
Garcia Alvarez de Toledo y Osorio, 4th Marquis of Villafranca del Bierzo (29 August 1514-31 May 1577) was a Spanish nobleman who was Viceroy of Sicily from 1564 to 1566.
Biography[]
Alvarez was born to a prestigious family of Spain, and was the cousin of Fernando Alvarez de Toledo, the "Iron Duke" of Alba. He started his military career as an admiral under Andrea Doria, and in 1537 he took part in the Battle of La Goleta and the Siege of Tunis, and was made Captain General of the Galleys of Naples as a reward for his services. In 1544, for fighting Hayreddin Barbarossa, he was made "Captain General of the Sea" and from 1558 to 1564 he was Viceroy of Catalonia. At the end of his term he became Viceroy of Sicily, and in 1565 he returned to naval warfare by helping to relieve the Knights Hospitaller from the Ottoman Empire during the Siege of Malta. He later captured the rock of Bades (Penon de Velez de la Gomera) from 150 Ottoman troops, killing all of them, and in 1569 he was made Duke of Fernandina and Prince of Montalban.
Viceroy of Sicily | ||
---|---|---|
Preceded by: Juan de la Cerda |
1564-1566 | Succeeded by: Carlo d'Aragona Tagliavia |