Gaspar de Guzmán, Count-Duke of Olivares

Description

Gaspar de Guzmán (1587–1645), known as the Count-Duke of Olivares, was the son of Enrique de Guzmán. He inherited the county of Olivares and, after entering the service of the future Philip IV, became his favorite in 1621 (Tomás y Valiente, 1963), receiving the title of Duke of Sanlúcar la Mayor. For more than two decades, he directed Spanish policy, promoting fiscal, military, and administrative reforms (Elliott, 1990). His tenure, marked by conflicts such as the Catalan uprising and Portugal’s secession in 1640, ultimately led to his downfall in 1643 and his exile; he died in Toro in 1645.

He was a great patron of the arts: he assembled one of the most important libraries of his time, containing thousands of volumes and significant manuscripts organized by subject and language (Marañón, 1935). He employed learned librarians, such as Francisco de Rioja. In addition, he actively patronized writers such as Góngora and Quevedo. The Count-Duke also promoted the collecting of antiquities and works of art. 

Bibliography

• ELLIOTT, John (1990): El conde duque de Olivares: el político en una época de decadencia, Crítica, Barcelona.
• MARAÑÓN, Gregorio (1935): "La biblioteca del Conde-Duque", nº 107, Boletín de la Real Academia de la Historia.
• TOMÁS Y VALIENTE, Francisco (1963): Los validos en la Monarquía española del siglo XVII, Instituto de Estudios Políticos, Madrid.