Antonio Fernández de Córdoba y Cardona, 5th Duke of Sessa (2 December 1550 –

Valladolid Valladolid ( ; ) is a Municipalities of Spain, municipality in Spain and the primary seat of government and ''de facto'' capital of the Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Castile and León. It is also the capital of the pr ...

, 6 January 1606), was a Spanish nobleman. He held numerous titles including the 5th

Duke of Sessa Duke of Sessa is a Spanish noble title awarded to Gonzalo Fernández de Córdoba by Ferdinand II in 1507. It was the fifth ducal title bestowed on Gonzalo, after the ducal titles of Santángelo (1497), Terranova (1502), Andría (1507) and M ...

, 4th

Duke of Soma Duke of Soma () is a hereditary title in the Peerage of Spain, accompanied by the dignity of Grandee and granted in 1502 by Ferdinand II to Ramón Folch de Cardona, 11th Baron of Bellpuig and 1st Count of Oliveto, for his services as viceroy ...

, 3rd

Duke of Baena Duke of Baena () is a hereditary title in the Peerage of Spain, accompanied by the dignity of Grandee and granted in 1566 by Philip II to Gonzalo Fernández de Córdoba II, who was the 7th Lord of Baena, 5th Count of Cabra and 3rd Duke of Ses ...

, and 7th

Count of Cabra Count of Cabra is a Spanish noble title created by King Henry IV of Castile on 2 November 1455 for Diego Fernandez de Cordova and Montemayor, 1st Viscount of Iznájar. The titleholder is a Grandee of Spain, the third oldest such title in Spain. ...

. He served as the

Spanish ambassador to the Holy See The Ambassador of Spain to the Holy See is the Kingdom of Spain's foremost Diplomat, diplomatic representative in the Holy See. History The ambassador is appointed to the Council of Ministers (Spain), Council of Ministers, they direct the work o ...

between 1590 and 1604 under Philip II and Philip III.

Early life and family

Antonio Fernández de Córdoba y Cardona was born in

Bellpuig Bellpuig () is a town in the ''comarca'' (county) of Urgell in Catalonia, Spain. Nowadays Bellpuig is the third-most-important town in the area of Urgell. The town, located between the three little hills appearing on the flag, is served by Bellp ...

Catalonia Catalonia is an autonomous community of Spain, designated as a ''nationalities and regions of Spain, nationality'' by its Statute of Autonomy of Catalonia of 2006, Statute of Autonomy. Most of its territory (except the Val d'Aran) is situate ...

, the second son of Beatriz Fernández de Córdoba, 4th Duchess of Sessa, and Fernando Folch de Cardona, 2nd

. Through his mother, he was a nephew of

Gonzalo Fernández de Córdoba Gonzalo Fernández de Córdoba (1 September 1453 – 2 December 1515) was a Spanish general and statesman. He led military campaigns during the Conquest of Granada and the Italian Wars, after which he served as Viceroy of Naples. For his e ...

, 3rd Duke of Sessa and

Governor of Milan The governor of Milan was a political and military office of the Duchy of Milan, the title of the representatives of the foreign sovereigns who held dominion over the Milanese area, substantially from the 16th century until the Unification of It ...

. Although Beatriz would normally have borne the surname Fernández de Córdoba, she preferred to be known as Beatriz de Figueroa in honour of her maternal grandmother, whose surnames were

Manrique de Lara The House of Lara (Spanish: ''Casa de Lara'') is a noble family from the medieval Kingdom of Castile. Two of its branches, one of the Dukes of Nájera and one of the Marquises of Aguilar de Campoo were considered Grandees of Spain. The Lara famil ...

and Figueroa. This practice of using a surname belonging to an ancestor, rather than the paternally inherited surname, was not unusual among the

Spanish nobility The Spanish nobility are people who possess a title of nobility confirmed by the Spanish Ministry of the Presidency, Justice and Relations with the Cortes, as well as those individuals appointed to one of Spain's three highest orders of knightho ...

of the time. Antonio's name was also affected by this practice. Ordinarily he would have been a Folch de Cardona, inheriting his father's surname, but his parents instead decided to give him the Fernández de Córdoba name, in memory of his famous ancestor,

. His maternal lineage also connected him to Francisca Fernández de Córdoba y de la Cerda, widowed Marchioness of

Gibraleón Gibraleón is a town and municipality located in the province of Huelva, Spain. According to the 2005 census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population info ...

, from whom Antonio inherited several noble titles. Raised in the family palace in Bellpuig, he studied at the

University of Lleida The University of Lleida (officially in Catalan: ''Universitat de Lleida'') is a university based in Lleida, Catalonia, Spain. It was the first university founded in Catalonia and in the ancient Crown of Aragon. It was founded in 1300, using the ...

. In the court of Madrid, he served as page to Infanta Juana of Portugal, sister of Philip II. He later accompanied his uncle Gonzalo to

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

and took part in the Tunis campaign.

Titles and inheritance

Beatriz died a nun in Barcelona in 1553, and Fernando died at Naples on 13 September 1571. Antonio's only brother Luis died in March 1574. Antonio inherited the Duchy of Soma after from his brother in 1574, and received the Duchy of Sessa through his mother. Upon the death of his aunt Francisca in 1597, he also inherited the Duchy of Baena, the County of Cabra, and the Viscountcy of Iznájar, consolidating a vast network of noble titles in Spain and Italy. His full array of titles included the dukedoms of Sessa, Soma,

Andria Andria (; Barese: ) is a city and ''comune'' (municipality) in the Apulia region of Southern Italy. It is an agricultural and service center, producing wine, olives and almonds. It is the fourth-largest municipality in the Apulia region (behind ...

, and Santángelo; the counties of Cabra, Palamós, Oliveto, Avellino, and Trivento; the viscountcy of Iznájar; and baronies in Bellpuig, Liñola, and Calonge.

Diplomatic career

In 1590, Philip II appointed Antonio ambassador to the

Holy See The Holy See (, ; ), also called the See of Rome, the Petrine See or the Apostolic See, is the central governing body of the Catholic Church and Vatican City. It encompasses the office of the pope as the Bishops in the Catholic Church, bishop ...

. He arrived in Rome on 21 July 1590, during a period of strained relations between Spain and the Papacy, succeeding Juan Vich y Manrique de Lara as ambassador. Fernández de Córdoba distinguished himself with a diplomatic style characterised by prudence and moderation, earning the nickname "Duke of Good Sense" (). Contemporary chronicler Luis Cabrera de Córdoba remarked that his "prudence and gentle manner calmed the spirit of

Pope Sixtus V Pope Sixtus V (; 13 December 1521 – 27 August 1590), born Felice Piergentile, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 24 April 1585 to his death, in August 1590. As a youth, he joined the Franciscan order, where h ...

." As ambassador, he played a central role in supporting pro-Spanish candidates during a series of papal conclaves. Between 1590 and 1592, he was involved in the elections of Popes

Urban VII Pope Urban VII (; ; 4 August 1521 – 27 September 1590), born Giovanni Battista Castagna, was head of the Catholic Church, and ruler of the Papal States from 15 to 27 September 1590. His papacy was the shortest recognized in history. Castagn ...

, Gregory XIV, Innocent IX, and

Clement VIII Pope Clement VIII (; ; 24 February 1536 – 3 March 1605), born Ippolito Aldobrandini, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 30 January 1592 to his death in March 1605. Born in Fano, Papal States to a prominen ...

. His intervention in papal politics drew criticism from some Roman theologians and led to a controversy in 1593 over the legitimacy of secular influence in conclaves. Fernández de Córdoba defended the rights of the Spanish crown to promote suitable papal candidates while upholding the independence of the electors. During the

French Wars of Religion The French Wars of Religion were a series of civil wars between French Catholic Church, Catholics and Protestantism, Protestants (called Huguenots) from 1562 to 1598. Between two and four million people died from violence, famine or disease di ...

, he advocated for a stronger Papal stance against Henry of Navarre, later

Henry IV of France Henry IV (; 13 December 1553 – 14 May 1610), also known by the epithets Good King Henry (''le Bon Roi Henri'') or Henry the Great (''Henri le Grand''), was King of Navarre (as Henry III) from 1572 and King of France from 1589 to 16 ...

. Tensions between the Spanish embassy and the Vatican continued until Henry's conversion and the conclusion of the

Peace of Vervins The Peace of Vervins or Treaty of Vervins was signed between the representatives of Henry IV of France and Philip II of Spain under the auspices of the papal legates of Clement VIII, on 2 May 1598 at the small town of Vervins in Picardy, northe ...

in 1598. He remained in Rome after the death of Philip II, organising his funeral in the city. Under Philip III, he retained his post and accompanied Pope Clement VIII to

Ferrara Ferrara (; ; ) is a city and ''comune'' (municipality) in Emilia-Romagna, Northern Italy, capital of the province of Ferrara. it had 132,009 inhabitants. It is situated northeast of Bologna, on the Po di Volano, a branch channel of the main ...

in 1598, where he represented Infanta Isabella Clara Eugenia during her proxy marriage to Archduke Albert. He also attended the canonisation of Saint Raymond of Peñafort in 1601.

Return to Spain and final years

In 1603, Fernández de Córdoba returned to Spain, leaving the Roman embassy after serving under five popes. He was offered several positions by Philip III, choosing to become High Steward to Queen Margaret of Austria and a member of the

Council of State A council of state is a governmental body in a country, or a subdivision of a country, with a function that varies by jurisdiction. It may be the formal name for the cabinet or it may refer to a non-executive advisory body associated with a head ...

. He was succeeded in Rome by the Marquess of Villena. Following diplomatic tensions between Villena and Pope Clement VIII, the Vatican requested Fernández de Córdoba’s return as ambassador. However, the deaths of Clement VIII and his successor Pope

Leo XI Pope Leo XI (; 2 June 153527 April 1605), born Alessandro di Ottaviano de' Medici, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 1 April 1605 to his death, on 27 April 1605. His pontificate is one of the briefest in history, ...

in 1605–1606 rendered the request moot. Antonio Fernández de Córdoba died in

in 1606, leaving debts totalling 80,000 ducats. He was initially buried in the Discalced Carmelite monastery in Valladolid and later reinterred in the Dominican convent in Baena.

Marriage and children

Fernandez de Córdoba married his second cousin Juana de Córdoba Cardona y Aragón (1557-1615) in

Torà Torà (; ) is a town and municipality in the North East of the ''comarca'' (county) of Solsonès, in the province of Lleida, Catalonia, Spain. The urban structure of the center has retained most of its original design, with narrow, twisting stre ...

Catalunya Catalonia is an autonomous community of Spain, designated as a ''nationalities and regions of Spain, nationality'' by its Statute of Autonomy of Catalonia of 2006, Statute of Autonomy. Most of its territory (except the Val d'Aran) is situate ...

, on 19 June 1578. She was the eldest daughter of Diego Fernández de Córdoba, 3rd marquis of Comares, Governor General of Oran and Mazalquivir. Her mother was Juana II Folch de Cardona, daughter of

Alfonso de Aragón y Portugal Alfonso de Aragón y Portugal, or Alfonso I de Ampurias (Segorbe, 1489–1563), was Count of Ampurias and Duke of Segorbe. Biography He was a son of Enrique de Aragón y Pimentel and Guiomar de Portugal, and succeeded his father as Count of Am ...

, 5th Duchess of Cardona, 4th Duchess of Segorbe, countess of Ampurias, countess of Prades, marchioness of

Pallars Pallars is a historical region, historical and natural region of Catalonia. Located in the Pre-Pyrenees and Pyrenees area, most of its territory is mountainous. The Noguera Pallaresa river is named after this region. Geography The physiography o ...

. The marriage of Antonio and Juana produced 8 children : * Juana Fernández de Córdoba (1580-1609), married

Íñigo Fernández de Velasco, 9th Count of Haro Inigo is a masculine given name deriving from the Castilian rendering (Íñigo) of the medieval Basque name Eneko. Ultimately, the name means "my little (man)". While mostly seen among the Iberian diaspora, it also gained a limited popularity ...

* Luis Fernández de Córdoba, (1582–1642), 6th Duke of Sessa, 4th Duke of Baena and many other titles, patron of the famous theatrical writer, Felix Lope de Vega. Had issue. * Francisco Fernández de Córdoba (1583-), married his brother's daughter. * Fernando Lorenzo Buenaventura Fernández de Córdoba (1584-), a priest. *

Gonzalo Fernández de Córdoba (1585–1635) Gonzalo Fernández de Córdoba y Cardona-Anglesola (31 December 1585 – 16 February 1635) was one of the main Spanish military leaders during the Eighty Years' War, Thirty Years' War, and the War of the Mantuan Succession. Biography His full n ...

Governor of the Duchy of Milan The governor of Milan was a political and military office of the Duchy of Milan, the title of the representatives of the foreign sovereigns who held dominion over the Milanese area, substantially from the 16th century until the Unification of It ...

(1625–1629), 1st Prince of Maratea,

Sicily Sicily (Italian language, Italian and ), officially the Sicilian Region (), is an island in the central Mediterranean Sea, south of the Italian Peninsula in continental Europe and is one of the 20 regions of Italy, regions of Italy. With 4. ...

(1624),

Prince of the Holy Roman Empire Prince of the Holy Roman Empire (, , cf. ''Fürst'') was a title attributed to a hereditary ruler, nobleman or prelate recognised by the Holy Roman Emperor. Definition Originally, possessors of the princely title bore it as immediate vassal ...

(1625) by

Holy Roman Emperor The Holy Roman Emperor, originally and officially the Emperor of the Romans (disambiguation), Emperor of the Romans (; ) during the Middle Ages, and also known as the Roman-German Emperor since the early modern period (; ), was the ruler and h ...

Ferdinand II. He was single and had no issue. * Ramón Fernández de Córdoba (1587-1634), Comendador del Viso. * Lorenzo Fernández de Córdoba, a priest. * Francisca Fernández de Córdoba (died 1623), married

Gómez Suárez de Figueroa, 3rd Duke of Feria Gómez Suárez de Figueroa y Córdoba, 3rd Duke of Feria (1 September 1587 – 1634) was a Spanish nobleman, diplomat and army commander during the 17th century. He was the son of Lorenzo Suárez de Figueroa y Córdoba, who he succeeded in 160 ...

, no issue.Geneanet
/ref>

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cordoba Y Cardona Antonio, Fernandez De 1550 births 1606 deaths

105 105 may refer to: *105 (number), the number * AD 105, a year in the 2nd century AD * 105 BC, a year in the 2nd century BC * 105 (telephone number), the emergency telephone number in Mongolia * 105 (MBTA bus), a Massachusetts Bay Transport Authority ...

Ambassadors of Spain to the Holy See Dukes of Spain University of Lleida alumni