José Álvarez de Toledo, Duke of Alba

Don José Álvarez de Toledo Osorio y Gonzaga, 11th Marquess of Villafranca, Grandee of Spain, jure uxoris Duke of Alba de Tormes, Grandee of Spain (16 July 1756 – 9 June 1796) was a patron of the artist Francisco Goya.

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is de Toledo Osorio and the second or maternal family name is Gonzaga.
José Álvarez de Toledo
Duke of Alba,
Marquess of Villafranca (etc...)
The Duke of Alba by Francisco de Goya, 1795
Full name
José María del Carmen Francisco Manuel Joaquín Pedro Juan Andrés Avelino Cayetano Venancio Francisco de Paula Gonzaga Javier Ramón Blas Tadeo Vicente Sebastián Rafael Melchior Gaspar Baltasar Luis Pedro de Alcántara Buenaventura Diego Andrés Apostol Isidro
Born(1756-07-16)16 July 1756
Madrid, Spain
Died9 June 1796(1796-06-09) (aged 39)
Seville, Andalusia, Spain
Noble familyHouse of Toledo
Spouse(s)María del Pilar Teresa Cayetana de Silva Alvarez de Toledo, 13th Duchess of Alba
IssueMaría de la Luz (Adopted)
Signature

Biography

Álvarez de Toledo was born in 1756 in Madrid as son of the X Marquess of Villafranca del Bierzo. He became chamberlain, at thirteen, to King Charles IV of Spain. He, originally XI Marquess of Villafranca, married his kinswoman Doña María del Pilar Teresa Cayetana de Silva y Álvarez de Toledo, 13th Duchess of Alba, who was the legendary "Duchess of Alba" in Goya's paintings, thus becoming de jure uxoris Duke of Alba. Their marriage made them the wealthiest couple in the kingdom; they competed against the Osuna family. A year after his marriage, he inherited the dukedom of Medina-Sidonia (by the 21st century the oldest extant dukedom in the kingdom) and joined two of the most important Houses of the Spanish nobility.

The failed attempt of his friend Alejandro Malaspina to oust Queen María Luisa's favourite Manuel de Godoy in favour of the Duke of Alba put an early end to the political career of the progressive aristocrat.

Álvarez de Toledo y Gonzaga died on 9 June 1796, in Seville.
As the couple had no children, Álvarez de Toledo y Gonzaga was succeeded by his brother Francisco de Borja. His wife held the title of Duchess of Alba until her death in 1802 and she was succeeded by a relative Carlos Miguel Fitz-James Stuart.

In a famous portrait by Goya, the duke is clad in elegant riding clothes. With an air of melancholy he looks up from the music book he is holding in his hands, including the "Four songs/with piano accompaniment/by Mr. Haydn". The duke commissioned several works from Joseph Haydn and was a gifted musician himself. In his painting, Goya subtly combines the symbols of his model's passion for music and equestrian skills (viola or violin, riding boots and riding hat) with the neoclassical interior of the ducal residence.

  • José Álvarez de Toledo around 1795 by Goya
    José Álvarez de Toledo around 1795 by Goya
  • María Antonia Gonzaga, his mother.
    María Antonia Gonzaga, his mother.
  • The 14th Duke of Medina Sidonia, his cousin and predecessor.
    The 14th Duke of Medina Sidonia, his cousin and predecessor.
  • The 12th Marquess of Villafranca, his brother and successor.
    The 12th Marquess of Villafranca, his brother and successor.

Ancestry

Sources
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