Mateo Leal de Ayala y Medina was born in
Madrid (Spain), son of Isidro Leal de Ayala and Rosa de Medina, belonging to a distinguished family of
La Cabrera. He possibly studied in Spain, and settled in the Spanish Colonies of America around 1598. He was married in the city of
Potosí with María Magdalena de Aguilar, a noble woman, daughter of Ginés Martínez and Leonor de Vargas. In early seventeenth century, Ayala arrived at Buenos Aires from the
Peru, and acquired a large estate of 500 rods of land, in the area of
Pago de la Matanza. In Buenos Aires, he held the highest political positions, being designated the 27 of December 1613 as governor of the
Río de la Plata and Paraguay. He also served as
alguazil mayor of the city, and was elected alcalde in first vote of Buenos Aires in 1621. == References ==