Fernando de Silva, 12th Duke of Alba

Fernando de Silva, 12th Duke of Alba
The 12th Duke of Alba by Mengs
Spouse(s)	Ana María Alvarez de Toledo
Issue Francisco de Silva, 10th Duke of Huéscar
Noble family	House of Alba
Born	1733
Died	1770

Fernando de Silva Mendoza y Toledo, 12th Duke of Alba, Grandee of Spain^[1] (27 October 1714 – 15 November 1776), was a Spanish politician and general.

Biography

Better known as the Duke of Huéscar, Fernando de Silva was a man of the Enlightenment and friend of Jean-Jacques Rousseau. He was Spanish ambassador to France between 1746 and 1749. On November 8, 1753 he was appointed Mayordomo mayor and chief of the Royal Household and, on April 9, 1754 he was made director of the Real Academia Española, a function he held until his death in 1776.

He was also Prime Minister of Spain between April 9 and May 15, 1754. As Duke of Alba, he was succeeded by his granddaughter María del Pilar de Silva, 13th Duchess of Alba, who was a friend of Francisco de Goya, who visited their villa on several occasions and painted there in 1786 El verano and La vendimia.

Descendants

He had married Ana María Alvarez de Toledo y de Portugal, (1710–1738), daughter of the 9th Count of Oropesa. They had one son, who pre-deceased his father:

• Francisco de Paula de Silva Mendoza y Toledo, 10th Duke of Huéscar, (1733–1770) who had one daughter.
  • María del Pilar de Silva, 13th Duchess of Alba (1762–1802).

Ancestry

Ancestors of Fernando de Silva, 12th Duke of Alba

Additional information

Notes

1. in full, Spanish: Don Fernando de Silva Mendoza y Álvarez de Toledo, décimo segundo duque de Alba de Tormes, noveno duque de Huéscar, quinto duque de Montoro, séptimo conde-duque de Olivares, décimo marqués del Carpio, décimo segundo marqués de Coria, octavo marqués de Eliche, décimo primer marqués de Villanueva del Río, quinto marqués de Tarazona, décimo conde de Monterrey, décimo tercer conde de Lerín, décimo tercer Condestable de Navarra, décimo primer conde de Galve, décimo tercer conde de Osorno, de jure duque de Galisteo, décimo conde de Ayala, octavo conde de Fuentes de Valdepero, señor del estado de Valdecorneja, señor de las baronías de Dicastillo, San Martín, Curton y Guissens

Sources

• Hobbs, Nicolas (2007). "Grandes de España" (in Spanish). Retrieved 15 October 2008.
• Instituto de Salazar y Castro. Elenco de Grandezas y Titulos Nobiliarios Españoles (in Spanish). periodic publication.
• "DUQUES DE ALBA: Genealogía" (in Spanish). 2007. Retrieved 15 October 2008.
• "Geneall.net" (in Spanish). 2007. Retrieved 15 October 2008.