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Don Fernando Alvarez de Toledo,
3.Duque de Alba de Tormes
et de Huescar, (1507-1582)
son of Don Garcia Alvarez de Toledo, Marquis de Coria and Beatriz Pimentel
Born 29 October 1507 Avila
Died 11 December 1582 Lisboa
Married 1527
Donna Maria Enriquez de Toledo
Died 1583
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At an early age he gave proof of his courage, first in 1525 at the
battle of Pavia, later in Hungary against the Turks, then in Tunis and
Algiers. He became a general at twenty-six and commander-in-chief at thirty.
In 1547 he contributed to Charles V's victory at M?hlberg over the Elector
of Saxony. In 1550 he visited Brussels with the crown prince, Philip (II),
returning to Spain via Germany and Genoa. In 1553 he again visited Brussels
and Emperor Charles V but returned to Spain to accompany Philip II to England
to marry Queen Mary Tudor. In 1555 he was appointed governor of Milan and
in 1556 defeated the combined forces of the pope and France. He took the
papal states but on orders of Philip II restored them to the pope. He returned
to Spain via Flanders in 1559 to be Spain's representative at the treaty
of Cateau-Cambresis. Then for Philip II he concluded the marriage arrangements
with Elisabeth de Valois. In 1567 Philip II sent him with unlimited power
to restore peace in The Netherlands. His first act was to establish the
"Bloody Council". As a result, as many as 100,000 people fled to England
while many others enlisted in the army of the Prince of Orange. Illegally
he had the Count of Egmond executed and at first succeeded in keeping the
Prince of Orange out of The Netherlands. In triumph he entered Brussels
on 22 December 1568. His insolence increased when the pope presented him
with a consecrated hat and sword as Defender of the Catholic Faith. While
in The Netherlands, his illegitimate son, Don Fernando Alvarez, was in
charge of his father's cavalry and later on also in Portugal. However,
in the provinces of Holland and Zeeland his fleet was destroyed and, at
his own request, he was recalled in 1573. When he left he boasted of 18,000
people he had ordered to be executed. Soon after he had conquered Portugal
he died in 1582.
Source: Leo van de Pas |
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