Íñigo Melchor de Velasco, 7th Duke of Frías

Íñigo Melchor Fernández de Velasco, 7th Duke of Frías, GE, KOS (16 April 1629 – 27 September 1696), was a Spanish nobleman and Governor-General of the Spanish Netherlands.[1]

The Duke of Frías
Íñigo Melchor de Velasco (c.1658)
Bartolomé Esteban Murillo
Governor-General
of the Spanish Netherlands
In office
1668–1670
MonarchCharles II
Preceded byThe Marquis of Castel Rodrigo
Succeeded byJuan Domingo de Zuñiga
Personal details
Born16 April 1629
Died27 September 1696(1696-09-27) (aged 67)
Spain
SpouseMaría Teresa de Benavídes

Biography edit

His father was Bernardino Fernández de Velasco, 6th Duke of Frías and his mother was Isabel Maria de Guzmán. King John IV of Portugal was his cousin. He married Maria Teresa de Benavídes Dávila y Corella and had one daughter, María Remigia, VII Marquesa de Berlanga (c. 1678 to 1734).

He was a very influential political figure during the reign of Carlos II of Spain. He inherited the title of Constable of Castile from his father, was a member of both the State council and the War Council, Governor of Galicia, and became Governor of the Spanish Netherlands between 1668 and 1670. In 1676 he was appointed as Mayordomo mayor to the King, chief of his Household.

His painting by Murillo from 1659 can be seen in the Louvre. After his death in 1696, the title of Duke of Frías went to his nephew José Fernández de Velasco, 8th Duke of Frías (circa 1665 – 1704).

Additional information edit

Notes edit

  1. ^ In full, Spanish: Don Íñigo Melchor Fernández de Velasco y Guzmán, séptimo duque de Frías, décimo primer conde de Haro, quinto conde de Castilnovo, décimo segundo Condestable de Castilla, mayorazgo y señor de la casa de Velasco, señor de los Valles de Soba y Ruesga, señor del Estado de Briviesca, señor del Estado de Belorado, caballero de Santiago, comendador de Usagra, Mayordomo mayor de Carlos II, gobernador del Reino de Galicia y de los Paises Bajos

Sources edit

  • Castro Pereira Mouzinho de Albuquerque e Cunha, Fernando de (1995). Instrumentário Genealógico - Linhagens Milenárias (in Portuguese). pp. 329–30.
  • Hobbs, Nicolas (2007). "Grandes de España" (in Spanish). Retrieved 15 October 2008.
  • Instituto de Salazar y Castro. Elenco de Grandezas y Titulos Nobiliarios Españoles (in Spanish). periodic publication.
  • "Genealogia" (in Portuguese). Archived from the original on March 8, 2007. Retrieved 15 October 2008.
  • His portrait by Murillo
  • "María Teresa de Benavides Dávila y Corella (in Spanish)". Fundacion Medinaceli. Retrieved 19 December 2011.

External links edit

Government offices
Preceded by Governor-General
of the Spanish Netherlands

1668–1670
Succeeded by
Military offices
Preceded by Constable of Castile
1652–1696
Succeeded by
Spanish nobility
Preceded by Duke of Frías
1652–1696
Succeeded by