PADILLA, Juan de, Spanish missionary, born in Andalusia late in the 15th century; died in Mexico in 1539. He came to Mexico in 1528 with the first Franciscan friars, and was the first superior of the convent of Tulancingo. Afterward he went to Michoacan and Jalisco, where he converted numerous Indians and became superior of the convent of Zapotlan. In 1540 he accompanied his provincial, Marcos de Niza (q. v.), in the expedition of Francisco Vasquez de Coronado for the discovery of Cibola. On the return of the expedition, Padilla, with Friar Juan de la Cruz, remained in Tiguex to preach to the recently conquered tribes, and afterward penetrated farther north to convert the with tribes, by whom he was murdered. He wrote under date of 17 November, 1532, a letter to the emperor Charles V about the results of the missions of New Spain and the great merits of Bishop Juan de Zumarraga, the original of which is in the archives of the council of the Indies. A facsimile was published in the " Cartas de Indias," printed by order of the Spanish government (Madrid, 1876).