House of Silva

Silva
Origin
Region of origin	Portugal, Spain
Other names
Variant(s)	House of Alba House of Savoy

The House of Silva (English pron.: /ˈSill-vah'/) is an aristocratic family of Spanish and Portuguese origin.

History

Juan de Mena's Memorias de algunos linages antiguos e nobles de Castilla, a work of the first half of the 15th century that is much prone to giving families mythical ancestries, would make the Silva "very old and noble knights and noblemen of high rank," while some writings claimed for them descent from the mythical Latin kings of Alba Longa (and hence from Aeneas of Troy). Mena also claims that a member of the family fought with Pelagius of Asturias.^[1] Luis de Salazar y Castro repeated these and other similar traditions of ancient Italian origin in his Historia genealógica de la Casa de Silva, published in 1685, as well as another equally unfounded derivation from the royal house of Asturias.^[2]

In Portugal, one branch of the family came to hold Vagos, Tentugal and Boarceos. One of this line, Diego Gomes de Silva, was appointed alfarez mayor in 1416.^[3] Of his line came Ruy Gómez de Silva, one of the nobles of the court of Philip II of Spain, making Ruy Silva the Prince of Éboli, Duke of Pastrana, Duke of Estremera, and Count of Melito.

A branch of the family became established in the Crown of Castile, after Arias Gomes de Silva was named Prince of Córdoba. His son Alfonso Tenorio Silva intermarried with the city's gentry to establish his family as one of the most powerful in the city, as well as serving in the courts of successive Trastámara monarchs.^[4] His son Juan Silva was made Count of Cifuentes, while younger branches of the Silva family were lords of Montemayor and Corral.

Royal branches

• Juan de Silva y de Meneses, (1399 - 27 de septiembre de 1464), I Count of Cifuentes in April 1456.
• Alfonso de Silva y Acuña (o Vasques da Cunha), II Count of Cifuentes, h. 1430.
• Juan de Silva y (Rodríguez) de Castañeda, III Count of Cifuentes, born h. 1450.
• Fernando de Silva y Álvarez de Toledo, IV Count of Cifuentes, h. 1480 - 1546.
• Juan de Silva y Andrade, (h. 1510 - 27 of April in 1556), V Count of Cifuentes.
• Fernando de Silva y de Monroy (154_ - 21 of May inb 1590), VI Count of Cifuentes.
• Juan Baltasar de Silva y de la Cerda, of a second marriage, (6 of January 1581 - 21 of January 1602) VII Count of Cifuentes. Married twice, without succession.

Succession via female branch:

• Ana de Silva y de La Cerda, VIII Countess of Cifuentes, sister of Juan Baltasar, VII Count of Cifuentes, born in Milan, (Italy), in 1587, married in 1603 with Juan de Padilla y Acuña, II conde de Santa Gadea but died 29 of March 1606. Without succession.
• Pedro de Silva, called under the name of Pedro Ruiz-Girón y Pacheco de Silva, died in 1625, IX Count of Cifuentes, married twice, had children:
• Alonso José de Silva y Girón, died in November 1644, considered the X Count of Cifuentes.

Silva Descendants

• Beatrice of Silva (1424 – 1492), foundress of the Order of the Immaculate Conception of Our Lady in Spain.
• Fernando Jacinto de Silva Padilla y Meneses, XI Count of Cifuentes, (1606 - 1644), I Marquis of Alconchel in 1632 and in 1644, XI Count of Cifuentes, V Sir of Villarejo de Fuentes, Sir of Almonacid, Villalgordo, Albadejo, Piqueras, Trillo, ValdeRebollo, Huetos, y Rugulilla.
• Pedro José de Silva, Prince of Castilla, General Captain of the Kingdom of Granada, governor and general of Orán y Mazalquivir, Virrey de Valencia, 1683 - 1698, + abril 1697; XII Count of Cifuentes.
• Fernando de Meneses Silva y Masibradi, Prince of Castilla, supporter of Archduke Charles VI of Austria, * 23.7.1663,+ 24.12.1749. XIII Count of Cifuentes.
• Juan de Meneses Silva, XIV Count of Cifuentes.
• María Luisa de Silva y González de Castejón, XV Countess of Cifuentes.
• Juan Bautista de Queralt y Silva, XVI Count of Cifuentes (VIII conde de Santa Coloma).
• Juan Bautista de Queralt y Bucarelli, XVII Count of Cifuentes (VIII conde de Fuenclara).
• María de las Dolores de Queralt y Bernaldo de Quirós, XVIII Countess of Cifuentes.
• Mariano de las Mercedes Casani y Carvajal, XIX Count of Cifuentes.
• Juan de Berenguer y Casani, XX Count of Cifuentes, (IV marqués de San Roman), VIII conde de Cron.
• Jaime María de Berenguer de Santiago, XXI Count of Cifuentes.

Dukes of Híjar

Cayetana Fitz-James Stuart y Silva had 2 children. One of them, Alfonso Martínez de Irujo y Fitz-James Stuart y Silva, 16th Duke of Aliaga, 19th duke of Hijar (born 22 October 1950, Madrid), married Princess María de la Santísima Trinidad of Hohenlohe-Langenburg on July 4, 1977, who he later divorced.

Successors

• Juan de Silva y de Meneses, (1399 - 27 de septiembre de 1464), I Count of Cifuentes in April 1456.
• Alfonso de Silva y Acuña (o Vasques da Cunha), II Count of Cifuentes, h. 1430.
• Juan de Silva y (Rodríguez) de Castañeda, III Count of Cifuentes, born h. 1450.
• Fernando de Silva y Álvarez de Toledo, IV Count of Cifuentes, h. 1480 - 1546.
• Juan de Silva y Andrade, (h. 1510 - 27 of April in 1556), V Count of Cifuentes.
• Fernando de Silva y de Monroy (154_ - 21 of May inb 1590), VI Count of Cifuentes.
• Juan Baltasar de Silva y de la Cerda, of a second marriage, (6 of January 1581 - 21 of January 1602) VII Count of Cifuentes. Married twice, without succession.
• Ana de Silva y de La Cerda, VIII Countess of Cifuentes, sister of Juan Baltasar, VII Count of Cifuentes, born in Milan, (Italy), in 1587, married in 1603 with Juan de Padilla y Acuña, II conde de Santa Gadea but died 29 of March 1606. Without succession.
• Pedro de Silva, called under the name of Pedro Ruiz-Girón y Pacheco de Silva, died in 1625, IX Count of Cifuentes, married twice.
• Alonso José de Silva y Girón, died in November 1644, considered the X Count of Cifuentes.

The family resides in the Ducal Palace of Pastrana, where Ruy Gómez de Silva, the first Prince of Éboli, resided.

• 
  Ducal Palace of Pastrana, Silva family property

List of Princes Royal

Name	Lifespan	Tenure	Notes	Parents	Image	Heir To
João	13 May 1767 – 10 March 1826	16 December 1815 – 20 March 1816	Later: King João VI of Portugal and the Algarves	Maria I of Portugal Pedro III of Portugal		Maria I of Portugal
Pedro	12 October 1798 – 24 September 1834	20 March 1816 – 10 March 1826	Later: King Pedro IV of Portugal and the Algarves	João VI of Portugal Carlota Joaquina of Spain		João VI of Portugal
Pedro	16 September 1837 – 11 November 1861	16 September 1837 – 15 November 1853	Later: King Pedro V of Portugal and the Algarves	Maria II of Portugal Fernando II of Portugal		Maria II of Portugal
Carlos	28 September 1863 – 1 February 1908	28 September 1863 – 19 October 1889	Later: King Carlos I of Portugal and the Algarves	Luís I of Portugal Maria Pia of Savoy		Luís I of Portugal
Luís Filipe	21 March 1887 – 1 February 1908	19 October 1889 – 1 February 1908	Premature death	Carlos I of Portugal Amélie of Orléans		Carlos I of Portugal
Afonso	31 July 1865 – 21 February 1920	1 February 1908 – 5 October 1910		Luís I of Portugal Maria Pia of Savoy		Manuel II of Portugal

See also

• Silva

References

Boyden, James M. (1995). The Courtier and the King: Ruy Gómez de Silva, Phillip II, and the Court of Spain. University of California Press. ISBN 0-520-08622-8 ISBN 978-0520086227