Born at Martín Muñoz de las Posadas (modern province of Segovia), he was educated in civil law, canon law and theology at the University of Salamanca.
He was ordained a priest in 1567, and created Cardinal, by Pope Pius V, after March 1568.
He was to be honoured with a title of Marquis and the building of a palace at the expense of King Philip II of Spain, but he only accepted the building in his village of a palace bearing the Crown Royal Arms as paid by public money.
This still exists, and is presently used by the Town Hall and secondary schools.
His directness was not appreciated by many, but it is said that the rigid King Philip II, on learning of his death in 1572, commented that he had lost his best-ever Minister.