Juan Dominguez Palermo

Juan Dominguez de Palermo (c. 1560 – 1635) was a Sicilian military officer and politician, who served in Buenos Aires during the Viceroyalty of Peru.[1] His name is attached to one of the most exclusive neighborhoods in Buenos Aires, Palermo.[2]

Capitán Juan Dominguez de Palermo
Mayordomo of the Cabildo de Buenos Aires
In office 1605–1606
Monarch	Philip III
Preceded by	?
Succeeded by	?
Regidor of the Cabildo de Buenos Aires
In office 1605–1606
Monarch	Philip III
Personal details
Born	Giovanni Domenico di Vargas c. 1560 Palermo, Kingdom of Sicily
Died	June 9, 1635 Buenos Aires, Viceroyalty of Peru
Spouse(s)	Isabel Gómez de Saravia María Rodríguez
Occupation	army politician merchant landowner
Profession	military man
Signature
Military service
Allegiance	Spanish Empire
Branch/service	Spanish Army
Years of service	1580-1635
Rank	Captain
Unit	Fuerte de Buenos Aires
Battles/wars	Ottoman–Venetian War

He was born in Sicily, the son of Domingo de Giovani and Maria de Vargas, belonging to a distinguished family. He served under the command of John of Austria, providing services in Malta, Naples and Spain.[3] Established in the Río de la Plata by 1590,[4] he received land grants in Buenos Aires, being the owner of several haciendas in the suburbs of the city. He was an active member of the City Council, serving as regidor for several years.[5] He also held the honorary position of Mayordomo of Buenos Aires, a position concerning of the control of the economic activities of the city.[6]

He was married twice, first to Isabel Gómez de Saravia, daughter of Miguel Gómez de la Puerta and Beatriz Luiz de Figueroa, belonging to families of Spanish and Portuguese conquerors, and second with María Rodríguez, a Creole descendant of the Captain Antón Higueras de Santana.[7] His daughter Juana Gómez de Saravia, was married to Francisco de Melo Coutinho, son of João de Melo Coutinho and Juana Holguín, belonging to families of Vasco Fernandes Coutinho and Pedro Álvarez Holguín.[8]