Pedro Antonio de Aragón facts for kids
Pedro Antonio de Aragón was an important Spanish nobleman, soldier, and politician. He lived from 1611 to 1690. He worked for two Spanish kings, Philip IV and Charles II. Pedro was the brother of Cardinal Pascual de Aragón, who was also a very important person.
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Early Life and Important Roles
Pedro Antonio de Aragón was born in Lucena, a town in Spain. He was a very smart and educated man. Because of his skills, he held many high-ranking jobs for the Spanish government.
He served as the Viceroy of Catalonia from 1642 to 1644. A Viceroy was like a governor who ruled a region in the king's name. Later, he became an ambassador in Rome from 1664 to 1666. An ambassador represents their country in another country. After that, he was the Viceroy of Naples from 1666 to 1671. He also led the army as the Commander-in-chief of Catalonia.
Family Titles and Challenges
In 1670, Pedro Antonio claimed two important family titles: the 8th Duke of Segorbe and the 9th Duke of Cardona. He did this after his brother and young nephew passed away. This left only seven daughters in the family.
Some of his nieces and their husbands disagreed with his claim. They took the matter to court. However, Pedro Antonio de Aragón passed away in Madrid before the case was finished. This caused some confusion later about who officially held these noble titles.
A Love for Books and History
Pedro Antonio de Aragón spent ten years in Italy, from 1662 to 1672. During this time, he collected a huge and valuable personal library. He loved books and learning.
He was also a big supporter of the Poblet Monastery in Spain. In 1677, he gave his entire library, which had about 3,600 books, to the monastery. In return, he asked to be buried among the respected figures there after he died. In 1671, he even sent the body of King Alfonso V of Aragon back to Poblet Monastery from Naples.
Pedro Antonio de Aragón also wrote a book himself. It was called Geometria Militar and was published in 1671.
See also
In Spanish: Pedro Antonio de Aragón para niños
