# List of presidents of the Council of Italy (Spanish Empire)

This is a List of presidents of the Council of Italy which existed in the Spanish Empire between 1554 and 1717.

## Formation

In the last years of the reign of King Charles I of Spain, the affairs of Sicily, Naples and Milan, which had hitherto been the responsibility of the Council of Aragon, were transferred to the Council of Italy, which was created in 1554 for that purpose.
The following is a chronological list of the presidents and governors of the Council of Italy, from its creation in 1554 until its demise in 1717.

## List of Presidents

| 1554 - 1555 | Juan Rodríguez de Figueroa, regent of Naples | | Philip II (from 1556). |
| 1556 - 1558 | Francisco de Menchaca, counselor of Castile | | |
| 1558 - 1578 | Diego Hurtado de Mendoza, duke of Francavilla | Also Viceroy of Aragon (1554-64) and Catalonia (1564-1571), but he held the title of president of the Council of Italy during his absence. | Also Viceroy of Aragon (1554-64) and Catalonia (1564-1571), but he held the title of president of the Council of Italy during his absence. |
| 1560 - 1561 1564 - 1565 | Juan Rodríguez de Figueroa, regent of Naples | Interim presidents during the absence of Diego Hurtado de Mendoza | Interim presidents during the absence of Diego Hurtado de Mendoza |
| 1565 - 1567 | Lorenzo Polo, regent of Naples | Interim presidents during the absence of Diego Hurtado de Mendoza | Interim presidents during the absence of Diego Hurtado de Mendoza |
| 1567 | Marcelo Pignone, regent of Naples | Interim presidents during the absence of Diego Hurtado de Mendoza | Interim presidents during the absence of Diego Hurtado de Mendoza |
| 1567 - 1571 | Gaspar de Quiroga, bishop of Cuenca | Interim presidents during the absence of Diego Hurtado de Mendoza | Interim presidents during the absence of Diego Hurtado de Mendoza |
| 1576 - 1578 | Francisco Hernández de Liébana | Interim presidents during the absence of Diego Hurtado de Mendoza | Interim presidents during the absence of Diego Hurtado de Mendoza |
| 1579 - 1586 | Antonio Perrenot de Granvela | Ex-viceroy of Naples. | Ex-viceroy of Naples. |
| 1586 - 1594 | Gaspar de Quiroga, cardinal | 2nd term. Died while in office. | 2nd term. Died while in office. |
| 1594 - 1596 | Diego Fernández de Cabrera, count of Chinchón | | |
| 1596 - 1600 | Juan de Zúñiga, count of Miranda | Ex-viceroy of Naples. Became president of the Council of Castile. | Philip III (from 1598). |
| 1601 - 1612 | Juan Fernández de Velasco, constable of Castile and duke of Frías | Ex-Governor of the Duchy of Milan. | Ex-Governor of the Duchy of Milan. |
| 1612 - 1613 | Bernardo de Bolea, Vice Chancellor of Aragon | | |
| 1613 - 1615 | Juan Beltrán Guevara y Figueroa, bishop of Badajoz | Interim president until the arrival of the count of Lemos. Promoted to archbishop of Santiago. | Interim president until the arrival of the count of Lemos. Promoted to archbishop of Santiago. |
| 1615 - 1618 | Pedro Fernández de Castro, count of Lemos | Also Viceroy of Naples with retention of the presidency. Resigned. | Also Viceroy of Naples with retention of the presidency. Resigned. |
| 1618 - 1621 | Juan Alonso Pimentel, count of Benavente | Ex-viceroy of Naples. Died while in office. | Ex-viceroy of Naples. Died while in office. |
| 1621 - 1622 | Baltasar de Zúñiga y Velasco | Died while in office. | Philip IV (from 1621). |
| 1622 - 1630 | Manuel de Acevedo y Zúñiga, count of Monterrey | Former ambassador to Rome, he became viceroy of Naples. He was the nephew of the previous president. | Former ambassador to Rome, he became viceroy of Naples. He was the nephew of the previous president. |
| 1630 - 1632 | Francisco Fernández de la Cueva, duke of Alburquerque | Ex-viceroy of Sicily. | Ex-viceroy of Sicily. |
| 1633 - ? | Ramiro Núñez de Guzmán, duke of Medina de las Torres | Ex-viceroy of Naples. | Ex-viceroy of Naples. |
| ? - 1645 | Gaspar de Borja, archbishop of Seville | Vice Chancellor of Aragon. | Vice Chancellor of Aragon. |
| 1653 - 1655 | Diego Mexía Felípez de Guzmán, marquis of Leganés | Ex-Governor of the Duchy of Milan. Died while in office. | Ex-Governor of the Duchy of Milan. Died while in office. |
| 1655 - ? | García de Haro, count of Castrillo | Also president of the Council of Castile. | Also president of the Council of Castile. |
| 1660 - 1666 | Antonio Sancho Dávila, marquis of Velada | Ex-Governor of the Duchy of Milan. Also president of the Council of Flanders. Died while in office. | Charles II (from 1665). |
| | Ramiro Núñez de Guzmán, duke of Medina de las Torres | 2nd term. | 2nd term. |
| 1669 - 1671 | Duarte Fernando Álvarez de Toledo, count of Oropesa | Died while in office. | Died while in office. |
| 1671 - 1676 | Gaspar de Bracamonte, count of Peñaranda | Ex-viceroy of Naples. | Ex-viceroy of Naples. |
| 1677 - 1689 | Antonio Álvarez de Toledo, duke of Alba | | |
| 1690 - 1698 | Manuel Joaquín Álvarez de Toledo, count of Oropesa | Became president of the Council of Castile. | Became president of the Council of Castile. |
| 1698 - 1701 | Fadrique Álvarez de Toledo y Ponce de León, marquis of Villafranca | Ex-viceroy of Naples and of Sicily. | Philip V (from 1700). |
| 1703 - 1715 | Antonio Sebastián de Toledo Molina y Salazar, marquis of Mancera | In 1707 the council also became responsible for Sardinia, when the Council of Aragon was dissolved. | In 1707 the council also became responsible for Sardinia, when the Council of Aragon was dissolved. |
| Following the loss of all Italian territories in the treaties of Utrecht and Rastatt, the council was dissolved on 1 May 1717. ||||

## Referencias

* Gil González Dávila: Teatro de las grandezas de la Villa de Madrid, pp. 456-470 (1623).
* Manuel Rivero: Felipe II y el gobierno de Italia.