Duke of Alba

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Dukedom of Alba de Tormes
Palace of the Dukes of Alba
(Ávila)
Standard of the Dukedom of Alba

Duke of Alba de Tormes (

Grandee of Spain.[1] In 1472, the title of Count of Alba de Tormes, inherited by García Álvarez de Toledo, was elevated to the title of Duke of Alba de Tormes by King Henry IV of Castile.[2]

History

The dukedom of Alba de Tormes is one of the most significant noble titles of Spain and gives its name to the House of Alba. Over the centuries, members of three distinct family dynasties have held the title in succession – the House of Álvarez de Toledo [es], the House of Silva (extinct in 1802) and the House of Fitz-James Stuart, which descends from an illegitimate son of King James II of England.

Famous holders of this dukedom include

muse of the painter Francisco Goya. When they first met, Francisco Goya was much older than the Duchess of Alba. Goya was in his late 40s and the Duchess was in her early 30s.[3]

Various dukes have married into the families of

.

Today, the ducal family of Alba retains a large and valuable collection of art and historic documents. The largest part of this treasure is kept at the main residence of the family in Madrid, the

Liria Palace
.

Lords of Alba de Tormes (1429)

Counts of Alba de Tormes (1439)

Dukes of Alba de Tormes (1472)

Arms of the Dukes of Alba of the House of Álvarez de Toledo
Arms of the Dukes of Alba of the House of Fitz-James Stuart

References

  1. ^ a b c Boletín Oficial del Estado: no. 143, p. 50250, 16 June 2015. Retrieved 28 December 2015 (in Spanish).
  2. ^ Hidalgos de España (2018). p. 36
  3. ^ Siroid, Elena (3 December 2018). "Love Story in Paintings: Francisco Goya and María Cayetana de Silva, the Duchess of Alba". Arthive. Retrieved 30 April 2023.
  4. ^ Gutierre Álvarez de Toledo

Bibliography

External links