Juan Alonso Pimentel de Herrera

Juan Alonso Pimentel de Herrera (baptisised 29 June 1553 in Villalón, died 7 November 1621 in Madrid) was a Knight of the Order of Santiago, Grandee of Spain, 5th Duke of Benavente, 8th Count of Mayorga, 3rd Count of Villalón, President of the Council of Italy, 15th Viceroy of Valencia and 25th Viceroy of Naples.

He was the second son of Antonio Alonso Pimentel y Herrera de Velasco, 3rd Duke of Benavente and María Luisa Enríquez y Téllez-Girón, daughter of Fernando Enríquez de Velasco, 5th Admiral of Castile.
When his brother Louis, the 4th Duke of Benavente, died without issue in 1576, he succeeded him as 5th Duke ^[1].

During the time of Kings Philip II and Philip III, the Duke was an influential politician and military man. He had experience in the defence of the Spanish coasts and territories, and had supported unity with Portugal in 1580 with 8,000 infantry and 600 cavalry. He also participated in the Enterprise of England in 1588 and helped the Monarch financially ^[1].

Between 1598 and 1602, he was Viceroy of Valencia, until he was appointed Viceroy of Naples between 1603 and 1610 ^[1].

In July 1610, Juan Alfonso Pimentel returned to Madrid. He remained in power as a State Councillor and, in 1618, as President of the Council of Italy. He was also Governor of the Kingdoms in the absence of Philip III, when he travelled to Portugal in 1619. After the death of the King, whom he assisted in his final hours, he became Queen Isabel's Chief steward in April 1621. However, he was not able to enjoy this new favour for long, as he died in Madrid on 8 November of that same year ^[1].

In 1569 he married Catalina de Quiñones Vigil de Quiñones (died 1574), 6th Countess of Luna. They had 2 children :

• Antonio Alonso Pimentel y Quiñones, 6th Duke of Benavente,
• María Pimentel y Quiñones, married Pedro Fajardo y Fernández de Córdoba, 2nd Marquis of Molina, 3rd Marquis of los Vélez.

In 1582 he married his cousin Mencía de Zúñiga y Requeséns, daughter of Luis de Requesens y Zúñiga, Governor of the Duchy of Milan 1572–1573, Governor of the Spanish Netherlands (1573–1576). They had 11 children, including :

• Domingo Pimentel Zúñiga (1585-1653), Archbishop of Seville (1649-1653) and Cardinal.

He also had an illegitimate son with María Gallega :

• Enrique Pimentel (1576–1653), Bishop of Valladolid (1619–23) and Bishop of Cuenca (1623–53) ^[2].

• De Haro, Alonso López (1622). Nobiliario genealogico de los reyes y titulos de España. Luis Sanchez. pp. 133.