film version, I imagine the man-child Diego to be played by a young Mandy Patinkin, in tights. “Prepare to die!”
If Arco del Carmen represents the formal entrance to the city, leading riders due north to the steps of the grand Cathedral, the white stone bridge on Calle Diego de Mazariegos is the backdoor to the city, crossing the smelly Rio Amarillo pinched against the western hills. This was the expeditionary route of Conquistador Diego de Mazariegos, who, in 1528, at the spirited young age of 27, managed to conquer all of Chiapas for Nueva España. He especially prized the cool climate of this hill country, so he chose his capital as Ciudad Real. Judging from the present real estate landscape listed under his name, the Conquistador built some of the nicest old-style hotels around, and so close to everything, too!
Despite the pricey properties and other accolades accorded a conqueror, Diego died young and probably unfulfilled. He was born illegitimately in Spain, in 1501, forcing him to take the name of his mother, Mazariegos, through which he inherited a world of dispossession. His estranged father went off to earn wealth and conceit as a conquistador in Cuba, while his neglected son quickly grew to crave both land and recognition in the New World.
It is not clear how Diego found his way to the west, let alone how he became a captain in the King’s army with responsibilities, as there is no mention of him from other conquistadores of the period, at least until he and another young adventurer accepted an assignment from a general in Guatemala to tame the rebellious Chiapa natives. His brutal fighting force consisted largely of other native warriors, recently freed from the subjugation of the collapsed Aztec Empire, and these Amerindian immigrant groups came to be the first citizens of Ciudad Real, with Diego de Mazariegos as their first governor.
His term in office lasted barely a year. Apparently the honorary title was self-bestowed, as it was decided from above to relieve Diego of his duties in short order. How did grace fail him? Perhaps his bastard past caught up with him. Or, perhaps, a brazen 27-year-old should not be in charge of a Spanish colonial state. Whatever caused the young prince to fall, he fell hard indeed. There is no description of his passing, and even the year of his death is uncertain. He may have died in 1531, right after his government service ended, or he may have lived until 1536. Maybe he died a hero, or maybe a villain. Quien Sabe? Maybe he died alone in a ditch. No one bothered to care.
Diego’s historical redemption did not come until 1866, when it was politically opportune to mark Mexico’s triumph over foreign conquerors. A year earlier, the forces of Emperor Maximillian suffered a mortal blow in the hills of Chiapas. But, of course, the Amerindians here have their own ideas about who the outside invaders really are, as well as what the white stone bridge on the Yellow River represents. Nevertheless, for those who may be nostalgic for the halcyon barbaric lore of Spanish Conquest, the luxurious Casa de Diego de Mazariegos is offering, for just 45 USD, a night for you and your loved one in the room where the conqueror died. Legend has it that he died in each of them.