Rodrigo Calderón

Rodrigo Calderón (1576-1621) was the favourite of the Duke of Lerma. Born in Antwerp by a soldier involved in the sack of the city of the same year, he entered the service of the Marquis of Denia, as a young page. He followed his patron’s rapid rise in political and social life, serving as secretario de cámara of the king until 1607. Subject to a judicial investigation in 1607, which found him innocent, Don Rodrigo had to deal with the aversion of many, especially of Queen Margaret of Austria. Accused of being arrogant, of sudden enrichment and on account of the enormous power he achieved despite the humility of his birth, Calderón was dismissed by the court at the behest of his own patron and sent as an extraordinary ambassador to Flanders and France (1612-1613). On his return, however, did not recover his previous position and lived on the fringes of courtly society, though he was still protected by the Duke of Lerma. When the latter left the court in October 1618, Calderon entered prison. Tried in civil and criminal courts, and declared guilty of only a fraction of the allegations that had been leveled against him (including that of being responsible for the death of the queen in 1611), he was sentenced to death and executed in the Plaza mayor of Madrid 21 October, 1621.

Read more :

• J. Juderías, Un proceso político en tiempo de Felipe III: Don Rodrigo Calderón, Marqués de Siete Iglesias. Su vida, su proceso y su muerte, in «Revista de Archivos, Bibliotecas y Museos», 9 (1905), pp. 334-365; 10 (1906), pp. 1-31.
• S. Martínez Hernández, Rodrigo Calderón, la sombra del valido. Privanza, favor y corrupción en la corte de Felipe III, Madrid 2009.