Pedro Téllez-Girón, 3rd Duke of Osuna facts for kids
Pedro Téllez-Girón, 3rd Duke of Osuna (born December 17, 1574 – died September 24, 1624) was an important Spanish nobleman and leader. He held many powerful titles, including the 2nd Marquis of Peñafiel and 7th Count of Ureña. He served as the Spanish Viceroy (a ruler representing the king) of Sicily from 1611 to 1616, and then as Viceroy of Naples from 1616 to 1620.
Pedro Téllez-Girón was also a Knight of the Order of the Golden Fleece, a very special award given by the King of Spain. He was a Grandee of Spain, which meant he was one of the highest-ranking nobles. He was also part of Spain's Supreme Council of War, which helped make big decisions about the army. His friend, the famous writer Francisco de Quevedo, even wrote poems about him!
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Early Life and Family
Pedro Téllez-Girón was born in a town called Osuna, located in the province of Sevilla, Spain. He was baptized on January 18, 1575. His father was Juan Téllez-Girón, 2nd Duke of Osuna, and his mother was Ana María de Velasco. Her father was Íñigo Fernández de Velasco, 4th Duke of Frías, a very important official called the Constable of Castile.
Some old stories about his childhood are not fully proven today. For example, it's said he went with his grandfather, the 1st Duke, to Naples when he was very young. It's also said he helped stop a revolt in Zaragoza in 1588, but he was only 13 at the time, so this is unlikely.
Pedro Téllez-Girón married Catalina Enríquez de Ribera y Cortés on January 17, 1594. In April of that same year, he became the Duke of Osuna after his father passed away. Even though he had many debts, his family's wealth was managed by the Council of Castile because he was still young. The Osuna family was one of the richest in Spain, second only to the Duke of Medina Sidonia.
In 1602, Osuna left his home in Cuéllar and traveled to Brussels. He did this with the agreement of his uncle, Juan Fernández de Velasco, 5th Duke of Frías, who was a powerful person during the reign of King Philip III of Spain.
Military Service
Pedro Téllez-Girón first joined the army of Archduke Albert of Austria as a regular soldier. But soon, he was given command of two cavalry companies (groups of soldiers on horseback). In 1602 and 1603, he helped calm down mutinies (rebellions) among the Archduke's soldiers in Brabant. He even used his own money to help settle things with the rebellious soldiers. He also fought in several important battles and was seriously injured twice.
Another old story says he went to London in 1604 as part of a group sent by King Philip III of Spain to sign a peace treaty with King James I Stuart. This part is true, as the Constable of Castile, his uncle, was indeed the ambassador.
In 1608, he returned to Spain as a hero. He was given the Order of the Golden Fleece, which was the highest honor from the King of Spain.
In 1608, he arranged for his son, Juan, to marry the daughter of Cristóbal de Sandoval, Duke of Uceda. This marriage was important because it connected him to the family of Francisco Gómez de Sandoval y Rojas, Duke of Lerma, who was the King's chief minister at the time. This meant Osuna became part of the most powerful group in Spain.
Leading in Italy
Viceroy of Sicily
On September 18, 1610, Pedro Téllez-Girón was chosen to be the Viceroy of Sicily. He officially started his job on March 9, 1611. While he was Viceroy, he built up a strong navy for Spain. He also created his own fleet of privateer ships, which were private ships allowed to attack enemy vessels.
He led successful attacks against pirates and against the Turks. In 1613, one of his commanders, Ottavio d'Aragona the Younger, won an important naval battle. In 1616, another commander, Francisco de Rivera y Medina, also won a big victory against Turkish ships. Overall, Osuna made Sicily's military power much stronger.
Viceroy of Naples
In 1616, he became the Viceroy of Naples, a position he held until June 1620. A big challenge for Spain in Italy was the ambitions of France and Savoy (a region in Italy). They wanted to control the Duchy of Milan, which was very important for Spain to keep its military connections between Spain and other parts of Europe.
From 1613 to 1618, Spain and Savoy were at war. Spain wanted to keep Savoy within its agreed borders, while the Duke of Savoy wanted to expand his lands. He tried to get help from France and Venice to conquer Milan. Osuna believed that ending Venice's control of the Adriatic Sea and even conquering Venice itself would be helpful for Spain.
In May 1618, the leaders of Venice claimed they had discovered a serious plot to attack their city. They executed several people, saying that Osuna and the Spanish ambassador to Venice were secretly behind the plan. This event, known as the "Conspiracy of the Spaniards against Venice of 1618," is still debated by historians today.
Osuna's time as Viceroy in Naples ended in a tense way. Many nobles in Naples were unhappy with him because of the cost of housing the large army he kept in the city. Also, Osuna supported the demands of the common people, which upset the nobles. In June 1620, a new Viceroy took over, and Osuna returned to Madrid.
Later Life and Passing
A few days after King Philip III of Spain died in 1621, there was a big change in power. The new young king's ministers wanted to remove the friends and allies of the previous King's chief minister. Osuna was arrested by the highest political body in Spain, the State Council. He faced many accusations. He remained under house arrest (imprisoned in castles or noble houses) until he died in September 1624. This change was strongly pushed by the new chief minister, Gaspar de Guzmán, Count-Duke of Olivares.
No final judgment was ever made against him. However, the Osuna family lost royal favor for about 30 years. They only became important again in Spanish politics during the reign of King Charles II of Spain.
See also
In Spanish: Pedro Téllez-Girón y Velasco para niños
- The Spanish Viceroy
