María Francisca de Silva-Mendoza-Sandoval y Gutiérrez de los Ríos (b. 1707
Granada - d. 1770) was a Spanish noblewoman of the
House of Mendoza
The Mendoza family was a powerful line of Spanish nobles. Members of the family wielded considerable power, especially from the 14th to the 17th centuries in Castile. The family originated from the village of Mendoza (Basque ''mendi+oza'', 'c ...
and the last Mendoza to hold title over the Dukedom of the Infantado. She was the 11th
Duchess of the Infantado and also held the associated titles of Duchess of
Lerma and of
Pastrana (IX Duquesa de Lerma y IX Marqués de Távara).
Family origins
As a member of the Mendoza family, Maria was next in line to receive the Dukedom of the Indantado and its associated titles. The dukedom had been in the hands of the Mendoza family since the very first duke,
Diego Hurtado de Mendoza y Figueroa. The Mendoza family rose to power when it merged with the
House of Lasso de la Vega
The House de la Vega, Laso de la Vega or Lasso de la Vega (sometimes even Garci Lasso de la Vega or Garcilaso de la Vega depending on the family member referenced) is a Spanish noble line from the Kingdom of Castile. The family origins lie in the ...
through the marriage of
Leonor Lasso de la Vega
Leonor Lasso de la Vega (b. before 1367 - d. 1432) was a Spanish noble woman from Cantabria and head of the prestigious House of Lasso de la Vega from 1367 - 1432.
Family origins
Leonor was the paternal great-granddaughter of Garci Lasso de ...
, the last direct member of that line, and
Admiral Diego Hurtado de Mendoza, the admiral of Castile. María was the last of the direct Mendoza family line to hold the title.
Her father was
Juan de Dios de Silva y Mendoza y Haro, the X Duke of the Infantado. Her mother was María Teresa de los Ríos.
Biography
Privately, Maria ran her house according to the old
Habsburg spirit but her tenure in office saw many changes in Spain with the rise of the
Age of Enlightenment
The Age of Enlightenment or the Enlightenment; german: Aufklärung, "Enlightenment"; it, L'Illuminismo, "Enlightenment"; pl, Oświecenie, "Enlightenment"; pt, Iluminismo, "Enlightenment"; es, La Ilustración, "Enlightenment" was an intel ...
in the 18th century. She was forced to face many counter claims and lawsuits to the hereditary family property of her Dukedom.
Marriage and descendants
On 10 January 1724, María Francisca de Silva Mendoza Gutiérrez de los Ríos married
Miguel de Toledo y Pimentel, the IX
Marqués de Távara. Toledo y Pimentel would die in 1734, but the couple gave birth to one child:
*
Pedro de Alcántara Álvarez de Toledo y Silva - Who would go on to become the XII Duke of the Infantado
See also
*
House of Mendoza
The Mendoza family was a powerful line of Spanish nobles. Members of the family wielded considerable power, especially from the 14th to the 17th centuries in Castile. The family originated from the village of Mendoza (Basque ''mendi+oza'', 'c ...
*
Duke of the Infantado
Duke of the Infantado ( es, Duque del Infantado) is a Spanish peerage title that was granted to Diego Hurtado de Mendoza y Figueroa, son of Íñigo López de Mendoza, 1st Marquis of Santillana, by the Catholic Monarchs, Ferdinand II of Aragon ...
References
* Most of the information on this page has been translated from its Spanish equivalent.
1707 births
1770 deaths
Spanish duchesses
Dukedoms of Spain
11
Maria Francisca
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