Pedro Afán de Ribera facts for kids
Pedro Afán de Ribera (who died in 1571) was an important Spanish nobleman. He is best known for serving as a Viceroy (a ruler acting for the king) in both Catalonia and Naples for twelve years. He was also the first Duke of Alcalá de los Gazules.
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Early Life and Important Roles
Pedro Afán de Ribera was born in Tarifa, a town in Cádiz, Spain. His father was from the Enriquez family, and his mother's family, the Afan de Ribera, were involved in trade and settling the Canary Islands.
Pedro held several important titles. He was the 2nd Marquis of Tarifa and the 4th Count of Los Molares. He also had the title of Adelantado of Andalucía, which meant he was a high-ranking official.
Serving as Viceroy
Pedro Afán de Ribera became the Viceroy of Catalonia in 1554 and served in this role until 1558. In that same year, 1558, he was given the title of Duke of Alcalá de los Gazules.
In 1559, he was appointed Viceroy of Naples, a very powerful position. He stayed in this role until he passed away. As Viceroy, he made some important decisions. He helped to manage the rules from the Council of Trent, which was a major meeting of the Catholic Church. He also did not allow King Philip II of Spain to bring the Spanish Inquisition to Naples.
Pedro Afán de Ribera also supported the famous Renaissance composer Diego Ortiz. He worked to keep the region safe by dealing with groups of bandits and thieves.
Protecting Naples
In 1565, Pedro Afán de Ribera helped to end a naval blockade of Malta by the Turks. A year later, in 1566, the Turks attacked Naples. In 1570, he sent a naval fleet to help Cyprus when it was under naval attacks.
Pedro Afán de Ribera died in Naples in 1571. He did not have any children who could legally inherit his title. So, the title of Duke of Alcalá de los Gazules went to his brother, Fernando Afán de Rivera.
Family Life
Pedro Afán de Ribera was married to Leonor Ponce de Leon. They did not have any children together. However, Pedro had two children outside of his marriage:
- Juan de Ribera (1532–1611): He became the Archbishop of Valencia. He was later recognized as a saint in 1960.
- Catalina de Rivera y Mosquera: She married Pedro Barroso, who was the Marquis of Malpica.
Collecting Ancient Art
When Pedro Afán de Ribera became Viceroy of Naples, he moved to Italy. At that time, collecting ancient Greek and Roman art was very popular among important people. Pedro quickly started his own collection, buying many ancient sculptures and other old items. He sent these artworks back to his palace in Seville, called the Casa de Pilatos.
His collection grew so large that it was later moved to Madrid. It was displayed in different palaces over the years. In the 1960s, the collection was split up. Some pieces went to other family members, and some eventually returned to the Casa de Pilatos in Seville.
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