José Carrillo de Albornoz, 1st Duke of Montemar

Biography

Carrillo was born in Seville. He was a member of the Carrillo family, one of the oldest Spanish noble houses. He married Isabel Francisca de Antich y Antich in 1700 with whom he had three children (Francisco, Leonor & María Magdalena). He served in the Spanish marine infantry in 1690 before joining the tercio of Jerónimo Martín in 1694.

During the War of the Spanish Succession he aligned with the side of Philip of Anjou and fought as mariscal de campo in the Battle of Villaviciosa (1710) in the cavalry under the Count of Aguilar. He also participated in the Spanish campaign in Sardinia and Sicily during the War of the Quadruple Alliance between 1718 and 1720.

In 1731 he headed the expeditionary force that occupied the Duchy of Parma for its legal heir, Don Carlos, future King Charles III of Spain. In 1732 Blas de Lezo led the Spanish navy and Montemar the Spanish army in retaking Oran and Mazalquivir from the Turks (which had taken both cities in 1708.

The following year he commanded the Spanish army that fought and defeated the Austrians in Italy during the War of Polish Succession. His greatest victory was the Battle of Bitonto on 25 May 1734, which sealed Spanish control of Naples. For this victory, the king Philip V of Spain ennobled him as the first Duke of Montemar. He was the first viceroy of Sicily after the Spanish reconquest of the island from 1734 to 1737 and Minister of War from 1737 to 1741.

In 1741 he was appointed as head of the 50,000 men strong expeditionary Spanish army in Italy during the War of Austrian Succession. However, finding the crown had neglected the state of the army and altered completely his strategy plan, he refused to initiate offensive actions, which caused him to fall out of favor in the court. He was replaced at the end of 1742 by Jean Thierry du Mont, comte de Gages.

References

References

1. In full, {{langx. es. [[Don (honorific). Don]] José Carrillo de Albornoz y Montiel, tercer conde y primer duque de Montemar, comendador de Moratalla, caballero de la Orden de Santiago, caballero del Toisón de Oro, capitán general de los RREE, coronel de RR Guardias, director general de la caballería de España, general en jefe del Ejército de Orán, ministro de la Guerra del rey Fernando VI)
2. Escribano Bernal, Francisco (2018). "El duque de Montemar, un Gran Capitán del siglo XVIII". ''Armas y cuerpos'', Nº. 139, 89-94