The venerable Juan de Palafox y Mendoza (1600-1659) was one of the most brilliant personalities of the 17th century. Not only from the political point of view, as a man of government who served the Spanish crown from the age of 25, but also as a high figure within the Church. On the 4th centenary of the birth of the former bishop of Puebla (Mexico), of Burgo de Osma (Soria) and viceroy of Mexico, the University of Navarra has organized an international congress on his figure and political, social, artistic and religious trajectory in Pamplona from April 13 to 15.

The multifaceted character of the figure has required the interdisciplinary partnership of the Departments of Art, History, Ecclesiastical Sciences, History of Law, History of Architecture and Music. The congress will be attended by Spanish, European and Mexican academics and will be inaugurated and closed by Jorge Fernández Díaz, Secretary of State for Education, Universities, research and development.

According to Ricardo Fernández, secretary of the congress and professor at the University of Navarra, " quotation Palafox's personality, the various facets of bishop, political thinker, viceroy and visitor of New Spain, reformer, prolific writer, poet, commentator of St. Teresa, patron, legislator and ascetic".

Palafox y Mendoza figures "among the great polygraphs of the seventeenth century. At his death he left more than 565 works of mystical, hagiographic, historical, poetic, epistolary, juridical subject .... His writings range from the narration of the battle of Fuenterrabía to an orthographic treatise".

During his stay in Mexico (1640-1649) he devoted himself to the promotion of architecture, painting and music of the viceroyalty. Joaquín Lorda, professor of History of Architecture at the University of Navarra explained that "the main goal of his artistic patronage was to renew piety and reinforce the religiosity of his faithful". He is credited with the construction of more than 40 churches, including the cathedral of Puebla de los Angeles, hundreds of altarpieces and many religious convents. "He was undoubtedly a hyperactive man. It is hard to understand how he was able to develop so much activity".

Regarding his pastoral work, Ricardo Fernandez recalled that Pope Innocent X the value of the venerable Palafox when he said that "if he did not put the Church of the Americas in order, no one would. In the Americas he developed the thorny task of grouping the different missions into dioceses. Because of this, he had to "take away some secular privileges from the religious orders. His speed and vitality created some conflicts". After his death, the beatification process was launched.

The international congress , sponsored by the Ministry of Education and Culture, the Government of Navarra and the Baños de Fitero, was attended by experts such as Ernesto de la Torre, Mexican historian; Elisa Vargas, from the Instituto de Investigaciones Estéticas (Mexico); and Ismael Sánchez Bella, an expert on Palafox's personality. Later, an exhibition will be held at the Museum of America in Madrid. This sample will travel through Spain and Mexico and will show his iconography, some of his works and other personal objects.