Fernando de Silva y Álvarez de Toledo, 12th Duke of Alba (27 October 1714 – 15 November 1776), was a Spanish politician and general who was

Prime Minister of Spain The prime minister of Spain, officially president of the Government (), is the head of government of Spain. The prime minister nominates the Spanish government departments, ministers and chairs the Council of Ministers (Spain), Council of Mini ...

in 1754.in full,

Biography

Better known as the ''Duke of Huéscar'', Fernando de Silva was a man of the Enlightenment and friend of

Jean-Jacques Rousseau Jean-Jacques Rousseau (, ; ; 28 June 1712 – 2 July 1778) was a Republic of Geneva, Genevan philosopher (''philosophes, philosophe''), writer, and composer. His political philosophy influenced the progress of the Age of Enlightenment through ...

. He was Spanish ambassador to France between 1746 and 1749. On 8 November 1753 he was appointed Mayordomo mayor and chief of the Royal Household and, on 9 April 1754 he was made director of the

Real Academia Española The Royal Spanish Academy (, ; ) is Spain's official royal institution with a mission to ensure the stability of the Spanish language. It is based in Madrid, Spain, and is affiliated with national language academies in 22 other Hispanopho ...

, a function he held until his death in 1776. He was also Chief Minister of Spain between 9 April and 15 May 1754. As Duke of Alba, he was succeeded by his granddaughter María del Pilar de Silva, 13th Duchess of Alba, who was a friend of

Francisco de Goya Francisco José de Goya y Lucientes (; ; 30 March 1746 – 16 April 1828) was a Spanish romantic painter and printmaker. He is considered the most important Spanish artist of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. His paintings, drawings, a ...

, who visited their villa on several occasions and painted there in 1786 ''El verano'' and ''La vendimia''.

Descendants

He had married Ana María Alvarez de Toledo y de Portugal, (1710–1738), daughter of the 9th Count of Oropesa. They had one son, who pre-deceased his father: * Francisco de Paula de Silva Mendoza y Toledo, 10th Duke of Huéscar, (1733–1770) who had one daughter. ** María del Pilar de Silva, 13th Duchess of Alba (1762–1802).

Ancestry

Notes

Sources

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Silva, Fernando 12 1714 births 1776 deaths Fernando 12 Dukes of Huéscar Knights of the Golden Fleece of Spain Knights of Calatrava Fernando 12 Fernando 12 Members of the Royal Spanish Academy Spanish generals Government ministers of Spain Grandees of Spain Marquesses of Carpio 18th-century Spanish nobility Ambassadors of Spain to France