Antonio Fernando de Medrano
A member of the respected Medrano family, he provided medical and surgical services, including bloodletting and minor operations, at a time when barber-surgeons played a crucial role in healthcare, particularly in rural areas.
His professional standing is reflected in his estate, which included an extensive collection of surgical instruments, fine furniture, silverware, and a notable personal library containing medical, legal, and literary works.
[1] Antonio was a member of the influential Medrano family, active during the Spanish Golden Age, originally recognized as ricoshombres ("rich-men") of the kingdom.
[1] Doctor Antonio Fernando de Medrano was a 17th-century Spanish barber-surgeon, highly skilled in minor surgery, bloodletting, and dental extractions.
[1] The most significant section of the library, however, was devoted to surgical and medical literature, an unusual feature for a barber-surgeon of the time, as many in the profession lacked formal education.
This diverse collection reveals Medrano's dedication to professional knowledge, setting him apart from many of his contemporaries in the field of barber-surgery, who often relied more on tradition than on scholarly study.
[1] Two surgical syringes for algalia (likely for urological procedures) and ten probes of varying sizes were also noted on 23 November 1666 by Manuel Mayers, who appraised his collection of silver and jewelry.
Other volumes covered history and agriculture, such as Visit of the Prison by Tomás Cerdán de Tallada, The Origin of Secular Dignities of Castile and León by Pedro Salazar y Mendoza, and Royal and Genealogical Catalogue of Spain by Rodrigo Méndez Silva.
The Palace of Vélaz de Medrano in Orenín, Álava, as described by Guerra, features a quartered coat of arms with distinct heraldic elements.
[6] The Medrano family had ancestral homes in Luquin (Estella), with branches in Puente La Reina and Tudela, from where they later moved to Ágreda (Soria), in Navarra.
His burial was to take place at San Pedro el Real in Madrid, near the altar rails of Nuestra Señora de la Concepción, a devotion he had maintained since 1639.
[1] Medrano's belongings included fine household textiles, clothing, kitchenware, furniture, artwork, sculptures, a small but notable library, professional tools, and a valuable collection of silver and gold jewelry.
[5] Among the silverware were: Five barber basins (four with handles), three warming jugs with ornate lids, bases, and mascaron-shaped spouts, and two square candlesticks with snuffers.
The drinkware included a plain gilded cup, an engraved jug with a handle and spout, two goblets with square designs, and a pocket-sized egg-shaped container.
The inventory also listed tremblers (bowl-like dishes) in various sizes, an oval ointment box with compartments, a round engraved tray, a travel goblet, and a gilded salver.
Her assessment included tablecloths, sheets, napkins, shirts, cordellate (corded fabric) curtains, mattresses, quilts, blankets, socks, and undergarments.
On 2 December 1666, tailor Andrés de Valdivieso appraised various garments, including capes, hats, breeches, doublets, bodices, taffeta sleeves, wool cloaks, shoes, boots, and a damask skirt.
Among the sculptures in the collection, the most valuable piece was a bronze figure of the Crucified Christ with Death at His Feet, half a vara tall, mounted on a pearwood cross, worth 300 reales.
