Antonio Sebastián de Toledo, 2nd Marquis of Mancera
Encyclopedia
Antonio Sebastián de Toledo Molina y Salazar, 2nd Marquis of Mancera, Grandee of Spain (c. 1625 – 25 October 1710) was a Spanish
nobleman
and diplomat who served as Viceroy of New Spain
from October 15, 1664 to December 8, 1673.
, where his father, Pedro de Toledo, 1st Marquis of Mancera, was viceroy from 1639 to 1648. As a young adult he joined the colonial navy and commanded squads against Dutch pirates. He returned to Spain with his father in 1648, and was subsequently majordomo of the royal palace, and then ambassador in Venice and Germany. On December 30, 1663 King Philip IV of Spain
named him viceroy of New Spain, although the Council of the Indies had initially rejected him on grounds of his poor health.
and remained there some days before making his formal entry into Mexico City
. While in Chapultepec he gave orders that no celebration was to accompany his arrival, because the treasury of the colony had been exhausted by remittances to Spain and the war against the English. However he also ordered that the 16,000 pesos intended for the celebration be used for a filigreed golden box to be sent as a present to the king. He entered Mexico City October 15, 1664, and took up his office.
In 1665 the English pirate John Davis
sacked and destroyed the plaza of St. Augustine
, Spanish Florida
. He stole (among other things) the payroll intended for the garrison there. To guard against a recurrence, Viceroy Toledo Molina y Salazar reorganized the Armada de Barlovento (coast guard). He ordered the construction of fast, heavily armed ships for the fleet. These expenses and other expenses of the administration nearly ruined the already depleted treasury. Nevertheless, the viceroy continued the reconstruction of the cathedral of Mexico City. Its ornate interior was finally finished in 1666, and the second dedication of the cathedral was held on December 22, 1667.
In other actions, the viceroy inspected the fortifications of San Juan de Ulúa
, near Veracruz
, and suspended work on the drainage system of Mexico City and the construction of a convent in Guanajuato
for lack of money. He sent another unsuccessful expedition to Baja California
. In 1670 Chichimeca
s invaded Durango
, and the governor, Francisco González, abandoned its defense. He was able to save only his own property, and also left with the payroll of the soldiers.
In 1666 news of the death of King Philip IV
reached Mexico City. A solemn memorial service was held in the as yet unfinished cathedral. Queen Mariana of Austria
became regent for her son Charles II
, who was 3 at the time of his father's death.
The Audiencia made trivial complaints against the viceroy to the Crown, such as that he arrived late at religious functions. Some of these complaints were forwarded to the viceroy. Toledo Molina y Salazar resigned the viceroyalty because of ill health, but the Crown did not accept his resignation. On the contrary, on April 3, 1670 it extended his term of office.
.
By Leonora María del Carretto:
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
nobleman
Spanish nobility
Spanish nobles are persons who possess the legal status of hereditary nobility according to the laws and traditions of the Spanish monarchy. A system of titles and honours of Spain and of the former kingdoms that constitute it comprise the Spanish nobility...
and diplomat who served as Viceroy of New Spain
New Spain
New Spain, formally called the Viceroyalty of New Spain , was a viceroyalty of the Spanish colonial empire, comprising primarily territories in what was known then as 'América Septentrional' or North America. Its capital was Mexico City, formerly Tenochtitlan, capital of the Aztec Empire...
from October 15, 1664 to December 8, 1673.
Early life
Antonio Sebastián de Toledo was born in Spain, but grew up in PeruPeru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
, where his father, Pedro de Toledo, 1st Marquis of Mancera, was viceroy from 1639 to 1648. As a young adult he joined the colonial navy and commanded squads against Dutch pirates. He returned to Spain with his father in 1648, and was subsequently majordomo of the royal palace, and then ambassador in Venice and Germany. On December 30, 1663 King Philip IV of Spain
Philip IV of Spain
Philip IV was King of Spain between 1621 and 1665, sovereign of the Spanish Netherlands, and King of Portugal until 1640...
named him viceroy of New Spain, although the Council of the Indies had initially rejected him on grounds of his poor health.
As Viceroy of New Spain
The Marquis arrived in ChapultepecChapultepec
Chapultepec Park, more commonly called the "Bosque de Chapultepec" in Mexico City, is the largest city park in Latin America, measuring in total just over 686 hectares. Centered on a rock formation called Chapultepec Hill, one of the park's main functions is to be an ecological space in the vast...
and remained there some days before making his formal entry into Mexico City
Mexico City
Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
. While in Chapultepec he gave orders that no celebration was to accompany his arrival, because the treasury of the colony had been exhausted by remittances to Spain and the war against the English. However he also ordered that the 16,000 pesos intended for the celebration be used for a filigreed golden box to be sent as a present to the king. He entered Mexico City October 15, 1664, and took up his office.
In 1665 the English pirate John Davis
John Davis (buccaneer)
Robert Searle was one of the earliest and most active of the English buccaneers on Jamaica.-Early life:Nothing, to date, is known of his early life. The famous buccaneer chronicler, Esquemeling, states that Searle was “born at Jamaica,” but this seems unlikely, since that island did not become an...
sacked and destroyed the plaza of St. Augustine
St. Augustine, Florida
St. Augustine is a city in the northeast section of Florida and the county seat of St. Johns County, Florida, United States. Founded in 1565 by Spanish explorer and admiral Pedro Menéndez de Avilés, it is the oldest continuously occupied European-established city and port in the continental United...
, Spanish Florida
Spanish Florida
Spanish Florida refers to the Spanish territory of Florida, which formed part of the Captaincy General of Cuba, the Viceroyalty of New Spain, and the Spanish Empire. Originally extending over what is now the southeastern United States, but with no defined boundaries, la Florida was a component of...
. He stole (among other things) the payroll intended for the garrison there. To guard against a recurrence, Viceroy Toledo Molina y Salazar reorganized the Armada de Barlovento (coast guard). He ordered the construction of fast, heavily armed ships for the fleet. These expenses and other expenses of the administration nearly ruined the already depleted treasury. Nevertheless, the viceroy continued the reconstruction of the cathedral of Mexico City. Its ornate interior was finally finished in 1666, and the second dedication of the cathedral was held on December 22, 1667.
In other actions, the viceroy inspected the fortifications of San Juan de Ulúa
San Juan de Ulúa
San Juan de Ulúa, also known as Castle of San Juan de Ulúa is a large complex of fortresses, prisons and one former palace on an island overlooking the seaport of Veracruz, Mexico.-History:...
, near Veracruz
Veracruz, Veracruz
Veracruz, officially known as Heroica Veracruz, is a major port city and municipality on the Gulf of Mexico in the Mexican state of Veracruz. The city is located in the central part of the state. It is located along Federal Highway 140 from the state capital Xalapa, and is the state's most...
, and suspended work on the drainage system of Mexico City and the construction of a convent in Guanajuato
Guanajuato
Guanajuato officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Guanajuato is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 46 municipalities and its capital city is Guanajuato....
for lack of money. He sent another unsuccessful expedition to Baja California
Baja California
Baja California officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Baja California is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is both the northernmost and westernmost state of Mexico. Before becoming a state in 1953, the area was known as the North...
. In 1670 Chichimeca
Chichimeca
Chichimeca was the name that the Nahua peoples of Mexico generically applied to a wide range of semi-nomadic peoples who inhabited the north of modern-day Mexico and southwestern United States, and carried the same sense as the European term "barbarian"...
s invaded Durango
Durango
Durango officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Durango is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. The state is located in Northwest Mexico. With a population of 1,632,934, it has Mexico's second-lowest population density, after Baja...
, and the governor, Francisco González, abandoned its defense. He was able to save only his own property, and also left with the payroll of the soldiers.
In 1666 news of the death of King Philip IV
Philip IV of Spain
Philip IV was King of Spain between 1621 and 1665, sovereign of the Spanish Netherlands, and King of Portugal until 1640...
reached Mexico City. A solemn memorial service was held in the as yet unfinished cathedral. Queen Mariana of Austria
Mariana of Austria
Mariana of Austria was Queen consort of Spain as the second wife of King Philip IV, who was also her maternal uncle...
became regent for her son Charles II
Charles II of Spain
Charles II was the last Habsburg King of Spain and the ruler of large parts of Italy, the Spanish territories in the Southern Low Countries, and Spain's overseas Empire, stretching from the Americas to the Spanish East Indies...
, who was 3 at the time of his father's death.
The Audiencia made trivial complaints against the viceroy to the Crown, such as that he arrived late at religious functions. Some of these complaints were forwarded to the viceroy. Toledo Molina y Salazar resigned the viceroyalty because of ill health, but the Crown did not accept his resignation. On the contrary, on April 3, 1670 it extended his term of office.
Later life
He finally left office in 1673, but still remained for some months in Mexico City. On April 2, 1674 he started the trip back to Spain. On April 22, at Tepeaca (Puebla), on the highway from Mexico City to Veracruz, his wife died and was interred there. He remained there for a time but eventually continued the trip alone and returned to Spain, where he died in 1710.Descendants
In 1655 the Marquis married Leonora María del Carretto, daughter of Francesco del Carretto, 2nd Marquis of Grana, with whom he had one daughter. In 1680 he married for a second time with Juliana Teresa de Meneses, widow of Francisco Ponce de León, 5th Duke of Arcos, but they had no descendants. The title passed to his nephew, Pedro Sarmiento, 3rd Marquis of ManceraPedro Sarmiento, 3rd Marquis of Mancera
Pedro Sarmiento, 3rd Marquis of Mancera and Count of Gondomar, Grandee of Spain was a Spanish nobleman.He was the son of Don Diego Sarmiento de Acuña, 2nd Count of Gondomar and of Francisca María de Toledo.-Descendants:...
.
By Leonora María del Carretto:
- María Luisa de Toledo y Carretto, 1st Marchioness of Melgar