[5] As a result, his father's prestige rose, since in 1300 the council of Viana recognized the representation that Juan Martínez de Medrano made before the kings of Navarra defending their claims to the Kingdom.

[9] By 1330, under the Évreux rule, royal grants to the nobility increasingly mirrored traditional homage, blending new financial practices with entrenched feudal structures established by Joan II and Philip III of Navarre.

[11] As a prominent knight in the Kingdom of Navarre, Juan Martínez de Medrano The Elder held key military and administrative roles as Alcaide, bailiff, and tenant-in-chief of various fortresses in the merindades of Estella and La Ribera from the late 13th to early 14th century.

[13] Juan Martínez de Medrano took center stage in the sociopolitical arena with his appointment as ricohombre (rich-man), a dignity that he enjoyed shortly before 1309 during the reign of King Louis X of France and Navarre.

[17] Juan Martínez de Medrano The Elder played a key role in Navarrese politics, signing second in the 1328 pact, the 1329 oath, and the Cortes of Olite, surpassing representatives from older, more established baronies.

Meanwhile, the new government, led by Medrano, reinterpreted royal symbols to align with the new political reality, adapting language and family seals to reflect the unprecedented state of a kingdom without a king.

[19] Juan Martínez de Medrano dismantled the ruling elite and assumed the supreme jurisdictional faculties corresponding to the Monarchy for almost a year until the arrival of the new Monarchs.

At the March 13 assembly in Puente la Reina, Navarrese ricoshombres, knights, and town representatives dismissed Governor Pere Remón de Rabastens, severing ties with the French Crown.

[22] Following his removal, Governor Pere Remón de Rabastens retreated to the Castle of Tudela with a small group of loyalists, defying both the Navarrese and the regents of Navarre.

Reports claimed that Philippa of Hainault, Queen of France, had given birth to a daughter, that Edward III of England had declared himself King of Navarre, and that he had strengthened ties with the Flemish.

In response, the regents called for the Cortes to convene at the Plaza del Castillo in Pamplona on 1 May 1328, inviting not only ricoshombres, knights, town representatives, and the Obanos assembly but also members of the Capetian faction who had taken refuge in the Castle of Tudela.

The primary issue on the agenda was the dynastic succession, with the Cortes set to determine which of the four claimants had the strongest right to the Navarrese throne:The gathering was so large that the deliberations were held outdoors in the procession meadow of the Dominican friars, now the Plaza del Castillo.

On that day, Juan Martínez de Medrano participated in the royal oath and raised his voice on behalf of the ricoshombres and estates, a genuine representation of the kingdom of Navarre.

Upon arrival of Charles II to the Navarrese throne, few of those famous surnames were part of the social dome: only Monteagudo, Medrano and Lehet remained as rosters of the old noble preponderance.

[33] For instance: Juan Martínez de Medrano and his son Álvaro successfully drafted the Amejoramiento of 1330, a major legal reform enacted during the Cortes of Pamplona on 10 September 1330.

The conflict and resistance to Royal Treasury demands escalated to a level of rebellion, requiring the intervention of Lieutenant Juan Martínez de Medrano 'The Elder' before the people of Tudela.

The resulting figure of approximately 48,000 households aligned closely with estimates by royal treasury agents, forming the basis for subsequent fiscal and financial policies.

[40] For the first annuity, Juan Martínez de Medrano y Aibar oversaw the collection of contributions, including income from coinage, which represented a significant portion of the total annual receipt in the Royal Treasury.

Additionally, the pending collection of one hundred thousand pounds promised to the king, as compensation for supporting his wife's candidacy for the throne of Navarre, was not accounted for in the treasury records.

[40] The expenses occasioned by sending emissaries to a series of councils, claiming their commitment ("make an obligation through the queen's lady to the king's lord of 100,000 pounds in the general court") are recorded with letters from Juan Martínez de Medrano, lieutenant of the governor, before the councils of: Los Arcos, Viana, Laguardia, San Vicente de la Sonsierra, Aguilar and Bernedo; Lerín, Miranda, Larraga, Berbinzana, Artajona, Mendigorria and the abbot of Iranzu; Ujué, Mélida, Santacara, Rada, Caparroso, Marcilla, Peralta, Falces, Cárcar, Andosilla and San Adrián; from the valleys of Aibar, Roncal and Salazar; towns of Sesma, Mendavia, Baigorri, Lapoblación and Labraza.

[22] In appreciation of this assistance, the men of Gipuzkoa appealed to Juan Martínez de Medrano the Elder to establish a brotherhood with the Merino of Pamplona for mutual benefit.

[22] Juan Martinez de Medrano 'The Elder' must have enjoyed great power and reputation as a prudent man, since the kings of Navarre and Castile chose him as the arbitrator of their differences so that he would settle them according to his conscience at the beginning of the year 1331.

[11] In 1336, Juan Martínez de Medrano was again chosen to be the arbitrator, this time, over the border dispute concerning the ownership of the Monastery of Fitero that had developed into a war with Castille in 1335.

[59] King Charles III of Navarre, her carnal uncle, offered Leanor 4,000 pounds of dowry, and in guarantee of it, gave Ferrant Martinez de Ayanz y Medrano, in 1417, the pechas of Lizarraga.

The record of that ceremony introduces the names of the high ecclesiastical dignitaries, the magnates who had the honour of the places and fortresses, and the representatives of the good towns during the beginnings of that reign, undoubtedly the most suggestive in the history of Navarra.

Juan Velaz de Medrano defended Viana against the Castilians in 1429 and served as chamberlain for Charles III of Navarre in 1412 and King John II in 1432.

[53] The refectory of Pamplona Cathedral, renovated between 1328 and 1335, features one of the earliest and most significant heraldic displays in Spain, incorporating noble lineages, municipalities, and the monarchy.

[75] Unlike typical medieval heraldic compositions, this monumental display uniquely features both ricoshombres and key Navarrese towns, symbolizing the kingdom’s leadership rather than a mere armorial.

The refectory’s heraldic program, including Juan Martínez de Medrano’s emblem, serves as an architectural expression of political authority, showcasing various members of the Cortes and immortalizing their influence on Navarre’s governance and legal reforms.

[91] This particular coat of arms from the House of Medrano featured an argent fleur-de-lis cross of Calatrava on a blood-red field, symbolizing their ancient lineage through its straightforward design and connection to the battle of Las Navas de Tolosa.