Duke of Fernandina is a hereditary title in the peerage of Spain. It was granted by King Philip II to García Álvarez de Toledo y Osorio, Viceroy of Sicily and Catalonia, and later Marquis of Villafranca del Bierzo in inheritance from his elder brother. It was conferred on him the 24 December 1559, along with the principality of Montalbán. Fernandina is the only dukedom in Spain that is not attached to a Grandeeship. Its name makes reference to the town of Ferrandina in southern Italy.
| Dukedom of Fernandina | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Creation date | 1559 |
| Created by | Philip II |
| Peerage | Peerage of Spain |
| First holder | García Álvarez de Toledo y Osorio, 1st Duke of Fernandina |
| Present holder | Alonso-Enrique González de Gregorio y Viñamata, 14th Duke of Fernandina |
The title was usually held by the heirs apparent of the marquises of Villafranca, and merged into the House of Medina Sidonia in 1779 when José Álvarez de Toledo, 11th Marquis of Villafranca and 8th Duke of Fernandina, inherited the dukedom of Medina Sidonia from a distant cousin. After the death of the 12th duke, José Joaquín Álvarez de Toledo, none of his sons claimed the title, so the dukedom of Fernandina became dormant. Eighty years later, the 21st duchess of Medina Sidonia and her son the Count of Niebla ceded their rights to the title to their daughter and sister, Pilar González de Gregorio, who asked for the resumption of the dormant dukedom. On 1 February 1993, the title was restored without grandeeship of Spain[1] by King Juan Carlos I to Pilar, who became the 13th Duchess of Fernandina.
Dukes of Fernandina (1559)
edit- García Álvarez de Toledo, 4th Marquis of Villafranca and 1st Duke of Fernandina (1514–1577).
- Pedro Álvarez de Toledo, 5th Marquis of Villafranca and 2nd Duke of Fernandina (1546–1627), eldest son of the 1st Duke.
- García Álvarez de Toledo, 6th Marquis of Villafranca and 3rd Duke of Fernandina (1579–1649), elder son of the 2nd Duke.
- Fadrique Álvarez de Toledo, 7th Marquis of Villafranca and 4th Duke of Fernandina (1635–1705), elder son of the 2nd Duke's second son.
- Fadrique Álvarez de Toledo, 8th Marquis of Villafranca and 5th Duke of Fernandina (1658–1728), eldest son of the 4th Duke.
- Fadrique Álvarez de Toledo, 9th Marquis of Villafranca and 6th Duke of Fernandina (1686–1753), elder son of the 5th Duke.
- Antonio Álvarez de Toledo, 10th Marquis of Villafranca and 7th Duke of Fernandina (1716–1773), eldest son of the 6th Duke.
- José María Álvarez de Toledo, 15th Duke of Medina Sidonia and 8th of Fernandina (1756-1796), elder son of the 7th Duke.
- Francisco de Borja Álvarez de Toledo, 16th Duke of Medina Sidonia and 9th Duke of Fernandina (1763–1821), second son of the 7th Duke.
- Francisco Álvarez de Toledo, 10th Duke of Fernandina (1799–1816), eldest son of the 9th Duke
- Pedro de Alcántara Álvarez de Toledo, 17th Duke of Medina Sidonia and 11th Duke of Fernandina (1803–1867), second son of the 9th Duke.
- José Joaquín Álvarez de Toledo, 18th Duke of Medina Sidonia and 12th Duke of Fernandina (1826–1900), elder son of the 11th Duke.
Dukes of Fernandina (1993)
edit- Pilar González de Gregorio, 13th Duchess of Fernandina (b. 1957), great-great-granddaughter of the 12th Duke.
The title became extinct in 2012, following a legal battle of the last duchess with her nephew, Alonso González de Gregorio.[2] However, it was rehabilitated in 2020 in favor of Alonso González de Gregorio.[3]
- Alonso-Enrique González de Gregorio y Viñamata, 14th Duke of Fernandina (b. 1983), nephew of the 13th Duchess.
Family tree
editSee also
editNotes
edit- ^ A Royal Decree of Isabella I, given on 10 October 1876, established that all Dukes were Grandees of Spain, so all the dormant duchies restored after that date received the grandeeship, even if they didn't hold it before being disclaimed. However, in the case of Fernandina, it wasn't given Grandeeship as it never received it. Soler Salcedo, Juan Miguel, Nobleza Española. Grandeza Inmemorial 1520, Editorial Visión, Madrid, 2008. ISBN 978-84-9886-179-2
- ^ "La codicia pudo con el ducado de Fernandina". www.larazon.es (in European Spanish). Retrieved 2018-03-30.
- ^ "Real Decreto 683/2020, de 27 de julio, por el que se rehabilita, sin perjuicio de tercero de mejor derecho el título de Duque de Fernandina, a favor de don Alonso-Enrique González de Gregorio Viñamata". www.boe.es. Archived from the original on 2020-07-28. Retrieved 2020-07-28.
References
edit- Elenco de Grandezas y Títulos Nobiliarios Españoles, Hidalguía Editions, 2008
- González de Gregorio Álvarez de Toledo, Pilar, Ducado de Fernandina in Carlas as Director, ABC, 23 February 2001. (in Spanish)