born Oct. 29, 1507, Piedrahita, Old Castile, Spain
died Dec. 11, 1582, Lisbon
Spanish soldier.
He commanded Charles V 's imperial armies to defeat the Schmalkaldic League in 1547, and he served as viceroy of Naples (1556–59). As a chief minister to Philip II , Alba became notorious for his tyranny as governor-general of the Netherlands (1567–73), where he instituted the Council of Troubles. That court set aside local laws and condemned some 12,000 people for rebellion. Recalled to Spain in 1573, Alba later conducted a brilliant campaign against Portugal (1580) but never regained Philip's favor.
Fernando Álvarez de Toledo, 3rd duke de Alba, oil painting by Sir Antony More, 1549; in the ...
Courtesy of the Musées Royaux des Beaux-Arts, Brussels