Joaquín Atanasio Pignatelli de Aragón y Moncayo (2 May 1724 - 12 May 1776), XVI Count of Fuentes and IV Marqués de Coscojuela, was a Hispano-Italian advisor and diplomat at the service of the Spanish monarchy.

Biography

He was born in the illustrious Pignatelli family, connected with the highest Neapolitan and Aragonese nobility. His father, Antonio Pignatelli of Aragon (1700-1746), was a second son of the IX Duke of Monteleón and Noya, and his mother, Francisca de Moncayo and Blanes (1700-1742), was Countess of Fuentes and Marquesa de Coscojuela. The young count was a Gentleman of the chamber of

Ferdinand VI of Spain , house = Bourbon-Anjou , father = Philip V of Spain , mother = Maria Luisa of Savoy , birth_date = 23 September 1713 , birth_place = Royal Alcazar of Madrid, Madrid, Spain , death_date = , death_place = Villavici ...

and Grandee of Spain 1st Class since 1751. He was Ambassador in Turin from 1754 to 1758, in

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

from 1760 to 1762 and in

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...

from 1763 to 1773.
His stay in London was very difficult during the

Seven Years' War The Seven Years' War (1756–1763) was a global conflict that involved most of the European Great Powers, and was fought primarily in Europe, the Americas, and Asia-Pacific. Other concurrent conflicts include the French and Indian War (1754� ...

. During his embassy in

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

, he led the Spanish adhesion to the third ''

Pacte de Famille The ''Pacte de Famille'' (, ''Family Compact''; es, Pacto de Familia) is one of three separate, but similar alliances between the Bourbon kings of France and Spain. As part of the settlement of the War of the Spanish Succession that brought ...

'' and built a solid friendship with

Étienne François, duc de Choiseul Étienne François, Marquis de Stainville, Duc de Choiseul, KOHS, OGF (28 June 17198 May 1785) was a French military officer, diplomat and statesman. From 1758 to 1761 and from 1766 to 1770, he was Foreign Minister of France and had a strong ...

, Prime Minister of King Louis XV of France, who saw in Fuentes a "spirit suitable for business", of "broad genius", as well as a "very honest man and attached to our system." The Count was also a close friend of

Jerónimo Grimaldi Jerónimo (European Portuguese and Spanish) or Jerônimo (Brazilian Portuguese) may refer to: * Jerónimo (name), a given or surname, Jerome in English ** Jeronimo (singer) (born 1990), Dutch pop singer and actor * Jeronimo (band), German band of ...

, although they ended up more distanced around 1775.
After the fall of Choiseul in December 1770, Fuentes refused to pay respect to

Madame du Barry Jeanne Bécu, Comtesse du Barry (19 August 1743 – 8 December 1793) was the last ''maîtresse-en-titre'' of King Louis XV of France. She was executed, by guillotine, during the French Revolution due to accounts of treason—particularly being ...

, the new favorite of the French monarch and a former prostitute. This led to his forced departure from France in December 1772, being replaced by the

Count of Aranda Pedro Pablo Abarca de Bolea y Jiménez de Urrea, 10th Count of Aranda (1718 in Siétamo, Huesca – 1798 in Épila, Saragossa), was a Spanish statesman and diplomat. Early life He began ecclesiastical studies in the seminary of Bologna but ...

. Back in

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 ...

, he refused to exercise the presidency of the Council of Castile after the departure of Aranda, dedicating himself fully to his work as president of the Council of Orders (''Consejo de Órdenes''), which he had since 1768. Likewise, since 1763, he was a member of the State Council.
The XVI Count of Fuentes died in 1776, being buried in the Convent of San Hermenegildo in Madrid.
He was a Knight in the Spanish

Order of the Golden Fleece The Distinguished Order of the Golden Fleece ( es, Insigne Orden del Toisón de Oro, german: Orden vom Goldenen Vlies) is a Catholic order of chivalry founded in Bruges by Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy, in 1430, to celebrate his marriage ...

(1761) and the French

Order of the Holy Spirit The Order of the Holy Spirit (french: Ordre du Saint-Esprit; sometimes translated into English as the Order of the Holy Ghost), is a French order of chivalry founded by Henry III of France in 1578. Today, it is a dynastic order under the House of ...

(1768).

Marriage and children

Fuentes married in 1741 with María Luisa de Gonzaga y Caraciolo, II Duchess of Solferino. From this union eight children were born, including : *José María (1744-1774), Marqués de Mora, III Duke of Solferino, lover of Jeanne Julie Éléonore de Lespinasse and husband of María Ignacia (1745-1764), daughter of

Pedro Pablo Abarca de Bolea, 10th Count of Aranda Pedro Pablo Abarca de Bolea y Jiménez de Urrea, 10th Count of Aranda (1718 in Siétamo, Huesca – 1798 in Épila, Saragossa), was a Spanish statesman and diplomat. Early life He began ecclesiastical studies in the seminary of Bologna but ...

; *Francisca (1747-1768), wife of

Luis Fernández de Córdoba y Spínola Luis Antonio Fernández de Córdoba y Spínola (Madrid, 20 September 1704 - Madrid, 14 January 1768), XI Duke of Medinaceli, X Duke of Feria, IX Duke of Alcalá de los Gazules, XI Duke of Segorbe, XII Duke of Cardona and X Count of Santa Gadea, was ...

, XI

Duke of Medinaceli Duke of Medinaceli () is an hereditary title in the peerage of Spain, accompanied by the dignity of Grandee. The Catholic Monarchs, Ferdinand II of Aragon and Isabella I of Castile, created the title and awarded it on 31 October 1479 to ...

; *Luis Antonio (1749-1801), XVII Count of Fuentes, IV Duke of Solferino; *María Manuela (1753-1816), wife of

Juan Pablo de Aragón-Azlor, 11th Duke of Villahermosa Juan Pablo de Aragón-Azlor y Zapata de Calatayud, 11th Duke of Villahermosa, 6th Duke of Palata, GE (24 January 1730 – 17 September 1790), was a Spanish peer and diplomat. He was a knight of the Order of the Golden Fleece and of the Order ...

; *Juan Domingo (1757-1819), VI Duke of Solferino. After the death of his first wife, he remarried in 1775 with Mariana de Silva-Bazán y Sarmiento, widow of

Francisco de Silva, 10th Duke of Huéscar Francisco is the Spanish and Portuguese form of the masculine given name ''Franciscus''. Nicknames In Spanish, people with the name Francisco are sometimes nicknamed "Paco". San Francisco de Asís was known as ''Pater Comunitatis'' (father of ...

and mother of María Cayetana de Silva. The Duchess Mariana originally was going to marry the eldest son of Fuentes, José María III Duke of Solferino, but he died before the marriage could be concluded. Fuentes died one year after this second marriage.Geni
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References

1724 births 1776 deaths {{DEFAULTSORT:Pignatelli de Aragón y Moncayo, Joaquín Atanasio House of Pignatelli Knights of the Golden Fleece of Spain Order of the Holy Spirit Nobility of Italy Spanish nobility Ambassadors of Spain to the Kingdom of England Ambassadors of Spain to France