Montealegre
Encyclopedia
Montealegre is a surname. Due to the spelling inconsistencies in former times, bearers of this name may be found under Montalegre, too.
The name Montealegre appears during the reign of King Alfonso VIII as a Lordship of an Alfonso Téllez. the name continues to be connected to this noble family, when a century later there appears a Lord of Montealegre; Tello Perez de Meneses. The Lordship of Montealegre having built a castle which lies in a village by the same name in the province of Valladolid
in Spain
was situated on the border line of defense with the Kingdom of Leon.
Montealegre is a Spanish surname of local origin, derived from the place where the initial bearer once lived. This name indicates "one who came from Montealegre", a place name in Cadia in the municipality of Jerez de San Gionvera in Andalucia, Spain. This place name is derived from the Spanish words "Monte", meaning "Mount" or "Mountain", and "alegre", meaning "happy".
The Military order of Santiago and later King Alfonso X, the Wise granted several rights and privileges to Montealegre. And it soon became part of the Lordship of Alburquerque. It was elevated to a County by Don Enrique Manuel de Villena. Later it belonged to the Guzmán family. During the reign of King Felipe IV a Martin Guzmán y Rojas becomes Marquis de Montealegre.
Early references to this surname record Eusebia de Montealegre, Margarita de Montealegre and Leocadio Maria de Montealegre as members of the Order of Carlos III. The title of Marques de Montealegre was granted to Martin de Guaman in 1625 by king Felip IV. The title of Conde de Montealegre was held by Salvador Ricardo de Cavira y Acosta between 1830 - 1857. Jose Joaquin de Montealegre y Andrade, Duque de Montealegre and Marques y Salas, was ambassador to the republic of Venice. His daughter, Margarita de Montealegre, settled in Santiago, Chile.
Notable bearers of this surname include Jose Gabriel Montealegre who was born in Madrid
in the seventeenth century and until 1650 he was a lawyer to the Royal Court. He was brought before the Inquisition
because of his Lutheran beliefs. Jose Maria Montealegre was a statesman and doctor born in San Jose, Costa Rica in 1815 and died in San Francisco in 1887. Jose Maria Montealegre was President of Costa Rica from 1859 to 1863. Leonard Bernstein, the famous creator of West Side Story was married to famed Chilean-Costa Rican Actress, Felicia Cohn Montealegre. Felicia is a descendent of Jose María Montealegre.
Felicia Montealegre as she was named when she arrived in USA, is a descendant of Mariano Montealegre, a brother of Jose Maria
The name Montealegre appears during the reign of King Alfonso VIII as a Lordship of an Alfonso Téllez. the name continues to be connected to this noble family, when a century later there appears a Lord of Montealegre; Tello Perez de Meneses. The Lordship of Montealegre having built a castle which lies in a village by the same name in the province of Valladolid
Valladolid
Valladolid is a historic city and municipality in north-central Spain, situated at the confluence of the Pisuerga and Esgueva rivers, and located within three wine-making regions: Ribera del Duero, Rueda and Cigales...
in Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
was situated on the border line of defense with the Kingdom of Leon.
Montealegre is a Spanish surname of local origin, derived from the place where the initial bearer once lived. This name indicates "one who came from Montealegre", a place name in Cadia in the municipality of Jerez de San Gionvera in Andalucia, Spain. This place name is derived from the Spanish words "Monte", meaning "Mount" or "Mountain", and "alegre", meaning "happy".
The Military order of Santiago and later King Alfonso X, the Wise granted several rights and privileges to Montealegre. And it soon became part of the Lordship of Alburquerque. It was elevated to a County by Don Enrique Manuel de Villena. Later it belonged to the Guzmán family. During the reign of King Felipe IV a Martin Guzmán y Rojas becomes Marquis de Montealegre.
Early references to this surname record Eusebia de Montealegre, Margarita de Montealegre and Leocadio Maria de Montealegre as members of the Order of Carlos III. The title of Marques de Montealegre was granted to Martin de Guaman in 1625 by king Felip IV. The title of Conde de Montealegre was held by Salvador Ricardo de Cavira y Acosta between 1830 - 1857. Jose Joaquin de Montealegre y Andrade, Duque de Montealegre and Marques y Salas, was ambassador to the republic of Venice. His daughter, Margarita de Montealegre, settled in Santiago, Chile.
Notable bearers of this surname include Jose Gabriel Montealegre who was born in Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
in the seventeenth century and until 1650 he was a lawyer to the Royal Court. He was brought before the Inquisition
Inquisition
The Inquisition, Inquisitio Haereticae Pravitatis , was the "fight against heretics" by several institutions within the justice-system of the Roman Catholic Church. It started in the 12th century, with the introduction of torture in the persecution of heresy...
because of his Lutheran beliefs. Jose Maria Montealegre was a statesman and doctor born in San Jose, Costa Rica in 1815 and died in San Francisco in 1887. Jose Maria Montealegre was President of Costa Rica from 1859 to 1863. Leonard Bernstein, the famous creator of West Side Story was married to famed Chilean-Costa Rican Actress, Felicia Cohn Montealegre. Felicia is a descendent of Jose María Montealegre.
Felicia Montealegre as she was named when she arrived in USA, is a descendant of Mariano Montealegre, a brother of Jose Maria