Juan Pedro Aladro y Kastriota

Juan Pedro Aladro y Kastriota (1845–1914), known as Aladro Kastrioti by Albanians, born Juan Pedro Aladro de Perez y Velasco, was a Spanish nobleman, diplomat, and pretender of the throne of Albania. He claimed descent from the Kastrioti family through his paternal grandmother, a noblewoman that lived during the era of Charles III. He was referred as Don Aladro.

Life Born in Jerez de la Frontera, Province of Cádiz in Andalusia in 1845, he was the illegitimate son of Isabel Aladro de Pérez and nobleman Juan Pedro Domecq Lembeye. He attended school in his local town until 1862. After that he studied law in Sevilla. In 1867, he entered the diplomatic services and was sent as a diplomat of Spain in various parts of Europe, Vienna, Paris (1869), Brussels (1870), The Hague (1872), Bucharest. He reached the top of his career under the era of Alfonso XII. After Alfonso's death he settled in Paris where he lived on an income from his winery-estates that his father left him in 1869. He is regarded as a sportsman and possessed a remarkable collection of racing horses. Don Aladro kept contact with the Albanian Rilindas and was idealized by some of them as a rightful heir for a future throne of independent Albania. He visited Sicily and Calabria where he kept contact with the Arbëreshë notables in order to support his cause. Aladro visited the Montecassino Abbey searching for documents which supported his claims as a Kastrioti descendant. Aladro assisted financially the La Nazione Albanese newspaper of the Arbereshe publicist Anselmo Lorecchio, who from his side promoted him back. He also financed a person named Visko Babatasi as his emissary in Albania to distribute money, revolvers, and postcards with Aladro's picture and the Albanian flag, promoting his name through the Albanians. This became so evident that the Ottoman authorities prohibited the postcard distribution at a certain point. Many of the postcards are still available today. Babatasi embezzled the funds and went to the United States. According to Vlora's Memoirs, the Albanian flag which was raised during the Albanian Declaration of Independence in Vlorë on 28 November 1912 was a gift of 1909 from Don Aladro to him. The official Albanian version stands that Marigo Posio (a native of Korçë residing in Vlorë) embroidered it during the night. Eqrem Vlora confirms that the flag was requested from him by the organizers of the event, and was given to Posio to make copies.

In 1913, the Albanian Congress of Trieste was held. Between other things, the congress discussed the name of the future prince. Aladro was one of the candidates, and had some support. But the Great Powers did not like a Catholic candidate for the throne due to Albanian mixed religious nature and to possible opponent from non-Catholic communities (see:Religion in Albania) as well as considered Aladro "a starter" in that direction. Aladro stayed in Paris where he directed a railway company, and died in a hotel in Lamartine Square in 1914. Back home, Aladro was considered a "perfect cavalier, a devoted Christian, an excellent son, and a lover of art".

Honours Between other: Knight of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre Knight Grand Cross of Order of Isabella the Catholic Commander of the Order of Charles III Grand Cross of Order of the Star of Romania Grand Cross of Order of St Alexander of Bulgaria