Antonio Álvarez de Toledo, 5th Duke of Alba

Antonio Álvarez de Toledo y Beaumont, 5th Duke of Alba, Grandee of Spain, (in full, Spanish: Don Antonio Álvarez de Toledo y Beaumont de Navarra, quinto duque de Alba de Tormes, tercer duque de Huéscar, sexto conde de Lerín y de Salvatierra, quinto marqués de Coria, octavo Condestable de Navarra, señor de los estados de Valdecorneja y Huéscar, y de las baronías de Dicastillo, San Martín, Curton y Guissens), (1568 – 29 January 1639) was a Spanish nobleman and politician.

Biography

Antonio was the grandson of the Iron Duke Fernando Álvarez de Toledo, 3rd Duke of Alba and became 5th Duke of Alba when his uncle Fadrique Álvarez de Toledo, 4th Duke of Alba died without an heir. In 1599 Philip III of Spain awarded him the Order of the Golden Fleece.

He was viceroy of Naples between 1622 and 1629 and was confronted with yet another Italian War over the Valtellina valley, a bad harvest and high food prices in 1624, an earthquake which hit Naples and killed 10,000 people on July 30, 1626, frequent attacks by Turkish pirates and constant economical requisitions by Conde-Duque de Olivares.

In 1629 the King made him his Mayordomo mayor, chief of his Royal Household.

He married Mencía de Mendoza, daughter of Don Íñigo López de Mendoza, Duke del Infantado, and had three children:

• Fernando Álvarez de Toledo (1595–1667), his successor
• María Álvarez de Toledo
• Ana Álvarez de Toledo

Sources

• Hobbs, Nicolas (2007). "Grandes de España" (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 25 October 2008. Retrieved 15 October 2008.
• Instituto de Salazar y Castro. Elenco de Grandezas y Titulos Nobiliarios Españoles (in Spanish). periodic publication.
• Kamen, Henry (2004). The duke of Alba. New Haven–London: Yale University Press.