Carlos de Aragón de Gurrea, 9th Duke of Villahermosa

Who was Carlos de Aragón de Gurrea, 9th Duke of Villahermosa?

Carlos de Aragón de Gurrea y de Borja, 9th duke of Villahermosa was a Spanish nobleman, viceroy and governor.

He was Governor of the Habsburg Netherlands between 1675 and 1677. During his reign Spanish authority over the Southern Netherlands was nominal. France and the Dutch Republic could fight the Battle of Cassel on its territory without any significant Spanish contribution.

It was at that time, around 1677, he got reinforcements from the Spanish Governor of the Duchy of Milan, Gaspar Téllez-Girón, 5th Duke of Osuna, receiving thus the military Tercio of Valladares commanded by Field Marshal Isidro de la Cueva - Benavides.

He was thus replaced by Alessandro Farnese, Prince of Parma who was Governor of the Habsburg Netherlands from 1678 until 1682.

Further, the Brussels Military Academy, was reinforced by Sebastián Fernández de Medrano, who got between his students Flemish Engineers as efficient as Prospero Jorge de Verboom.

In 1678, Carlos de Gurrea Aragon y Borja became a knight in the Order of the Golden Fleece.

He was Viceroy of Catalonia between 1688 and 1690 dying two years later.

He had married in 1656 with Maria Enriquez de Guzman y Cordova. They had no children.