Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar Gómez de Sandoval y Mendoza, 7th Duke of the Infantado facts for kids
Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar Gómez de Sandoval y Mendoza (born April 4, 1614 – died January 14, 1657) was an important Spanish noble. He belonged to the powerful House of Mendoza. From 1633 until his death, he held the title of the 7th Duke of the Infantado. A duke was a high-ranking noble, often ruling a large area of land.
The Mendoza Family and Their Titles
The title of Duke of the Infantado had been held by the Mendoza family for a long time. The very first duke was Diego Hurtado de Mendoza y Figueroa. The Mendoza family became very powerful when they joined with another important family, the House of Lasso de la Vega. This happened through a marriage between Leonor Lasso de la Vega and Admiral Diego Hurtado de Mendoza.
Rodrigo inherited his important title from his grandmother. She was Ana de Mendoza y Enríquez de Cabrera, the 6th Duchess of the Infantado.
Rodrigo's Life and Work
Rodrigo was the son of Diego Gómez de Sandoval y Rojas, who was the 5th Duke of Lerma. His mother was Luisa de Mendoza. Rodrigo became the 7th Duke of the Infantado in 1633. This happened after his grandmother passed away.
Rodrigo was very active in the politics and wars of his time. He fought in the Portuguese Restoration War. He was part of Philip IV of Spain's team during this conflict. He also helped to stop the Catalan Revolt. This was a major uprising in Catalonia. He also took part in the Siege of Lérida in 1646.
Later in his career, Rodrigo held several very important positions. He was named the Spanish ambassador to Rome. This meant he represented Spain in the important city of Rome. He also served as the Governor of Milán and the Viceroy of Sicily. A viceroy was like a governor who ruled a country or province in the name of a king.
Rodrigo passed away in 1657. He did not have any children to inherit his titles. Because of this, the title of Duke of the Infantado went to his sister. Her name was Catalina Gómez de Sandoval y Mendoza. She was already the Duchess of Pastrana. This meant that the two powerful families, Infantado and Pastrana, were united. This made the family even more powerful.
His Marriage
Rodrigo married María de Silva y Guzmán in 1630. She was the daughter of Ruy III Gómez de Silva y Mendoza de la Cerda, who was the 3rd Duke of Pastrana. Rodrigo and María did not have any children together.
See also
In Spanish: Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar Sandoval Hurtado de Mendoza para niños
