Fadrique Álvarez de Toledo, 2nd Duke of Alba
Fadrique Álvarez de Toledo y Enríquez, 2nd Duke of Alva was a Spanish nobleman, military leader and politician.Life and career
He was the eldest son of García Álvarez de Toledo, 1st Duke of Alba, and his wife, María Enríquez de Quiñones, daughter of Fadrique Enríquez de Mendoza and younger half-sister to Juana Enríquez, Queen of Aragon.
Fadrique was very close to the Catholic Monarchs. His father had fought in the War of the Castilian Succession on the side of the future Queen Isabella I of Castille against her niece Juana la Beltraneja, and his mother was the younger half-sister of Juana Enríquez y Fernandez de Cordoba, making him the first cousin of Ferdinand II of Aragon.
He participated in the conquest of Granada, and already as Duke, he led the Spanish army against the French in Roussillon in 1503. When Ferdinand II as regent of Castilla, decided to invade and conquer the Kingdom of Navarre, supported by a Papal bull, he put the Duke of Alva at the head of his army. Fadrique conquered Navarre in only two weeks time. As a reward, he was promoted to capitan general of Andalucía and Duke of Huescar in 1513.
He was also a member of the Consejo de Estado under Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor. He accompanied the Emperor to Germany, Flanders and Italy and was made in 1520 a grandee of Spain and a knight in the Order of the Golden Fleece.
He married Isabel de Zúñiga, Condesa de Sevilla, in 1480 and had five children. His eldest son García was destined to be his successor, but predeceased his father, passing the title of third Duke of Alva to Fadrique's grandson, the famous Iron Duke Fernando Álvarez de Toledo y Pimentel.
His offspring:
- 1) Leonor Álvarez de Toledo, married Rodrigo Portocarrero.
- 2) Garcia Álvarez de Toledo y Zuniga, Marqués de Coria, married Beatriz Pimentel:
- * Catalina Álvarez de Toledo y Pimentel, married Diego Enríquez de Velasco, 3rd Conde de Alva de Liste.
- * Maria Álvarez de Toledo y Pimentel, married her cousin Enrique Enríquez de Toledo, 4th Conde de Alva de Liste.
- * Fernando Álvarez de Toledo y Pimentel, 3rd Duke of Alva.
- 3) Pedro Álvarez de Toledo y Zúñiga, Viceroy of Naples, married Maria Osorio-Pimentel :
- * García Álvarez de Toledo, 4th Marquis of Villafranca), Viceroy of Naples.
- * Eleanor of Toledo, married Cosimo I de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany.
- 4) Aldonza Leonor Álvarez de Toledo y Zuniga, married Diego Enríquez de Velasco, 3rd Conde de Alva de Liste.
- 5) Juan Álvarez de Toledo, cardinal.
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