Francisco de Moura Corte Real, 3rd Marquis of Castelo Rodrigo


Francisco de Moura Corte Real, 3rd Marquis of Castelo Rodrigo was a Portuguese nobleman who served as Viceroy of Sardinia and Governor of the Habsburg Netherlands.

Life

Francisco de Moura was the son of the Portuguese nobleman, Manuel de Moura, 2nd Marquis of Castelo Rodrigo, who had been Governor of the Habsburg Netherlands between 1644 and 1647, and of Leonor de Melo. A member of the Corte-Real family, He was a Gentleman of the Chamber of King Philip III of Portugal, later member of his council of state and his ambassador to Vienna in 1651.
He was named Duke of Nocera on 10 August 1656, and served as Viceroy of Sardinia between 1657 and 1661, and Governor of the Habsburg Netherlands between 1664 and 1668. Under his administration, the Spanish Netherlands suffered a French invasion during the War of Devolution. By now, Spain was so weak that it could put up very little resistance to the French assault. The French even spoke of "une promenade militaire". Moura was later appointed as Caballerizo mayor to the King and died in Madrid in December 1675.