Alonso Pérez de Guzmán y de Zúñiga-Sotomayor, 7th Duke of Medina Sidonia, GE (10 September 155026 July 1615), was a Spanish aristocrat who was most noted for his role as commander of the

Spanish Armada The Spanish Armada (a.k.a. the Enterprise of England, es, Grande y Felicísima Armada, links=no, lit=Great and Most Fortunate Navy) was a Spanish fleet that sailed from Lisbon in late May 1588, commanded by the Duke of Medina Sidonia, an aris ...

that was to attack the south of England in 1588. He was a great-great grandson of

Ferdinand II of Aragon Ferdinand II ( an, Ferrando; ca, Ferran; eu, Errando; it, Ferdinando; la, Ferdinandus; es, Fernando; 10 March 1452 – 23 January 1516), also called Ferdinand the Catholic (Spanish: ''el Católico''), was King of Aragon and Sardinia from ...

Family

Alonso's father was Juan Carlos Pérez de Guzmán, who died in 1556. This was two years before the death of his own father,

Juan Alfonso Pérez de Guzmán, 6th Duke of Medina Sidonia ''Juan'' is a given name, the Spanish and Manx versions of ''John''. It is very common in Spain and in other Spanish-speaking communities around the world and in the Philippines, and also (pronounced differently) in the Isle of Man. In Spanish, t ...

, meaning that Juan Carlos failed to inherit the ducal title and died merely as the 9th

Count of Niebla Duke of Medina Sidonia ( es, Duque de Medina Sidonia) is a peerage grandee title of Spain in Medina-Sidonia, holding the oldest extant dukedom in the kingdom, first awarded by King John II of Castile in 1380.Ana de Aragón y de Gurrea, an illegitimate daughter of Alonso de Aragón y Ruiz de Iborra, Archbishop of Zaragoza, himself an illegitimate son of king Ferdinand II of Aragón. In 1518 Ana de Aragón had married in succession two Dukes of Medina Sidonia. The first marriage was to

Alfonso Pérez de Guzmán, 5th Duke of Medina Sidonia Alfonso Pérez de Guzmán y de Guzmán-Zúñiga, 5th Duke of Medina Sidonia (d. 1549) was the son of Juan Alfonso Pérez de Guzmán, 3rd Duke of Medina Sidonia and became Duke of Medina Sidonia in 1512 when his half brother, Enrique Pérez de Guzm� ...

, who was to die childless in 1548. He was declared insane ("mentecato"), which invalidated the marriage and vacated the succession to the title. The bride was then married, in the same year, to the 5th Duke's brother, Juan Alfonso, the 6th Duke, born on 24 March 1502. He would survive his bride by three decades, dying at

Sanlúcar de Barrameda Sanlúcar de Barrameda (), or simply Sanlúcar, is a city in the northwest of Cádiz province, part of the autonomous community of Andalucía in southern Spain. Sanlúcar is located on the left bank at the mouth of the Guadalquivir River opposit ...

, in the province of Cádiz,

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

, on 26 November, 1558. Alonso's mother was Leonor de Zúñiga y Sotomayor, a most powerful and wealthy woman, herself daughter of the powerful duchess Teresa de Zúñiga, 2nd marchioness of Ayamonte, 3rd duchess of Béjar, 4th countess of Bañares, 2nd marchioness of Gibraleón, so it was her name Zúñiga, the one to be passed to the family, as she was married to a "Sotomayor" of a family less endowed with nobility titles, county of Belalcázar, something by no means unique in the high Spanish aristocracy of the time. As Alonso's father, Juan Carlos, had already died in 1556, it was on the death of his grandfather in 1559, that Alonso, only some nine years of age at the time, inherited the ducal title along with one of the greatest fortunes in

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...

. This cites Cesário Duro, ''La Armada invincible'' (Madrid, 1884), which gives numerous references to authorities.

Betrothal and marriage

The 7th duke was betrothed in 1569 to Ana de Silva y Mendoza, who was then four years of age, the daughter of the Prince and the Princess of Éboli. In 1572 when the duchess was little more than ten years of age, the

pope The pope ( la, papa, from el, πάππας, translit=pappas, 'father'), also known as supreme pontiff ( or ), Roman pontiff () or sovereign pontiff, is the bishop of Rome (or historically the patriarch of Rome), head of the worldwide Cathol ...

granted a dispensation for the

consummation In many traditions and statutes of civil or religious law, the consummation of a marriage, often called simply ''consummation'', is the first (or first officially credited) act of sexual intercourse between two people, following their marriage t ...

of the marriage. The Duke of Medina Sidonia had a son, Juan Manuel, who succeeded his father. A scandal of the time accused

Philip II Philip II may refer to: * Philip II of Macedon (382–336 BC) * Philip II (emperor) (238–249), Roman emperor * Philip II, Prince of Taranto (1329–1374) * Philip II, Duke of Burgundy (1342–1404) * Philip II, Duke of Savoy (1438-1497) * Philip ...

of a love intrigue with the young girl's mother, the Princess of Éboli. The constant unvarying and apparently unmotivated favor the king showed the duke has been accounted for by claiming he simply took a fatherly interest in the girl. In any case no proof has been discovered of any relation between the king and the princess.

Don Don, don or DON and variants may refer to: Places *County Donegal, Ireland, Chapman code DON *Don (river), a river in European Russia *Don River (disambiguation), several other rivers with the name *Don, Benin, a town in Benin *Don, Dang, a vill ...

Alonso made no serious effort to save his

mother-in-law A parent-in-law is a person who has a legal affinity with another by being the parent of the other's spouse. Many cultures and legal systems impose duties and responsibilities on persons connected by this relationship. A person is a child-in-la ...

Ana de Mendoza, Princess of Éboli from the later persecution she suffered at the hands of Philip II. His correspondence is full of whining complaints of poverty, and appeals to the king for pecuniary favors. In 1581 he was created a

knight of the Golden Fleece This article contains a list of knights of the Order of the Golden Fleece. Knights of the Burgundian Golden Fleece 15th Century !Year of Induction!!Name!!Born!!Died!!Notes , - , rowspan=25, 1430, , Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy, , 1396, , ...

, and was named

Captain General Captain general (and its literal equivalent in several languages) is a high military rank of general officer grade, and a gubernatorial title. History The term "Captain General" started to appear in the 14th century, with the meaning of Comma ...

Lombardy Lombardy ( it, Lombardia, Lombard language, Lombard: ''Lombardia'' or ''Lumbardia' '') is an administrative regions of Italy, region of Italy that covers ; it is located in the northern-central part of the country and has a population of about 10 ...

. By pressing supplications to the king he got himself exempted on the ground of poverty and poor health. Don Alonso was also the patron of Don

Jerónimo Sánchez de Carranza Don Jerónimo Sánchez de Carranza, ( es, link=no, Jerónimo Sánchez de Carranza), Jerónimo de Carranza, pt, Hieronimo de Carança; c. 1539 – c. 1600 or 1608) was a Spanish nobleman, humanist, scientist, one of the most famous fencers, and ...

who wrote the premier text on the Spanish system of swordplay which was called the 'True Art' or the '' Verdadera Destreza''. He was asked by King Philip II of Spain to lead the Spanish Armada.

Spanish Armada

Preparations

When the Marquis of Santa Cruz died, on 9 February 1588, Philip insisted on appointing the 7th Duke to the command of the Armada. He had prepared his orders to the Duke of Medina Sidonia already three days before the death of Santa Cruz. The motivation of Philip's decision is unknown, but it may have been grounded in his consideration of the duke's very high social rank, administrative competence, modesty and tactfulness, and last but not least his reputation as a good

Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

. The micro-managing king probably wanted a commander who would obey his instructions to the letter, which had been less likely had command been in the hands of Santa Cruz, or either of the most experienced officers in the Armada, Juan Martinez de Recalde and Miguel de Oquendo. The disadvantages of this choice of Medina Sidonia were highlighted by latter himself, in a letter to the king, in which he stressed his lack of military experience on land and at sea, his lack of information about either the English enemy or the Spanish war plans, his poor health and tendency to

sea-sickness Motion sickness occurs due to a difference between actual and expected motion. Symptoms commonly include nausea, vomiting, cold sweat, headache, dizziness, tiredness, loss of appetite, and increased salivation. Complications may rarely include d ...

, and his inability to contribute financially to the expedition. Philip II may never have seen this letter, for his secretaries Don Juan de Idiaquez and Don Cristobal de Moura replied to the duke that they dared not show it to the king. Historians have speculated that Medina Sidonia himself did not believe in the success of the Armada, and that this motivated his attempt to reject the command as also a later letter he wrote to the king, advising an attempt to conclude peace or at least postpone the operation. What general opinion of the duke may have been is unrecorded, but it is known that skepticism regarding the Armada's prospects existed among senior Spanish officers and informed foreign commentators. The opinion of modern historians on Medina Sidonia's efforts to prepare the Armada is generally favorable. He reorganized the fleet, rationalized the chaotic distribution of loads and guns, and increased the ammunition supplies from 30 to 50 rounds per gun. The permission of the king to add the Castilian galleons of the "Indian Guard" to the Armada nearly doubled its first-line fighting strength. Under the duke's command the material state of the Armada and the manning of the ships was much improved. The distribution of cannons and ammunition was rationalized, and Medina Sidonia got permission from Philip to lodge some of his men ashore; prior to that, the king had insisted that the sailors be kept aboard their ships at all times, a policy which had a disastrous effect on the health and morale of the fleet. Medina Sidonia managed to establish good relationships with his subordinate commanders, and gathered additional supplies right up to the moment of sailing.

Fleet command

Medina Sidonia's behavior as a fleet commander in the ensuing series of fights with the English has come under more criticism. Lacking military experience, he showed little initiative or self-confidence, instead cautiously obeying the instructions of the king, and relying on the opinion of his advisers and subordinate commanders. This tendency was reinforced by the senior adviser appointed to him by the king, Diego Flores de Valdes, an experienced sea officer but also a man renowned for his caution. Medina Sidonia also seriously underestimated the difficulty of coordinating his actions with the commander of the Spanish forces in the Netherlands, Alexander Farnese, Duke of Parma, who was supposed to launch his invasion fleet to meet the Armada at sea. However, this problem was fundamental to the operational plan imposed on the two commanders by Philip II. Allowing for the limitations inherent in a total lack of command experience, Medina Sidonia fought the battle courageously and intelligently. His health suffered badly as a result of the campaign, and after his return to Spain the king finally relieved him of his command and granted him permission to return home to convalesce. Later, he served the Spanish crown for another two decades in various functions. The duke's reputation suffered, because several popular accounts, notably the one written by the monk Juan de Victoria, placed all blame for the defeat on him. Informed commentators and modern historians have put most of the blame on Philip II himself for imposing an impractical plan on his commanders, and on Diego Flores de Valdes for badly advising the duke. Philip II himself did not single out his chosen commander to bear the responsibility for the defeat. He stated "Action without cause is illegitimate of reason" in response to public outcry on re-sending a fleet to Britain. The duke retained his posts of

admiral of the ocean Admiral is one of the highest ranks in some navies. In the Commonwealth nations and the United States, a "full" admiral is equivalent to a "full" general in the army or the air force, and is above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet, ...

and captain-general of

Andalusia Andalusia (, ; es, Andalucía ) is the southernmost Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community in Peninsular Spain. It is the most populous and the second-largest autonomous community in the country. It is officially recognised as a ...

, and continued to serve Philip II and later Philip III. The popular image of the duke in later years was strongly influenced by propaganda surrounding the Armada, including an English account which claimed that the Duke of Medina Sidonia was a fool and a coward who hid below decks in a specially reinforced room. This story became a lasting part of popular descriptions of the battle, in which the Duke of Medinia Sidonia was frequently portrayed as an incompetent buffoon.

Later years

When an English fleet attacked

Cádiz Cádiz (, , ) is a city and port in southwestern Spain. It is the capital of the Province of Cádiz, one of eight that make up the autonomous community of Andalusia. Cádiz, one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in Western Europe, ...

in 1596, Medina Sidonia's allegedly slow response was blamed for giving the English enough time to sack the city. In 1606 Medina Sidonia's obstinacy caused the loss of a squadron which was destroyed near

Gibraltar ) , anthem = " God Save the King" , song = " Gibraltar Anthem" , image_map = Gibraltar location in Europe.svg , map_alt = Location of Gibraltar in Europe , map_caption = United Kingdom shown in pale green , mapsize = , image_map2 = Gib ...

by the Dutch. This episode made the duke a satirical target of

Miguel de Cervantes Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra (; 29 September 1547 (assumed) – 22 April 1616 Old Style and New Style dates, NS) was an Early Modern Spanish writer widely regarded as the greatest writer in the Spanish language and one of the world's pre-emin ...

In popular culture

* In the

Belgian Belgian may refer to: * Something of, or related to, Belgium * Belgians, people from Belgium or of Belgian descent * Languages of Belgium, languages spoken in Belgium, such as Dutch, French, and German *Ancient Belgian language, an extinct languag ...

Suske en Wiske Suske (English: Willy, Luke, Bob, Spike) is one of the main characters in the popular Belgian comic strip ''Suske en Wiske'' by Willy Vandersteen. He is the boy of the duo. History When Willy Vandersteen created his first adventure story with t ...

comic book story "De Stierentemmer" ("The Bull Tamer") (1952) the character Aunt Sidonia learns that she is related to the 16th century duke of Medina Sidonia, Alonso Pérez de Guzmán. In the Dutch educational comic strip series ''

Van Nul tot Nu A van is a type of road vehicle used for transporting goods or people. Depending on the type of van, it can be bigger or smaller than a pickup truck and SUV, and bigger than a common car. There is some varying in the scope of the word across ...

'' (1982), which tells the history of the

Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...

in comic book form, Alonso Pérez de Guzmán is caricatured as Tante Sidonia as a nod to ''Suske en Wiske''.Co Van Loerakker, Thom van Roep, "Van Nul tot Nu: Part I", 1982, Oberon/Big Balloon, page 51. * The children's fantasy novel ''

The House with a Clock in Its Walls ''The House with a Clock in Its Walls'' is a 1973 juvenile mystery fiction novel written by John Bellairs and illustrated by Edward Gorey. It is the first in the series of twelve novels featuring the fictional American boy Lewis Barnavelt. P ...

'' features an appearance by the Duke of Medina Sidonia, in command of the Armada, as a type of magical hologram. This element was not included in the 2018 film adaptation. * The alternate history novel ''

Ruled Britannia ''Ruled Britannia'' is an alternate history novel by Harry Turtledove, first published in hardcover by New American Library in 2002. The book is set in the years 1597–1598, in an alternate universe where the Spanish Armada is successful in 158 ...

'' is set in a world where the Duke's Armada defeated the English. While the Duke does not appear, his fictitious nephew Baltasar Guzmán, an army officer, is a prominent character.

Ancestry

Notes

References

* '' Commander of the Armada - the Seventh Duke of Medina Sidonia'', Peter Pierson, 1989, Yale University Press, New Haven. *''From merciless invaders'', Alexander McKee, 1963. *''The Armada'', Garrett Mattingly, 1959. *''The Grand Strategy of Philip II'', Geoffrey Parker, 1998. *''The Voyage of the Armada : The Spanish Story'', David Howarth, 1981

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Medina Sidonia, Alonso Perez De Guzman 1550 births 1615 deaths 107

Alonso Alonso is a Spanish name of Germanic origin that is a Castilian variant of ''Adalfuns''. Geographical distribution As of 2014, 36.6% of all known bearers of the surname ''Alonso'' were residents of Spain (frequency 1:222), 26.1% of Mexico (1:83 ...

Knights of the Golden Fleece Spanish admirals People of the Anglo-Spanish War (1585–1604) People from Sanlúcar de Barrameda Grandees of Spain 16th-century military history of Spain 17th-century military history of Spain