During the viceroyalty of New Spain, political and administrative power was headed by figures acting on behalf of the king of the Catholic monarchy, the viceroys of New Spain. Over the course of almost three centuries, more than 60 people ā including viceroys, audiences and other transitory authorities ā governed the territory on behalf of the Crown of Castile. This complete list makes it possible to know who these actors were and at what time they held office, making it easier to trace the key stages of the viceroyalty.
Complete List of Viceroys and Interim Governments of New Spain (1530-1821)
From the arrival of Antonio de Mendoza in 1535 to the brief mandate of Juan OāDonojĆŗ in 1821, more than 60 people ā including formal viceroys, interim viceroys and governing audiences ā occupied this position. Below is a table organized by reign, with the names and periods of each viceroy.
| King | Title | Name | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carlos V | Audiencia Gobernadora | SebastiĆ”n RamĆrez de Fuenleal y oidores | 1530ā1535 |
| Carlos V | 1.Āŗ Virrey | Antonio de Mendoza | 1535ā1550 |
| Carlos V | 2.Āŗ Virrey | Luis de Velasco I | 1550ā1564 |
| Felipe II | Audiencia Gobernadora | Francisco Ceinos y oidores | 1564ā1566 |
| Felipe II | 3.Āŗ Virrey | Gastón de Peralta | 1566ā1567 |
| Felipe II | Audiencia Gobernadora | Luis Carrillo y Alonso de MuƱoz | 1567ā1568 |
| Felipe II | 4.Āŗ Virrey | MartĆn EnrĆquez de Almansa | 1568ā1580 |
| Felipe II | 5.Āŗ Virrey | Lorenzo SuĆ”rez de Mendoza | 1580ā1583 |
| Felipe II | Governorās Hearing | Villanueva, SĆ”nchez Paredes y otros | 1583ā1584 |
| Felipe II | 6.Āŗ Virrey | Pedro Moya de Contreras | 1584ā1585 |
| Felipe II | 7.Āŗ Virrey | Ćlvaro Manrique de Zúñiga | 1585ā1590 |
| Felipe II | 8.Āŗ Virrey | Luis de Velasco II | 1590ā1595 |
| Felipe II | 9.Āŗ Virrey | Gaspar de Zúñiga y Acevedo | 1595ā1603 |
| Felipe III | 10.Āŗ Virrey | Juan de Mendoza y Luna | 1603ā1607 |
| Felipe III | 11.Āŗ Virrey | Luis de Velasco II (2.ĀŖ vez) | 1607ā1611 |
| Felipe III | 12.Āŗ Virrey | Fray GarcĆa Guerra | 1611ā1612 |
| Felipe III | Governorās Hearing | Pedro Otalora | 1612 |
| Felipe III | 13.Āŗ Virrey | Diego FernĆ”ndez de Córdoba | 1612ā1621 |
| Felipe IV | 14.Āŗ Virrey | Diego Carrillo de Mendoza | 1621ā1624 |
| Felipe IV | Governorās Hearing | Paz de Vallecillo | 1624 |
| Felipe IV | 15.Āŗ Virrey | Rodrigo Pacheco y Osorio | 1624ā1635 |
| Felipe IV | 16.Āŗ Virrey | Lope DĆez de Aux de ArmendĆ”riz | 1635ā1640 |
| Felipe IV | 17.Āŗ Virrey | Diego López Pacheco Cabrera y Bobadilla | 1640ā1642 |
| Felipe IV | 18.Āŗ Virrey | Juan de Palafox y Mendoza | 1642 |
| Felipe IV | 19.Āŗ Virrey | GarcĆa Sarmiento de Sotomayor | 1642ā1648 |
| Felipe IV | 20.Āŗ Virrey | Marcos de Torres y Rueda | 1648ā1649 |
| Felipe IV | Governorās Hearing | Miembros de la Audiencia | 1649ā1650 |
| Felipe IV | 21.Āŗ Virrey | Luis EnrĆquez de GuzmĆ”n | 1650ā1653 |
| Carlos II | 22.Āŗ Virrey | Francisco FernĆ”ndez de la Cueva | 1653ā1660 |
| Carlos II | 23.Āŗ Virrey | Juan Francisco de Leyva de la Cerda | 1660ā1664 |
| Carlos II | 24.Āŗ Virrey | Diego Osorio de Escobar y Llamas | 1664 |
| Carlos II | 25.Āŗ Virrey | Antonio SebastiĆ”n de Toledo | 1664ā1673 |
| Carlos II | 26.º Virrey | Pedro Nuño Colón de Portugal | 1673 |
| Carlos II | 27.Āŗ Virrey | Fray Payo EnrĆquez de Rivera | 1673ā1680 |
| Carlos II | 28.Āŗ Virrey | TomĆ”s Antonio de la Cerda | 1680ā1686 |
| Carlos II | 29.Āŗ Virrey | Melchor Portocarrero Lasso de la Vega | 1686ā1688 |
| Carlos II | 30.Āŗ Virrey | Gaspar de la Cerda Sandoval | 1688ā1696 |
| Carlos II | 31.º Virrey | Juan de Ortega y Montañés | 1696 |
| Carlos II | 32.Āŗ Virrey | JosĆ© Sarmiento y Valladares | 1696ā1701 |
| Fernando VII | Ćltimo Virrey | Juan OāDonojĆŗ | 1821 |
What were the governing hearings?
The governing audiencias were collegiate bodies that assumed the political and judicial control of New Spain on a provisional basis when there was no acting viceroy. These audiencias were formed by oidores and presided over by a prominent official, and their role was to guarantee the continuity of the government while a new viceroy was appointed or arrived. Although they did not have the same authority or symbolic presence as a viceroy, their role was crucial in several periods of transition.


Conclusion on the Viceroys of New Spain
The viceroys were key figures in the maintenance of political order, economic administration, and religious strategy in New Spain. This list allows you to quickly place each in context, and will be especially useful when you want to explore their actions, conflicts, or specific policies in broader articles. You can return to this entry when you need to recall who ruled in a given period or when mentioning a viceroy in other historical topics.
ā



