# House of Alba > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/House_of_Alba > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/House_of_Alba.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_of_Alba > Source revision: 1296914165 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{Short description|Spanish noble family}} {{Infobox noble house |surname = House of Alba de Tormes |coat of arms = Coat of Arms of the Duke of Alba (Common).svg |coat_of_arms_size = 200px |country = Spain |parent house = {{unbulleted list|Álvarez de Toledo (until 1755)|[Silva](/source/House_of_Silva) (1755–1802)|[Fitz-James Stuart](/source/House_of_FitzJames) (1802–2014)|Martínez de Irujo (2014–present)Note: "Martínez de Irujo" is the [patriline](/source/patriline) of the [19th Duke of Alba](/source/Carlos_Fitz-James_Stuart%2C_19th_Duke_of_Alba), although he did change his surname to put his mother's surname of "Fitz-James Stuart" before the "Martínez de Irujo" surname of his father, who was a younger son of the 9th Duke of Sotomayor (see [Spanish naming customs](/source/Spanish_naming_customs)).}} |titles = {{unbulleted list|[Duke of Alba de Tormes](/source/Duke_of_Alba)|[Duke of Huéscar](/source/Duke_of_Hu%C3%A9scar)|[''Other titles''](/source/Carlos_Fitz-James_Stuart%2C_19th_Duke_of_Alba)}} |founded = 15th century |founder = Gutierre Álvarez de Toledo |current head = [Carlos Fitz-James Stuart y Martínez de Irujo, 19th Duke of Alba](/source/Carlos_Fitz-James_Stuart%2C_19th_Duke_of_Alba) }} The '''House of Alba de Tormes''' ({{langx|es|link=no|Casa de Alba de Tormes}}), commonly known as the '''House of Alba''', is a prominent [Spanish noble family](/source/Spanish_nobility) that descended from 12th-century nobility of post-conquest [Toledo](/source/Toledo%2C_Spain). The family's claim to [Alba de Tormes](/source/Alba_de_Tormes) dates from 1429, when Gutierre Álvarez de Toledo (of the {{ill|House of Álvarez de Toledo|es|Casa de Toledo}}) became Lord of Alba de Tormes while serving as [Bishop of Palencia](/source/Bishop_of_Palencia). == History == In 1472, [García Álvarez de Toledo, 2nd Count of Alba de Tormes](/source/Garc%C3%ADa_%C3%81lvarez_de_Toledo%2C_1st_Duke_of_Alba), was elevated to the title of [Duke of Alba de Tormes](/source/Duke_of_Alba) by King [Henry IV of Castile](/source/Henry_IV_of_Castile).{{Cite book|last=Kamen|first=Henry|title=Soldado de La España Imperial, El Duque de Alba|publisher=La Esfera de Los Libros|year=2017|location=Madrid|pages=15}} In 1492, the 2nd Duke of Alba de Tormes signed the [capitulation of the city of Granada](/source/Treaty_of_Granada). During the 16th century, [Fernando Álvarez de Toledo, 3rd Duke of Alba](/source/Fernando_%C3%81lvarez_de_Toledo%2C_3rd_Duke_of_Alba), was given the title of [governor general](/source/governor_general) of the [Spanish Netherlands](/source/Spanish_Netherlands). The third duke's first cousin was [Eleanor of Toledo](/source/Eleanor_of_Toledo), who married [Cosimo I de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany](/source/Cosimo_I_de'_Medici%2C_Grand_Duke_of_Tuscany). Through her granddaughter [Marie de' Medici, Queen of France](/source/Marie_de'_Medici), she became the ancestor of many crowned heads and heirs apparent of Europe. In 1802, [María Cayetana de Silva, 13th Duchess of Alba](/source/Mar%C3%ADa_Cayetana_de_Silva%2C_13th_Duchess_of_Alba), died without any issue and her titles were inherited by a relative, [Carlos Miguel Fitz-James Stuart, 14th Duke of Alba](/source/Carlos_Miguel_Fitz-James_Stuart%2C_14th_Duke_of_Alba). Thus, the dukedom of Alba passed to the senior branch of the [House of Fitz-James Stuart](/source/House_of_FitzJames), which took over the patrimony of the House of Alba.{{citation needed|date=April 2015}} From 1953 until 2014, the head of the House of Alba was [Cayetana Fitz-James Stuart, 18th Duchess of Alba](/source/Cayetana_Fitz-James_Stuart%2C_18th_Duchess_of_Alba). She held the [Guinness Book of Records](/source/Guinness_Book_of_Records) title for the largest number of [noble titles](/source/noble_titles), with 57 titles.{{Cite web|url=http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/most-titled-person|title=Most titled person|website=Guinness World Records|access-date=2016-03-29}} The current head of the House of Alba is [Carlos Fitz-James Stuart y Martínez de Irujo, 19th Duke of Alba](/source/Carlos_Fitz-James_Stuart%2C_19th_Duke_of_Alba), who succeeded his mother after her death in 2014.''[Boletín Oficial del Estado](/source/Bolet%C3%ADn_Oficial_del_Estado)'': [http://www.boe.es/boe/dias/2015/06/16/pdfs/BOE-A-2015-6672.pdf no. 143, p. 50250], 16 June 2015 {{in lang|es}}. Retrieved 28 December 2015. His father was {{ill|Luis Martínez de Irujo|es|Luis Martínez de Irujo y Artázcoz}}, a younger son of the 9th Duke of Sotomayor. The family owns a significant collection of art, furniture and historic documents, mainly at the [Liria Palace](/source/Liria_Palace) in Madrid.[https://www.wsj.com/articles/treasures-from-the-house-of-alba-500-years-of-art-and-collecting-review-1444685260 Treasures of the House of Alba] Retrieved 2017-09-06. == See also == * [Duke of Berwick](/source/Duke_of_Berwick) * [House of FitzJames](/source/House_of_FitzJames) ==References== {{Reflist}} == External links == {{commonscat|House of Alba}} * [http://www.fundacioncasadealba.com/ House of Alba Foundation] {{in lang|es}} * [http://www.fuenterrebollo.com/Heraldica-Piedra/casa-alba.html Origins of the House of Alba] {{in lang|es}} * [https://www.wsj.com/articles/treasures-from-the-house-of-alba-500-years-of-art-and-collecting-review-1444685260 The treasures of the House of Alba] Category:House of Alba Category:Roman Catholic families Alba --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [House of Alba](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_of_Alba) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_of_Alba?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.