Francisco Manso de Zuñiga y Sola was born in Cañas, La Rioja, Spain.[1][2] He was the son of Don Juan Manso de Zúñiga y Medrano, nicknamed “El Joven or El Mozo”, lord of the towns of Canillas, Cañas and Santorcaz, progenitor of the Counts of Hervías; and Magdalena de Sola. Francisco is the paternal grandson of Juan Manso de Zúñiga and Beatriz Martínez de Medrano.
On August 9, 1627, he was selected by the King of Spain and confirmed by Pope Urban VIII as Archbishop of Mexico.[1] April 12, 1628, he was consecrated bishop by Alonso Orozco Enriquez de Armendáriz Castellanos y Toledo, Bishop of Michoacán.[1] He served as Archbishop of Mexico until his resignation on July 20, 1634.[1] On 5 October 1637, he was selected by the King of Spain and confirmed by Pope Urban VIII as Archbishop (Personal Title) of Cartagena.[1] On October 8, 1640, he was selected by the King of Spain and confirmed by Pope Urban VIII as Archbishop of Burgos where he served until his death on December 27, 1655.[1]
While bishop, he was the principal consecrator of Juan Velasco Acevedo, Bishop of Orense (1637); Pedro Luis Manso Zuñiga, Auxiliary Bishop of Burgos (1648); and Juan Bravo Lasprilla, Bishop of Lugo (1652).[1]
The County of Hervías is a Spanish noble title created by King Felipe IV on May 26, 1651, in favor of Francisco Manso de Zúñiga y Solá, with the prior viscountcy of Negueruela, La Rioja.[3]
Francisco's sister María Magdalena Manso de Zúñiga y Sola, I Lady of Tabuerniga, married Antonio Velaz de Medrano y Mendoza, knight of the Order of Santiago, soldier in Naples and Sicily and magistrate in the towns of Malaga (1609–12) and Cuenca-Huete (1612–14). Francisco is the maternal uncle of Pedro Velaz de Medrano y Manso de Zúñíga, II Lord of Tabuérniga. Antonio Velaz de Medrano y Mendoza was the son of the noble Juan Vélaz de Medrano, and a lady from the House of Hurtado de Mendoza, daughter of Íñigo Hurtado de Mendoza.[4][5]
His other siblings were Juan Manso de Zúñiga y Sola, who married Antonia Ambrosia de Salcedo y Vallejo; Pedro Manso de Zúñiga y Sola (1566–1610); Martín Manso de Zúñiga y Sola (1569–1630)[6] and Sebastián Manso de Zúñiga y Sola.
Francisco's brother Pedro Manso de Zúñiga y Sola was a student at the University of Salamanca[7] and an advisor to his uncle, the bishop of Calahorra Pedro Manso de Zúñiga y Medrano, archdeacon of Bilbao.[6] His brother successively became judge of the Court of Pamplona, of the Chancery of Granada, mayor of Casa & Corte, president of the Royal Court of Valladolid and president of the Council of Castile. Philip III granted him the title of patriarch of the West Indies and Pope Paul V granted him the archbishopric of Caesarea.[8]
