Cuban nobility
Encyclopedia
The 19th century Spanish Empire
saw much of its power weakened by its rival countries (Great Britain
and France), it also saw many of its colonies in America being influenced by the republican ideologies of the recently independent United States. In an effort to strengthen its holdings, the Spanish Crown decided to grant titles of nobility to much of the colonial aristocracy. This bestowing of royal grace made the recipients loyal to the Crown, and more assimilated to Spanish titled nobility. No other Spanish colony received as many grants of noble titles as Cuba
, jewel of the Spanish Empire.
The Cuban aristocracy had always attempted to create a second Paris or Madrid in its main cities of Havana
, Matanzas
and Santiago de Cuba
. Elegant, rich decorated manors, governmental buildings, opera house
s, play houses, palaces, etc. covered the streets of the capital. The Spanish Crown was not the only entity to award titles of nobility, the Catholic Church made use of its authority to also award titles in the island. Families, through marriage and inheritance, also bore European titles, such as those from France
, Italy
(including the former Kingdom of Naples
and the Two Sicilies) as well as Germany
.
The non-Royal titles issued in Cuba follow the Spanish designation and resembled those of continental Europe
. They were those of: Duke
(Duque), Marquis
(Marqués), Count
(Conde), Viscount
(Vizconde), Baron
(Barón), Lord
(Señor) - in that line of importance and social standing
. The title of Grandee of Spain was usually annexed to another noble title but may also be bestowed on a person without a traditional noble title, in the last case the person would have Grandee of Spain written after his name; all Grandees are addressed as Excellency
, the title being equal to that of a Duke and all Dukes are Grandees. Titles bestowed often had the name of a place in Cuba (e.g. Marqués de Pinar del Rio, Conde de Yumurí), the surname of the family (e.g. Marqués de Azpesteguia, Conde de Casa (house) Montalvo) or in remembrance of some Royal favor or deed (e.g. Marqués de la Gratitud, Marqués de la Real Proclamación), .
After the revolution of 1898, many of these nobles stayed in the island, or moved to other former Spanish colonies, such as Puerto Rico
; some returned to Spain. Although the new Republic of Cuba did not give itself the power to create and bestow new titles of nobility, it did not interfere with the already established tradition. Many families who possessed noble titles continued to use them, and the public respected their historical meaning and social position
. This all changed when Castro's revolution
took control of the island; soon the Communist government
moved against these nobles, forcing many to exile. The last title nobleman to live in Cuba, Don Ignasio Ponce de Leon y Ponce de Leon, Marques de Aguas Claras and Count de Ponce de Leon y Maroto died in La Habana in 1973.
Source: New York Times, 5 April 1903
Spanish Empire
The Spanish Empire comprised territories and colonies administered directly by Spain in Europe, in America, Africa, Asia and Oceania. It originated during the Age of Exploration and was therefore one of the first global empires. At the time of Habsburgs, Spain reached the peak of its world power....
saw much of its power weakened by its rival countries (Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
and France), it also saw many of its colonies in America being influenced by the republican ideologies of the recently independent United States. In an effort to strengthen its holdings, the Spanish Crown decided to grant titles of nobility to much of the colonial aristocracy. This bestowing of royal grace made the recipients loyal to the Crown, and more assimilated to Spanish titled nobility. No other Spanish colony received as many grants of noble titles as Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
, jewel of the Spanish Empire.
The Cuban aristocracy had always attempted to create a second Paris or Madrid in its main cities of Havana
Havana
Havana is the capital city, province, major port, and leading commercial centre of Cuba. The city proper has a population of 2.1 million inhabitants, and it spans a total of — making it the largest city in the Caribbean region, and the most populous...
, Matanzas
Matanzas
Matanzas is the capital of the Cuban province of Matanzas. It is famed for its poets, culture, and Afro-Cuban folklore.It is located on the northern shore of the island of Cuba, on the Bay of Matanzas , east of the capital Havana and west of the resort town of Varadero.Matanzas is called the...
and Santiago de Cuba
Santiago de Cuba
Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city of Cuba and capital city of Santiago de Cuba Province in the south-eastern area of the island, some south-east of the Cuban capital of Havana....
. Elegant, rich decorated manors, governmental buildings, opera house
Opera house
An opera house is a theatre building used for opera performances that consists of a stage, an orchestra pit, audience seating, and backstage facilities for costumes and set building...
s, play houses, palaces, etc. covered the streets of the capital. The Spanish Crown was not the only entity to award titles of nobility, the Catholic Church made use of its authority to also award titles in the island. Families, through marriage and inheritance, also bore European titles, such as those from France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
(including the former Kingdom of Naples
Kingdom of Naples
The Kingdom of Naples, comprising the southern part of the Italian peninsula, was the remainder of the old Kingdom of Sicily after secession of the island of Sicily as a result of the Sicilian Vespers rebellion of 1282. Known to contemporaries as the Kingdom of Sicily, it is dubbed Kingdom of...
and the Two Sicilies) as well as Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
.
The non-Royal titles issued in Cuba follow the Spanish designation and resembled those of continental Europe
Continental Europe
Continental Europe, also referred to as mainland Europe or simply the Continent, is the continent of Europe, explicitly excluding European islands....
. They were those of: Duke
Duke
A duke or duchess is a member of the nobility, historically of highest rank below the monarch, and historically controlling a duchy...
(Duque), Marquis
Marquis
Marquis is a French and Scottish title of nobility. The English equivalent is Marquess, while in German, it is Markgraf.It may also refer to:Persons:...
(Marqués), Count
Count
A count or countess is an aristocratic nobleman in European countries. The word count came into English from the French comte, itself from Latin comes—in its accusative comitem—meaning "companion", and later "companion of the emperor, delegate of the emperor". The adjective form of the word is...
(Conde), Viscount
Viscount
A viscount or viscountess is a member of the European nobility whose comital title ranks usually, as in the British peerage, above a baron, below an earl or a count .-Etymology:...
(Vizconde), Baron
Baron
Baron is a title of nobility. The word baron comes from Old French baron, itself from Old High German and Latin baro meaning " man, warrior"; it merged with cognate Old English beorn meaning "nobleman"...
(Barón), Lord
Lord
Lord is a title with various meanings. It can denote a prince or a feudal superior . The title today is mostly used in connection with the peerage of the United Kingdom or its predecessor countries, although some users of the title do not themselves hold peerages, and use it 'by courtesy'...
(Señor) - in that line of importance and social standing
Social stratification
In sociology the social stratification is a concept of class, involving the "classification of persons into groups based on shared socio-economic conditions ... a relational set of inequalities with economic, social, political and ideological dimensions."...
. The title of Grandee of Spain was usually annexed to another noble title but may also be bestowed on a person without a traditional noble title, in the last case the person would have Grandee of Spain written after his name; all Grandees are addressed as Excellency
Excellency
Excellency is an honorific style given to certain members of an organization or state.Usually, people styled "Excellency" are heads of state, heads of government, governors, ambassadors, certain ecclesiastics, royalty, aristocracy, and military, and others holding equivalent rank .It is...
, the title being equal to that of a Duke and all Dukes are Grandees. Titles bestowed often had the name of a place in Cuba (e.g. Marqués de Pinar del Rio, Conde de Yumurí), the surname of the family (e.g. Marqués de Azpesteguia, Conde de Casa (house) Montalvo) or in remembrance of some Royal favor or deed (e.g. Marqués de la Gratitud, Marqués de la Real Proclamación), .
After the revolution of 1898, many of these nobles stayed in the island, or moved to other former Spanish colonies, such as Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
; some returned to Spain. Although the new Republic of Cuba did not give itself the power to create and bestow new titles of nobility, it did not interfere with the already established tradition. Many families who possessed noble titles continued to use them, and the public respected their historical meaning and social position
Social position
Social position is the position of an individual in a given society and culture. A given position may belong to many individuals. Social position influences social status...
. This all changed when Castro's revolution
Cuban Revolution
The Cuban Revolution was an armed revolt by Fidel Castro's 26th of July Movement against the regime of Cuban dictator Fulgencio Batista between 1953 and 1959. Batista was finally ousted on 1 January 1959, and was replaced by a revolutionary government led by Castro...
took control of the island; soon the Communist government
Communist state
A communist state is a state with a form of government characterized by single-party rule or dominant-party rule of a communist party and a professed allegiance to a Leninist or Marxist-Leninist communist ideology as the guiding principle of the state...
moved against these nobles, forcing many to exile. The last title nobleman to live in Cuba, Don Ignasio Ponce de Leon y Ponce de Leon, Marques de Aguas Claras and Count de Ponce de Leon y Maroto died in La Habana in 1973.
Source: New York Times, 5 April 1903
List of noble titles bestowed by Spanish Monarchs or inherited by Cubans
- Duque de MolaEmilio MolaEmilio Mola y Vidal, 1st Duke of Mola, Grandee of Spain was a Spanish Nationalist commander during the Spanish Civil War. He is best-known for having coined the term "fifth column".-Early life:...
, (Grandee of Spain) - Duque de la Torre, (Grande of Spain)
- Duque de la Union de Cuba, (Grandee of Spain)
- Marqués de Aguas Claras
- Marqués de Almendares
- Marqués de Alta Gracia
- Marqués de Arcos
- Marqués de Arguelles
- Marqués de Aviles
- Marqués de Azpezteguia
- Marqués de Balboa
- Marqués de Bayamo
- Marqués de Bellamar
- Marqués de Bellavista
- Marqués de Campo Florido
- Marqués de la Candelaria de Yarayabo
- Marqués de Cardenas de Montehermoso
- Marqués de Casa Calvo
- Marqués de Casa Enrile
- Marqués de Casa Montalvo
- Marqués de Casa Nunez de Villavicencio y Jura Real
- Marqués de Casa Penalver
- Marqués de Casa Sandoval
- Marqués de Casa Torres
- Marqués de Cienfuegos
- Marqués de las Delicias de Tempu
- Marqués de Diana
- Marqués de Du-Quesne
- Marqués de Esteva de las Delicias
- Marqués de Garcillan
- Marqués de la Gratitud
- Marqués de Guaimaro
- Marqués de Guisa
- Marqués de la Habana, (Grandee of Spain)
- Marqués de Justiz de Santa Ana
- Marqués de Marianao
- Marqués de Montsalud
- Marqusé del Morro
- Marqués de Pinar del Rio
- Marqués de Placetas
- Marqués de Prado Ameno
- Marqués de O'Gavan
- Marqués de O'Reilly
- Marqués de Real Agrado
- Marqués de la Real Campina
- Marqués de la Real Proclamación
- Marqués del Real Socorro
- Marqués de las Regueras
- Marqués de San Carlos de Pedroso
- Marqués de San Felipe y Santiago de Bejucal
- Marqués de San Miguel de Bejucal
- Marqués de Santa Ana y Santa Maria
- Marqués de Santa Lucia
- Marqués de Santa Olalla
- Marqués de Santa Rosa
- Marqués de Tiedra
- Marqués de Valero de Urria
- Marqués de las Victoria de las Tunas
- Marqués de Villamejor
- Marqués de Villa Siciliana
- Conde de Asalto
- Conde de Bayona
- Conde de Campo Alegre
- Conde de Canimar
- Conde de Casa Barreto
- Conde de Casa Bayona
- Conde de Casa Brunet
- Conde de Casa Lombillo
- Conde de Casa Pedroso y Barro
- Conde de Casa Montalvo
- Conde de Casa More
- Conde de Casa Ponce de Leon y Maroto
- Conde de Casa Romero
- Conde del Castillo de Cuba, (Grandee of Spain)
- Conde de Cuba
- Conde de Diana
- Conde de Fernandina de Jagua, (Grandee of Spain)
- Conde de Galarza
- Conde de Gibacoa
- Conde de Ibanez
- Conde de Lagunillas
- Conde de Macuriges
- Conde de Mandan
- Conde de la Montera
- Conde de Morales
- Conde de O'Reilly
- Conde de Penalver
- Conde de Pozos Dulces
- Conde del Puente
- Conde de Revilla de Camargo
- Conde de la Reunion de Cuba
- Conde de Sagunto
- Conde de San Fernando de Penalver
- Conde de San Ignacio
- Conde de San Juan de Jaruco
- Conde de San Rafael de Luyano
- Conde de Santa ClaraJuan Procopio Bassecourt y BryasJuan Procopio de Bassecourt y Bryas, , Count of Santa Clara, Baron of Maials, Governor of Louisiana, both before the Spanish Cession, Adams-Onís Treaty, of 1821, Captain General of the Caribbean Island of Cuba, , Captain General of Cataluña, .He was the son of...
- Conde de Santa Cruz de Mopox, (Grandee of Spain)
- Conde de Santa Inez
- Conde de Santa Maria de Loreto
- Conde de Santovenia
- Conde de Vallellano
- Conde de Venadito
- Conde de Villanueva, (Grandee of Spain)
- Conde de Yumurí
- Conde de Zaldivar
- Vizconde de la Bahia Honda de la Real Fedelidad
- Vizconde de Canet del Mar
- Vizconde de Cuba
- Vizconde de los Remedios
- Vizconde de Santa Clara
- Vizconde de Valvanera
- Baron de MaialsJuan Procopio Bassecourt y BryasJuan Procopio de Bassecourt y Bryas, , Count of Santa Clara, Baron of Maials, Governor of Louisiana, both before the Spanish Cession, Adams-Onís Treaty, of 1821, Captain General of the Caribbean Island of Cuba, , Captain General of Cataluña, .He was the son of...