Alonso de la Cueva

Alfonso della Cueva-Benavides y Mendoza-Carrillo (first name also spelled Alonso, often used was the title Bedmar) (1572-August 10, 1655^{1) was a Spanish diplomat, bishop and cardinal. Son of Luis de la Cueva-Benavides, seqor of Bedmar, and Elvira Carrillo de Mendoza y Cárdenas. Born in Bedmar, Spain, died in Málaga and was buried in a cathedral there.}

Alfonso at a young age pursued a military career at his father's side, who was the captain general of the Canary Islands. Since 1590 he took his father's place in his absences and year later, in 1591, was named captain of the arcabuceros. After the death of his father in 1599 he became señor of his house and title, and a commander of a cavalry company.

In December 23 1606² king of Spain Philip III made him the Spanish ambassador to the Republic of Venice. This was an important position due to the amount of information concerning European affairs which passed through the ands of the representative of Spain. When Bedmar took up this appointment, Venice had just concluded an alliance with France, Switzerland and the Netherlands, to counter the power of Spain. Bedmar was instructed³ to destroy this league and acted together with the duke of Osonne, viceroy of Naples, and the governor of the Milanese, planned a conspiracy and a naval invasion to bring the city closer to the Spanish sphere of influence. The scheme was to be carried out on Ascension Day in 1618 but was revealed by the French and Bedmar (protected by his position from arrest), left Venice.

After the fiasco of Venice Bedmar went to Flanders as president of the council. On April 16 1610 received the Order of Alcántara from king Philip III. In 1614 he was made Marqués de Bedmar, which he would resign when promoted to the cardinalate. In 1618 Philip III charged him with the devolution of the territories conquered by the Spanish forces in Piedmont to the duke of Savoy . In 1622 he received the red hat of a cardinal⁴. Later Alfonso became the ambassador extraordinary and counselor of Governor of the Habsburg Netherlands, Infanta Isabella Clara Eugenia and the Junta of War in Flanders.

The authorship of an anonymous work, Squitinio della libertd Veneta, published at Mirandola in 1612, has been attributed to him.

Notes

1. sources vary, some indicating 2 August, Oviedo
2. sources vary, some indicate 1607
3. some sources indicate that new research proves there was no conspiracy and Bedmar was framed by Spain political opponents
4. Dictionnaire des cardinaux and some other sources indicate he became bishop of Oviedo but other sources call this an error

Cardinalate and Episcopate

Created cardinal deacon in the consistory of September 5, 1622, de la Cueva did not participate in the conclave of 1623. He received the red hat, becoming a cardinal priest and receiving the title of S. Martino ai Monti on July 18, 1633. De la Cueva opted for the title of S. Balbina, July 9, 1635, and participated in the conclave of 1644.

De la Cueva opted for the order of bishops and the suburbicarian see of Palestrina, on October 17, 1644. Consecrated on Sunday, October 23, 1644, in the church of the Carmelites Discalced, Rome, by Gil Cardinal Albornoz, archbishop of Taranto, assisted by Alfonso Gonzaga, titular archbishop of Colosse, and by Juan Pastor, O. de M., bishop of Crotone. Named bishop of Málaga, retaining the diocese of Palestrina, July 27, 1648, he did not take possession of the diocese until 1651 and did not participate in the conclave of 1655.

External links

• The Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church