Duke of Medinaceli

Duke of Medinaceli was a Spanish noble title given to Luis de la Cerda y de la Vega on 31 October 1479, by the Catholic Kings, Isabel of Castile and Ferdinand II of Aragon when the old title of Count of Medinaceli , awarded to his grand father, a Bernal de Foix, in 1368, whereby was transformed into Duke of Medinaceli.

History

Ferdinand de la Cerda, Infante of Castile, son of Alfonso X of Castile, was supposed to inherit the throne of Castile and Leon, in Spain, but he was killed in battle in 1275 while his father Alfonso X was still alive. It is in 1368 that the third husband of Isabel de la Cerda, (1322 - 1382), Bernal de Foix, was bestowed the title of "Count of Medinaceli". The male family name "de Foix" would be modified to "de la Cerda", (much more illustrious Castilian family than the French Pyrenaic "de Foix") for the grandson of Bernal de Foix and Isabel de la Cerda, Luis. Later, Queen Isabella of Castile transformed the title of Count into Duke.

Counts de Medinaceli

1. Bernal de Foix, a bastard of the XI Count of Fouix, Count Gaston III de Foix, (April 30, 1331 - 1391). He took the side of royal bastard Enrique II of Castile, against his legitimate brother King Pedro I of Castile. He was invested 1st Count of Medinaceli, in (1368) and choose to stay in Castile when Enrique killed , (assassinated), King Pedro I of Castile at the Castle of Montiel, in March 1369. He was the third husband of wealthy Isabel de la Cerda, of royal legitimate descent of King Alfonso X of Castile through her grandfather and inheritor of King Alfonso X, "Infante" Ferdinand de la Cerda, killed in battle against the Murcia moslems in 1275.

2.Gastón de Béarn y de la Cerda, 2nd Count of Medinaceli (c 1371–1404). He was a courtier under King Juan I of Castile and Enrique III of Castile. 3.Luis de la Cerda y Mendoza, 3rd Count de Medinaceli ( before 1404 – died after 1447). He was a courtier under King Juan II of Castile.

4. Gastón I de la Cerda, 4th Count de Medinaceli (1414–1454). He was also a courtier with King Juan II of Castile

Dukes de Medinaceli

1.Luis de la Cerda y de la Vega, 1st Duke of Medinaceli (1438 – Count in 1454 - Duke in October 1479 - 1501). He fought in battles against Portugal and the Moorish Kingdom of Granada.

He married and/or got illegitimate relations, with no less than three women:

first, with Catalina Laso de Mendoza, señora de Valhermoso y Mondéjar, daughter of the person usually known as Pedro Laso de Mendoza, señor de Mondéjar, one of the sons of the well known poet, writer and courtier usually named as Iñigo López de Mendoza, (1398 - 1458). The eldest son of this marriage was known as Iñigo López de la Cerda y de la Vega, señor de Miedes and he claimed his legitimacy to be considered the 2nd Duke when father Luis died in 1501.

second, with bastard Ana de Aragón - Navarra y Armendáriz , daughter of Prince Carlos de Navarra, Principe de Viana,

third, with Catalina Vique de Orejon, daughter of Garci Alonso. The bastard from this relationship was however considered by King and Emperor Carlos I of Spain, to be worth of being recognized as the second Duke.

2.Duke Juan I de la Cerda y Vique , a bastard who was legitimated by the Spanish Crown, 2nd Duke of Medinaceli, with Grandee in (1520) (1485 – 2nd Duke in 1501 - Grandee of Spain in 1520 - 1544), he was a courtier under Queen Isabella I of Castile till 1504, of her daughter Queen Juana I of Castile, "The Mad", and her son King Carlos I of Spain, who was allowed to take charge aged 16, since 1516. He took part in the battles for the "incorporation" of the Kingdom of Navarre on behalf of widower King, father of King Carlos I of Spain, Ferdinand II of Aragon (widower since 1504 - deceased 1516). 3. Duke Gastón II de la Cerda, died without issue. 3rd Duke of Medinaceli (1504 – Duke succesor 1544 - 1552). He married María Gómez Sarmiento, daughter of the 3 Count of Salinas and Count of Ribadeo He had no issue.

4. Duke Juan II de la Cerda y Silva, brother of the 3rd Duke Gaston II, 4th Duke of Medinaceli (¿?– married 1541 - 1 August 1575). He was appointed Viceroy of Sicily, (1556 - 1564), and Captain General of Sicily.He was later appointed Viceroy of Navarra, (1567 - 1572). He married on 7th April 1541, at Ocaña, Juana Manuel de Portugal, (Lisbon ~1520 - Pamplona 1568), daughter of Sancho I de Noronha Portugal, 2nd Count of Faro. 5.Duke Juan III Luis de la Cerda y Manuel de Portugal , 5th Duke of Medinaceli, (1544 – Duke succesor 1575 - Madrid 29 May 1594, aged 49), was Ambassador in Portugal. Knight of the Order of the Golden Fleece.He married in first marriage, Isabella d´Aragona, (before 1543 - deceased August 1578), daughter of Antonio d´Aragona, (1506 - 1543), 2nd Duca di Montalto. He married again after 1578 Juana de la Lama, 4 marquesa de la Adrada, daughter of Gonzalo Fernández de la Lama,

6. Duke Juan Luis de la Cerda y Aragón, 6th Duke of Medinaceli (Cogolludo, province of Guadalajara, 20 May 1569 - 24 November 1607, aged 38).Knight of the Order of the Golden Fleece. He was Ambassador in Germanic countries.

He married twice, the first with:

Ana de la Cueva, daughter of the 5 Duque de Albuquerque, Gabriel de la Cueva, Governor of the Duchy of Milano, (Italy), in 1564, (deceased 1571).

The second was in 1606, aged around 37, with the person described as Antonia de Toledo y Dávila, (deceased 29 October 1625), daughter of Gómez Dávila y de Toledo, 2nd Marqués de Velada, (deceased 30 January 1599), tutor of King Felipe III of Spain. There was a baby male succession next year, when Don Juan Luis died, from this second marriage, namely, 7.Duke Antonio Juan de la Cerda y Toledo (25 October 1607 – 7 March 1671), 7 Duque de Medinaceli, Grandee of Spain, Captain General of Valencia un 1641, married, aged 17, 28 November 1625, in Dos Hermanas, province of Sevilla, the 13 year old lady known as Ana Francisca Luisa Enriquez de Ribera y Portocarrero] , (Sevilla, before 19 September 1613 - Sanlúcar de Barrameda, 21 May 1645, aged around 32), the later hereditary 5 Duquesa de Alcalá de los Gazules, daughter of Pedro Enríquez Girón de Ribera, a Knight of the Military Order of Santiago. 8.Juan Francisco de la Cerda y Portocarrero, 8th Duke of Medinaceli, (Medinaceli, 4 November 1637– 20 February 1691).Knight of the Order of the Golden Fleece. Prime Minister of King Carlos II of Spain after the death of King Carlos II, Prime Minister and bastard brother of such King, Juan José de Austria, (1629 - 17 September 1679).

He married, aged 16, on 1 May 1653 in Lucena, province of Cordoba, 18 years old Catalina Antonia de Aragón y Folch de Cardona, 9 Duquesa de Cardona, 5 Duquesa de Lerma, 8 Duquesa de Segorbe, and many other lesser titles.

9. Duke Luis Francisco Tomás de la Cerda y de Aragón - Folch de Cardona, (1654 - in prison, in Pamplona fortress, 1711), 9 Duque de Medinaceli, 10th Duque de Cardona, 6th Duque de Lerma, 7th Duque de Alcalá de los Gazules, 9 Duque de Segorbe, and many other lesser titles.

"The appropriate link to connect from now on (1711), till the year 1998 should be as follows:"

* http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duque_de_Cardona

Bibliography and Internet links

* http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herzog_von_Medinaceli

* http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Spanish_Viceroys_of_Naples

* http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Spanish_Viceroys_of_Sicily

* http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Governors_of_the_Duchy_of_Milan

* http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Governors_of_the_Habsburg_Netherlands

* http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Spanish_Viceroys_of_Navarra

* http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viceroy_of_New_Spain

* http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viceroyalty_of_New_Granada

* http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viceroy

* http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viceroyalty_of_the_R%C3%ADo_de_la_Plata

* http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viceroyalty_of_Peru

* http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Spanish_Viceroys_of_Portugal

* http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Spanish_Viceroys_of_Sardinia

* http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Spanish_Viceroys_of_Aragon

* http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Spanish_Viceroys_of_Catalonia

* http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Spanish_Viceroys_of_Valencia