Marquess of Valdueza

Marquess of Villanueva de Valdueza (Spanish: Marqués de Villanueva de Valdueza), commonly known as Marquess of Valdueza is a hereditary title in the Peerage of Spain accompanied by the dignity of Grandee, granted in 1624 by Philip IV to Fadrique Álvarez de Toledo, an important General of the Spanish Navy who prevented the Dutch conquest of Colonial Brazil.[3] He was son of the 5th Marquess of Villafranca, who was in turn a great-grandchild of Pedro Álvarez de Toledo, 1st viceroy of Naples.[4]

Marquessate of Villanueva de Valdueza
Creation date	17 January 1624
Monarch	Philip IV
Peerage	Peerage of Spain
First holder	Fadrique Álvarez de Toledo y Mendoza, 1st Marquess of Valdueza
Present holder	Alonso Álvarez de Toledo y Urquijo, 12th Marquess of Valdueza[1]
Heir apparent	Sonsoles Álvarez de Toledo y Argüelles[2]

The title gave birth to the eponymous award-winning brand "Marqués de Valdueza", a high-end producer of olive oil, red wine, honey and vinegar managed by the current Marquesses of Valdueza and sold all over the world. Their products are elaborated in the 1,000 acre finca "Perales de Valdueza",[5] one of the two family estates in Mérida, the other being "Azagala", of 17,000 acres in Badajoz, serving mainly as a hunting reserve.[6] It has been praised as "one of the greatest olive oils" by the Financial Times, Vogue, Tatler, Fortnum & Mason, The Guardian and several other institutions.[7][8][9][10][11][12]

The Álvarez de Toledo's have been one of the most prominent families in the history of the world, having held more than 80 titles in the peerage of Spain, including the dukedoms of Medina Sidonia, Alba and Infantado. They have produced 2 prime ministers of Spain, colonial governors, distinguished military officers, ecclesiastical figures and even a monarch of Tuscany.

Bottle of "Marqués de Valdueza" olive oil, with ornaments derived from the House of Alba and the motto: tu in ea et ego pro ea (you in her and I for her)