Duque de Cardona

The title of Duque de Cardona, (Duke of Cardona), was given in the 15 Century to people coming from an old powerful Spanish - Catalan family, usually named Folch de Cardona, viscounts to be tracked as early as the XI Century, Counts under King Pedro IV of Aragón since 4 December 1357, named by then by some genealogists as 15 or 20 Viscounts of Cardona and promoted to Dukes in 1482 by King Fernando II of Aragón "El Católico" under the 5 Count of Cardona:

1.Juan Ramón Folch IV de Cardona y Urgel, (1446 - 1st Duke of Cardona in 1482 - 1513).

1st and 2nd Dukes of Cardona and the 3rd Duchesse with family name "Cardona", (1482 - 1563)

He was at the time Lugarteniente General de Aragón , becoming also 1st Marqués de Pallars in 1491. He married by contract in 1467 within King Fernando's mother family, the so called Admirals of Castile, namely with doña Aldonza Enríquez y Quiñones, daughter of don Fadrique Enríquez y Mendoza, Conde de Melgar and Rueda & his second wife doña Teresa Díaz de Quiñones ( [1450] - ) , Señora de Elche and Crevillente. Juan Ramón Folch IV & his wife had 8 male and 4 female children the male inheritor of the title being :

2.Fernando Folch de Cardona y Enriquez ( circa 1470 - 2 Duke 1513 - Barcelona, 13 November 1543). He succeeded his father, aged around 43, in 1513, as 2 Duque de Cardona, and 2nd Marqués de Pallars, who married in Epila, province of Zaragoza, on 19 February 1498 doña Francisca Manrique de Lara y Castro, (deceased in Arbeca, province of Lerida, 28 November 1529), daughter of don Pedro Manrique de Lara, 1st Duque de Nájera & his wife doña Guiomar de Castro y Acuña.

Unfortunately for those times there was no male issue from his first marriage, (4 daughters), neither from his second one, (3 daughters), , but two daughters, the youngest being called Aldonza, (1504 - Lerin, Navarre, 9 Jan 1565 ) ), the eldest one inheriting the titles being:.

3.Juana Folch de Cardona y Manrique de Lara, (circa 1500 - 3rd Duchess of Cardena after 1543 - Segorbe, 16 February 1564), 3rd Duchess by inheritance of the title in 1543 . She married on 30 October 1516, Alfonso de Aragon y Portugal - Noronha, (Segorbe, province of Valencia, 1489 - 2 Duke of Segorbe circa 1522 - Puig, shortly before 16 Oct 1562), who became in 1522, by the death of his father, described widely as the "Infante Enrique Fortuna", (circa 1445 - circa 1522).

He was also through his mother side, 32 Conde de Ampurias, a very important title from the old Kingdom of Aragon and Catalunya, being later Captain-General of Valencia .

The 4 Duke and his sister, the 5 Duchess of Cardona, under the family name "de Aragon y Folch de Cardona" (years 1564 to 1608)

4. Francisco de Aragón Folch de Cardona, 4th only surviving male, 3 Duque de Segorbe, 4 Duque de Cardona, (1539 - 4 Duke 1564 - 1575), married Angélica de Cardenas y Velasco, (deceased 1576), the daughter of Bernardino de Cárdenas y Pacheco, 2 duque de Maqueda, 1 marqués de Elche, " alcaide" de la Mota, Chinchilla Sax and the "Alcázares" of Almería, Viceroy of Navarra, Viceroy of Valencia, + 1560, and of Isabel de Velasco y Tovar, daughter of Iñigo Fernández de Velasco, 2 duque de Frías, Condestable de Castilla, and María de Tovar, señora de Berlanga, Duchess of Toro .There was no succession from this marriage

Don Francisco got however 9 sisters, some of them, dying young, or being single, within the Church or married with important people:

His sister Maria Guiomar de Aragón y Folch de Cardona, (circa 1540 - Mora, province of Toledo, 27 January 1557) was the first wife of the 4th Duque de Alba, Grandee of Spain, known frequently as Fadrique Alvarez de Toledoy Enriquez de Guzman, (21 November 1537 - Alba de Tormes, 3 September 1585), 1 duque de Huéscar, 4 duque de Alba de Tormes, 4 Marqués de Coria, and other titles, the son of the then widely famous in Europe, Fernando Alvarez de Toledo, "El Gran Duque de Alba", (Ávila 29 October 1507, + Lisboa, Portugal 11 December 1582).

Another sister, Ana de Aragón y Folch de Cardona, married 1564, deceased in 1567 in Rivarolo, Italy, was the second wife of Italian - Spanish Venetian Nobility man known as Principe Vespasiano I Gonzaga, (Fondi, Italia, 6 December 1531 + Sabbioneta, Italy, 26 February 1591) fighting with the Spanish Imperial Army and acting as Governor of Monferrato, Viceroy of Navarra, Viceroy of Valencia, Ambassador in Praha (Bohemia), Knight of the Order of the Golden Fleece.

Finally, for example, Isabel married the 3 Conde de Aranda, Juan Jimenez de Urrea, while Magdalena married Diego Hurtado de Mendoza y de la Cerda , 1 Principe di Mélito, 1 Duque de Francavilla in Naples, [deceased 18 March 1578).

5.Juana de Aragón Folch de Cardona y de Cardenas, (circa 1530 - 1608) was the eldest sister of these influential and powerful "Aragon y Folch de Cardona" women, being thus since 1575 on the death of her only remaining male brother, Francisco, 4 Duquesa de Segorbe, 5 Duquesa de Cardona.

She married, circa 1555, the man known as Diego Fernandez de Cordoba y de Zúñiga, "el Africano", 3 Marqués de Comares, (Oran, now in Algeria, 1524 - Arbeca, near Barcelona, 27 September 1601).

The first male son, born in 1558 was frequently known in documents as Luis Fernández de Córdoba y Cardona - Aragón, although to honour his mother family states without male inheritors from his uncle Francisco (deceased 1575), CHOSE TO BE KNOWN also as Ramón Folch de Cardona de Aragón y de Córdoba, (Córdoba, baptised on 24 August 1558, - Madrid, 1 September 1596).

Notice that because his mother, the 5 Duchess by her own right died in 1608, he died in 1596 without the formal legal rights to use his mother impressive titles.

The dual use of the father name "Fernandez de Cordoba" and/or the changed ancestral one "Folch de Cardona de Aragón" by the 6, 7, and 8 Duchess of Cardona, (years 1608 to 1697).

Therefore, the 6 Duke of Cardona, will be the 2nd male grandson of the 5 Duchess Juana de Aragón y Folch de Cardnna, namely, the person frequently known in documents as:

6.Enrique de Córdoba Cardona y Aragón, or described also for some of his Catalan and Valencian states as Ramón Folch de Cardona de Aragón y de Córdoba, (Lucena, province of Cordoba, 12 August 1588 - Perpignan, now in France, December 1640, aged 52] , Grandee of Spain, 5 duque de Segorbe, 6 duque de Cardona, 4 marqués de Comares, 6 marqués de Pallares, 36 conde de Ampurias, 11 conde de Prades, Viscount de Villamur, Barón de Entenza and other titles, such as Condestable de Aragón.

Without male succession from a first marriage, he married again in Lucena, on 12 December 1606, Catalina Fernández de Córdoba y Enriquez de Ribera, who had become an orphan a few months earlier, (1590 - Zaragoza, 11 August 1646) , daughter of Pedro Fernández de Córdoba y Figueroa, (deceased 24 August 1606), 1 marqués de Montalbán, 4 marqués de Priego, and other titles, and of Juana Enríquez de Ribera y Cortés, descendant of Conqueror of México Hernan Cortés, daughter of Fernando Enríquez de Ribera, 2 duque de Alcalá de los Gazules, and of Juana Cortés y Ramírez de Arellano, daughter of the 1 marqués del Valle de Oaxaca.

The eldest surviving male son of this couple was, the person described either as Luis Domingo Jacinto Francisco de Paula Fernández de Cordoba and/or also, using their female ancestors "recovered" names:

7.Luis Ramón Folch de Cardona de Aragón y Fernandez de Córdova, 6 Duque de Segorbe, 7 Duque de Cardona"', and many other titles, (1608-1670).

This so called Luis Jacinto Domingo or Luis Ramón, 6 Duque de Segorbe**, 7 Duque de Cardona, married twice, being thus Consort Duque de Lerma and Marqués de Denia, having a male inheritor from his second marriage from no such a wealthy wife as was his first wife, powerful Isabel de Sandoval y Rojas.

8.Joaquin Agustin, supposed to be , between other titles, 8 Duke of Cardona.

However, on dying young, the titles were inherited by a half-sister, daughter also from Luis Domingo Jacinto, or Luis but coming from the first marriage, namely, the lady described in documents as :

9.Catalina Antónia de Aragon y Sandoval, 8 Duquesa de Segorbe, 9 Duchess of Cardona, (1635-1697).

This Catalina Antonia, who was in time the 9 Duchesse of Cardona married in Lucena on the 1 May 1653 the 8 Duke of Medinaceli, , (see below), providing thus thekey of such titles, and those associated to them, falling into the Great Ducal House of Medinaceli.

From then onwards, second part of the XVII Century, the Ducado de Cardona and related titles would be attached to the Ducado de Segorbe and connected titles being both sets of titles connected to the Ducado de Medinaceli.

The 10 Duke of Cardona, Luis Francisco de la Cerda y Aragón, (1654 - 1711), and the reasons of using the new family name "de la Cerda y Aragón"

Married Catalina Antonia in May 1653 at her Andalusian town of Lucena, with the above mentioned 8 Duque de Medinaceli, Juan Francisco Tomás de la Cerda , (Medinaceli, province of Soria, 4 November 1637 - 20 November 1691) the sought male inheritor came 1 year later, in 1654, and it was known as :

10.Luis Francisco de La Cerda y Aragon, was the 9 Duque de Segorbe, 10 Duque de Cardona, 9 Duque de Medinaceli, and many other titles (1654 - Duke of Medinaceli in 1691 - in prison in the fortress of Pamplona, 1711, aged 57).

He had married María de las Nieves Tellez-Giron, daughter of Gaspar Tellez-Girón y Sandoval, 5 Duque de Osuna, (1625 - 1694).

Luis Francisco, was during the times of the las Habsburg King of Spain, Carlos II of Spain a member of the Council of State, and War, Ambassador in Rome, Viceroy and Captain General of Naples as well as First Minister with the new Bourbon King Felipe V of Spainbut was apparently hostil to the "French Manners of Politics" of this first King of the new dynasty. He finished detained in the Alcázar de Segovia and held in orison in the fortress oPamplona, where he died in 1711.

Let us explain, very briefly, the complicated history of this Consort Duke marrying females of the Ducal House of Cardona and their offspring , Luis Francisco, named thus one "De la Cerda" who finished, for all his titles and properties dying in a navarrese prison:

A bastard branch of "De Foix", mercenaries in Spain, were made Counts of Medinaceli in 1368 by the new bastard King Enrique II of Castile, becoming also the 3 husband of a Spanish female, twice a widow, from the powerful family "De la Cerda", of royal descent since 1275.

These male "De Foix" used the name "De la Cerda" on the 3 generation, the 5 Count becoming 1st Duke of Medinaceli in October 1479 and in due course, the 8 Duke, Francisco Tomás, became by his marriage in 1653 to a female "Cardona", also 8 Consort Duke of Segorbe and 9 Consort Duke of Cardona as stated above.

The offspring, Luis Francisco, became, in due time a visitor ánd resident of the prisons of new Spanish royalty named "Borbon" and it seems there was no "appropriate" succession to the titles thereto.

The new family name "Fernandez de Cordoba", (1711 - 1998), for the holders of the Duchees of Segorbe, Lerma, Feria, Alcalá de los Gazules, Cardona, Medinaceli, and many other lesser titles

The unfortunate Royal Prisonier Don Luis Francisco, had one sister, named , as him, Feliche de la Cerda y Aragón, who was married to Luis Francisco Mauricio Fernández de Cordoba , 7 Marqués de Priego, 7 Duque de Feria, with many lesser titles, Knight of the Order of the Golden Fleece and were parents to the then successor to the Marquisate of Priego and to the title of Duque de Feria, Manuel Fernández de Córdoba y de la Cerda, also a Knigh of the Order of the Golden Fleece who died single in 1700.

Then the cadet brother, Nicolás María, named:

11.Nicolás María Fernández de Códoba y de la Cerda, (1682 - 9 Marquis of Priego, 9 Duke of Feria in 1700 - 9 Duke of Medinaceli, 11 Duke of Cardona, 8 Duke of Segorbe, Duke of Lerma and many other lesser titles in 1711 - 1739, aged 51), would inherit his mother's side uncle titles in 1711 . He was married to his cousin:

Gerónima Spinola y de La Cerda, a daughter of Felipe Antonio Spinola, Marqués de los Balbases.

This title of Marqués de los Balbases had been given by King Felipe IV of Spain on 17 February 1621 to the Italian - Spanish General Ambrosio de Spinola y Grimaldi, ( - deceased Castelnuovo de Scrivia, Italy, 1630), conqueror in 1604 of Ostend, (now in Belgium), and in 1625 of Breda, depicted by painter Diego de Silva Velazquez, fighter against the Protestant troops of Nassau in Holland and in the actual Germany, (siege of Jülich), Governor of the Duchy of Milano, (Italy), in 1629 .

They were related to the powerful Spanish military family of the "Enríquez de Almansa", also fighters in the 30 years war in French, German, Italian and flemish lands during the 17 Century.

12.The 12 duque de Cardona was then, since 1739, Luis Antonio Fernández de Córdova y Spínola, 11 Duque de Medinaceli, (24 September 1704 - Inheritor to several Dukedoms 1739 - 1768).

He married in Madrid, aged 18, on 19 November 1722, Teresa de Moncada y Benavides, who inherited her father, Guillermo Ramón, Marqués de Aytonaand Duque de Camiña while her mother came from the family of the Duque de Santisteban del Puerto, with lands located near the actual lands of Parque Nacional de Cazorla, Segura y las Villas, province of Jaén.

The next male to inherit the titles and numerous lands was known as:

Pedro de Alcántara Fernández de Córdoba y de Moncada, also known frequently as:

13. Pedro Fernández de Córdova y Moncada, 13 Duque de Cardona, (1730 -Duke of Cardona and others since 1768 - 1789), was the eldest brother of Juan de Mata, (an army officer), Ventura, (a priest and religious nan in Rute, province of Córdoba and a Canon in the Catedral of Toledo), and their sisters, Maria Felice, (who became Condesa de Oñate), and Teresa, who became the wife of the Duque de Fernandina.

This 13 Duke of Cardona, Pedro de Alcántara, with many other titles, married with Francisca Javiera de Gonzaga, a daughter of the (Italian?) Duque de Solferino, (but she died in 1759), leaving Duke Pedro de Alcántara, with 3 children, Luis, or, also, Luis María de la Soledad, (the eldest), Domingo, and María Petronila.

14.Luis María de la Soledad Fernández de Córdoba y Gonzaga, (1746 - married before 1780 - Inherited titles in 1789 - 1806), married before 1780, Joaquina de Benavides y Pacheco, 3 Duquesa de Santísteban del Puerto, daughter of the 6 Duque de Uceda, Francisco Javier Juan Pacheco Téllez-Girón.

They got in 1780 :

15.Luis Joaquín Fernandez de Córdoba y Ponce de León, (1780 - Inheritor in 1806 - 1840), 14 Duque de Medinaceli, and many other titles., who married María de la Concepción Ponce de Leon y Carvajal, a daughter of Duke Antonio Maria Ponce de Leon y Dávila - Carrillo de Albornoz, 4 Duque de Montemar. Their eldest sdurviving male son was born in 1813:

16.Luis Antonio Tomás Fernández de Córdoba y Ponce de León (1813–Inheritor of the titles in 1840 - 1873) who was between many other things, 15 Duque de Medinaceli, 16 Duque de Feria, 13 Duque de Alcalá de los Gazules, 15 Duque de Segorbe, 16 Duque de Cardona, 13 Duque de Lerma, 12 Duque de Camiña marrying Angela Perez de Barradas y Bernuy, 1 Duquesa de Denia y de Tarifa, daughter of Fernando Pérez de Barradas, 8 Marqués de Peñaflor.

The inheritor of the titles will die quite young, only aged 28 , and was named:

17. Luis Fernández de Córdoba y Pérez de Barrados (1851–inherit the titles in 1873, aged 22 - 1879, aged 28), and although he managed to marry twice, first with Maria Luisa Fitz-James y Portocarrero, from the [Ducal House of Alba de Tormes) and the second with Casilda de Salabert y de Arteaga, (Madrid 1 October 1858 - 19 December 1936), 11 Duquesa de Ciudad Real, managed to get a inheritor just in the year of his death, 1879.

18. Luis Jesús Fernández de Cordoba y Salabert , (January 1879 - 1956). In 1917 was born the 19 Duchesse of Cardona and many other titles, called

19. Victoria Eugenia Fernández de Córdoba y Fernández de Henestrosa, (1917 - 1998), her mother being the daughter of a Don Ignacio, Conde de Moriana del Río. Socially discreet, she was married in 1936 and got children from a well known epigone of Spanish politics in the thirties and the forties of the XX Century.

20.It appears however that Duke Luis Jesús (18) married also in a second marriage María de la Concepción Rey y de Pablo Blanco and got a girl in 1941, named Casilda, deceased 1998, who appears as 19 Duchess of Cardona in some genealogies and who married twice, first with Alfonso Castillejo y de Ussia, Marqués de Aldama, and second, with Antonio Guerrero-Burgos. "'It seems therefore, that the 20 hereditary Duchess of Cardona, is supposed to be:

20. Casilda Ghisla Guerrero-Burgos y Fernández de Córdoba, 20 Duquesa de Cardona (born 1982), daughter from the second marriage of the above named Casilda Fernández de Códoba y Rey, 19th Duchess of Cardona, as stated in 20 above.

With so many accumulated ducal titles integrated within the Ducal House of Medinaceli it will not be surprising that legalized protocols have been forwarded, partioning those titles between the succesors, but we are unable for the moment to understand what has been going on during the second half of the XX Century.