Diego García de Paredes

Who was Diego García de Paredes?

Diego García de Paredes, Spanish soldier and duellist, was a native of Trujillo in Extremadura, Spain.

He never commanded an army or rose to the position of a general, but he was a notable figure in the wars of the end of the 15th and beginning of the 16th century, when personal prowess had still a considerable share in deciding the result of actions. His native town and its district, which lie between Badajoz and Madrid, produced many of the most noted conquistadores of America, including the Pizarro family.

Diego himself served in his youth in the war of Granada. His strength, daring and activity fitted him to shine in operations largely composed of night marches, escalades, surprises and hand-to-hand combats. The main scene of his achievements was in Italy, and he betook himself to it—on his own showing—not in search of glory, but because he had killed a relation of his own, Ruy Sanchez de Vargas, in a street fight arising out of a quarrel about a horse. He fled to Rome, then under the rule of the Borgias.

Diego was a distant relation to the cardinal of Santa Cruz, a favorite with Pope Alexander VI, who was in conflict with the barons of the Romagna and took Diego into his service. He remained a soldier of the pope until he killed a man in a personal quarrel and found it necessary to pass over to the enemy. He then became acquainted with the Colonnas, who appreciated his services. The wars between Ferdinand V of Castilla and Louis XII gave him a more creditable opening.