Mencía de Mendoza

Mencía de Mendoza y Fonseca (30 November 1508 - 4 January 1554) was a Dutch culture patron.

She was a leading figure of the Renaissance in the Netherlands and known for her progressive opinions of the education of women.

She married firstly Henry III of Nassau-Breda in 1524,[1] a marriage which encouraged by the reigning monarch, Charles V, who was actively working on a plan to make the nobility of Spain and the Low Countries mix.

Together, they ultimately had one son who was born in March 1527, and would only live a few hours after his birth.

The couple became renowned for their patronage in literary and artistic works.