Juan Alonso Pimentel de Herrera

Juan Alonso Pimentel de Herrera (baptised 29 June 1553 – 7 November 1621) 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.

Early life Juan Alonso was baptised on 29 June 1553 on Villalón. 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. His elder brother was Louis Pimentel de Herrera, 4th Duke of Benavente.

Career When his brother Louis died without issue in 1576, he succeeded him as 5th Duke.

During the time of Kings Philip II and Philip III, the Duke was an influential politician and military man. He had experience in the defense 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. Doña María Pimentel y Quiñones, who married Pedro Fajardo y Fernández de Córdoba, 2nd Marquis of Molina, 3rd Marquis of los Vélez.

After the death of his first wife, he married his cousin Mencía de Zúñiga y Requeséns in 1582. Mencía was a daughter of Gerónima Esterlich y Gralla and Luis de Requesens y Zúñiga, Governor of the Duchy of Milan from 1572 to 1573 and Governor of the Spanish Netherlands from 1573 to 1576. Together, they had 11 children, including:

Don Pedro Pimentel y Zúñiga (b. 1582) Don Fernando Pimentel y Zúñiga (b. 1582) Don Domingo Pimentel y Zúñiga (1585–1653), a Cardinal who was Archbishop of Seville from 1649 to 1653. Don Manuel Pimentel y Zúñiga (b. ), who married Joana Forjaz Pereira, 6th Count of Feira, a daughter of João Pereira Forjaz, 5th Count of Feira. Don Juan Pimentel y Zúñiga, 1st Marquess of Villar de Grajanejos (b. ), who married Antonia Fernández de Córdoba, 5th Countess of Alcaudete, a granddaughter of Alonso de Córdoba, 2nd Count of Alcaudete. Doña Mencía Pimentel y Zúñiga (b. ), who married Fernando Álvarez de Toledo Portugal, 5th Count of Oropesa. Don Rodrigo Pimentel y Zúñiga, Knight of the Order of Alcántara. Don Alonso Pimentel y Zúñiga, Knight of the Order of Santiago.

He died in Madrid on 7 November 1621.