Alonso Pérez de Guzmán, Seventh duke of Medina Sidonia

The member of one of the oldest and most illustrious Spanish families, Alonso Pérez de Guzmán, Seventh Duke of Medina Sidonia was appointed the commander in chief of the Spanish Armada in 1588.

Alonso Pérez de Guzmán was born into a wealthy aristocratic family of Spain as the son of Don Juan Claros de Guzmán, count of Niebla, and Doña Leonor Manrique de Zúñiga y Sotomayor. Through his grandmother he was related to the King Ferdinand of Aragon.

After his father’s death in 1566, Alonso inherited the title of count of Niebla which was his largest estate with twenty townships. Following the deaths of his grandfather and grandmother two years later, he became the heir of titles and lands as seventh duke of Medina Sidonia, fifth marquis of Cazaza in Africa, twelfth lord of Sanlúcar de Barrameda, and tenth count of Niebla and owner of one of the greatest fortunes in Europe.

His estates stretched from the Portuguese frontier to the mountains behind Gibraltar. They covered half of the present provinces of Huelva and Cadiz which at that time were part of the Kingdom of Seville, and part of the province of Málaga, then in the Kingdom of Grenada. Around fifty-five hundred people lived under his jurisdiction as his vassals. The land he owned in combination with other incomes allegedly brought him 60,000 ducats only in 1572.

In 1588 the King Philip II appointed him the captain general of Andalusia, and upon the death of the marquis de Santa Cruz he accepted an offer and became the leader of the Spanish Armada, although he was inexperienced in naval affairs. Despite the fact that the Spain suffered great defeat, he remained in the king’s favor and continued to held high offices during his lifetime.

His descendants remained politically prominent and wealthy into the 21 century.