Duke of Medinaceli


Duke of Medinaceli is a title of the Spanish nobility. The Catholic Monarchs, Isabella I of Castile and Ferdinand II of Aragon, created the title and awarded it to Luis de la Cerda y de la Vega on 31 October 1479. Luis also held the title of 5th Count of Medinaceli, which was first awarded in 1368 to his ancestor, Bernal de Foix.

History

In 1368, the King of the Crown of Castile bestowed the title of Count of Medinaceli on Bernal de Foix, the second husband of Isabel de la Cerda. Their grandson Luis, 3rd Count of Medinaceli, eventually inherited the title and changed his family name to "de la Cerda". Later on, Queen Isabella I of Castile raised the title from Count to Duke in 1479 for Luis de la Cerda y de la Vega, 5th Count of Medinaceli.

Counts of Medinaceli

Biographies

1st Duke of Medinaceli

Luis de la Cerda y de la Vega, 1st Duke of Medinaceli, Count in 1454 and Duke in 1479, was the first person awarded the title of "Duke of Medinaceli". He fought in battles against Portugal and the Moorish Kingdom of Granada.

2nd Duke of Medinaceli

Duke Juan I de la Cerda y Vique, the 2nd Duke of Medinaceli, was a bastard who was legitimated with Grandee by the Spanish Crown in 1520. He was a courtier under Queen Isabella I of Castile, her daughter Queen Joanna of Castile, and her son King Charles I of Spain. He took part in the battles for the "incorporation" of the Kingdom of Navarre on behalf of Ferdinand II of Aragon, the grandfather of King Charles I of Spain.

3rd Duke of Medinaceli

Duke Gastón de la Cerda y Portugal, died without issue. He married María Gómez Sarmiento, daughter of the 3rd Count of Salinas and Count of Ribadeo.

4th Duke of Medinaceli

Duke Juan II de la Cerda y Silva, 4th Duke of Medinaceli, was appointed Viceroy of Sicily,, and Captain General of Sicily. He was later appointed Viceroy of Navarra, in the years 1567–1572. He married Juana Manuel de Portugal, daughter of Sancho I de Noronha Portugal, 2nd Count of Faro on 7 April 1541, at Ocaña.

5th Duke of Medinaceli

Duke Juan III Luis de la Cerda y Manuel de Portugal, 5th Duke of Medinaceli, was an Ambassador in Portugal and a Knight of the Order of the Golden Fleece. He was married four times. His first wife, Isabella d'Aragona was the daughter of Antonio d'Aragona,. His second wife was Duca di Montalto and after 1578, he married Juana de la Lama. His 4th wife was Marquesa de la Adrada, daughter of Gonzalo Fernández de la Lama.

6th Duke of Medinaceli

Duke Juan Luis de la Cerda y Aragón, 6th Duke of Medinaceli was a Knight of the Order of the Golden Fleece. He was an Ambassador to Germanic countries. He married twice, the first time in 1564, to Ana de la Cueva, daughter of the 5th Duque de Albuquerque, Gabriel de la Cueva, Governor of the Duchy of Milano. He got married for a second time in 1606, to Antonia Dávila y Colonna, daughter of Gómez Dávila y de Toledo, the 2nd Marqués de Velada, tutor of King Philip III of Spain.

7th Duke of Medinaceli

Duke Antonio Juan de la Cerda y Toledo, 7th Duque de Medinaceli, Grandee of Spain, and Captain General of Valencia in 1641. He was married at the age of seventeen to Ana Francisca Luisa Enriquez de Ribera y Portocarrero, who was thirteen years of age. The marriage took place on November 28, 1625, in Dos Hermanas, province of Sevilla. Ana Francisca Luisa Enríquez de Ribera y Portocarrero was later granted the title of hereditary 5th Duquesa de Alcalá de los Gazules, as daughter of Pedro Enríquez Girón de Ribera, a Knight of the Military Order of Santiago.

8th Duke of Medinaceli

y Portocarrero, 8th Duke of Medinaceli, was a Knight of the Order of the Golden Fleece. He was the Prime Minister of King Charles II of Spain. After the death of King Charles II, he was Prime Minister to the bastard brother, Juan José de Austria,. He was married at the age of sixteen to eighteen-year-old Catalina Antonia de Aragón y Folch de Cardona, 9th Duchess of Cardona, 5th Duchess of Lerma, 8th Duchess of Segorbe, on 1 May 1653 in Lucena, Province of Córdoba.

9th Duke of Medinaceli

Duke Luis Francisco Tomás de la Cerda y de Aragón - Folch de Cardona,, was the 9th Duque de Medinaceli, 10th Duque de Cardona, 6th Duque de Lerma, 7th Duque de Alcalá de los Gazules, and 9th Duque de Segorbe.