Fernando de Silva, 12th Duke of Alba
Encyclopedia
Fernando de Silva Mendoza y Toledo, 12th Duke of Alba, Grandee of Spain (1714 – 15 November 1776), was a Spanish politician and general.
. He was Spanish ambassador to France between 1746 and 1749. On April 9, 1754 he was made director of the Real Academia Española
, a function he held until his death in 1776.
He was also Prime Minister of Spain between April 9 and May 15, 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, who visited their villa on several occasions and painted there in 1786 El verano and La vendimia.
Biography
Better known as the Duke of Huéscar, Fernando de Silva was a man of the Enlightenment and friend of Jean-Jacques RousseauJean-Jacques Rousseau
Jean-Jacques Rousseau was a Genevan philosopher, writer, and composer of 18th-century Romanticism. His political philosophy influenced the French Revolution as well as the overall development of modern political, sociological and educational thought.His novel Émile: or, On Education is a treatise...
. He was Spanish ambassador to France between 1746 and 1749. On April 9, 1754 he was made director of the Real Academia Española
Real Academia Española
The Royal Spanish Academy is the official royal institution responsible for regulating the Spanish language. It is based in Madrid, Spain, but is affiliated with national language academies in twenty-one other hispanophone nations through the Association of Spanish Language Academies...
, a function he held until his death in 1776.
He was also Prime Minister of Spain between April 9 and May 15, 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, 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 HuéscarFrancisco de Silva, 10th Duke of HuéscarFrancisco de Silva, 10th Duke of Huéscar , , was a Spanish nobleman.He was the son of Fernando de Silva Mendoza y Toledo, 12th Duke of Alba and of Ana María Bernarda Álvarez de Toledo y Portugal...
, (1733–1770) who had one daughter.- María del Pilar de Silva, 13th Duchess of Alba (1762–1802).