Francisco de Sandoval y Rojas, 1st Duke of Lerma

Description

Francisco Gómez de Sandoval y Rojas (1553–1625) was the son of the 4th Marquis of Denia. After entering the service of the future Philip III, he became his favorite in 1598 and was granted the title of 1st Duke of Lerma a year later. He directed the country’s politics, exerting considerable influence over the monarch and acting as an intermediary between him and government institutions (Feros, 2002; Williams, 2006). In 1601, he persuaded the king to move the capital to Valladolid. The successive conflicts arising from his administration (Alvar, 2010) led to his downfall in 1618, forcing him to retire and leave the court to return to Lerma (Burgos).

In addition to his political vicissitudes, the Duke of Lerma was a great patron of the arts. He financed the construction of palaces that he later sold; furthermore, he sponsored the construction of churches and served as a prominent patron of the Convent of San Pablo in Valladolid (Palomares, 1970; Banner, 2009; Pérez Gil, 2019). His collection of paintings came to rival that of the monarch himself, including works by El Greco, Carducho, Titian, Rubens, Antonio Moro, and others (Herrero, 2015). Likewise, one of his most ambitious projects was the transformation of the town of Lerma (Burgos) into a full-fledged city, a task he entrusted to Francisco de Mora.

Bibliography

• ALVAR EZQUERRA, Alfredo (2010): El duque de Lerma. Corrupción y desmoralización en la España del siglo XVII2, La Esfera de los Libros, Madrid.
• BANNER, Lisa A. (2009): The religious patronaje of the Duke of Lerma, 1598-1621, Routledge, Surrey.
• BARUQUE MANSO, Ana (1958): Diego de Zabalza, platero del duque de Lerma y de la reina Isabel de Borbón, Institución Príncipe de Viana, Pamplona.
• FEROS, Antonio (2002): El duque de Lerma. Realeza y privanza en la España de Felipe III, Marcial Pons, Madrid.
• HERRERO CARRETERO, Concha (2015): "Tapices y libros de Francisco Gómez de Sandoval y Rojas, I duque de Lerma", en REDÍN MICHAUS, Gonzalo (ED.), Nobleza y coleccionismo de tapices entre la Edad Moderna y Contemporánea. Las Casas de Alba y Denia Lerma, Arco/Libros-La Muralla, Madrid.
• PALOMARES IBÁÑEZ, Jesús María (1970): El Patronato del Duque de Lerma sobre el convento de San Pablo de Valladolid, Universidad de Valladolid, Valladolid.
• PÉREZ GIL, Javier (2019): "Las bóvedas del Duque de Lerma para la iglesia de San Pablo de Valladolid y la redefinición del proceso constructivo de su fachada", nº 368, Archivo Español de Arte.
• WILLIAMS, Patrick (2006): He great favourite. The Duke of Lerma and the Court and Goverment of Philip III of Spain, 1598-1621, Manchester University Press, Manchester.