Fadrique Álvarez de Toledo y Mendoza

Who was Fadrique Álvarez de Toledo y Mendoza?

′Fadrique Álvarez de Toledo y Mendoza, was a Spanish noble and admiral. He was a Knight of the Order of Santiago, a Spanish Admiral, and Captain General of the Spanish Navy at the age of 37.

He was born in Naples as the son of Pedro Álvarez de Toledo, 5th Marquis of Villafranca, then commander in chief of the Spanish Army in the Kingdom of Naples, and Doña Elvira de Mendoza.

He served in the Spanish fleet under command of his father and rose quickly through the ranks, as did his elder brother García Álvarez de Toledo, 6th Marquis of Villafranca. In 1617, he became Capitán General de la Armada del Mar Océano or Armada de Barlovento.

He gained several victories against the Dutch, in 1621 near Gibraltar and in 1623 in the English Channel, blockading the Dutch coast. In the same year he defeated a Moorish incursion near Gibraltar.

In 1625 he was appointed General of Portugal, and Capitán General of the Army of Brazil. He sailed towards Brazil at the head of a fleet consisting of 34 Spanish ships, 22 Portuguese ships and 12,566 men. There he reconquered the strategically important city of Salvador da Bahia from the Dutch on April 30, 1625.