José María Álvarez de Toledo, 15th Duke of Medina Sidonia

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José María Álvarez de Toledo
Portrait by Francisco de Goya, 1795
Born	July 16, 1756(1756-07-16) Madrid, Spain
Died	June 9, 1796 (aged 39) Seville, Andalusia, Spain
Title	15th Duke of Medina Sidonia 11th Marquis of Villafranca del Bierzo
Spouse(s)	María del Pilar Teresa Cayetana de Silva Alvarez de Toledo
Children	María de la Luz (Adopted)

José María Álvarez de Toledo y Gonzaga, 15th Duke of Medina Sidonia and 11th Marquis of Villafranca del Bierzo, Grandee of Spain, (in full, Spanish: Don José María del Carmen Francisco Manuel Joaquín Pedro Juan Andrés Avelino Cayetano Venancio Francisco de Paula Gonzaga Javier Ramón Blas Tadeo Vicente Sebastián Rafael Melchior Gaspar Baltasar Luis Pedro de Alcántara Buenaventura Diego Andrés Apostol Isidro Álvarez de Toledo y Gonzaga, décimoquinto Duque de Medina Sidonia, décimotercer Duque consorte de Alba, undécimo Duque de Montalto, noveno Duca di Bivona, octavo Duque de Fernandina, noveno Principe di Paternò, octavo Principe di Montalbano, undécimo Marqués de Villafranca del Bierzo, undécimo Marqués de los Vélez, sexto Marqués de Villanueva de Valdueza, décimocuarto Marqués de Molina, décimocuarto Marqués de Cazaza, séptimo Marqués de Martorell, sexto Marqués de Valverde, Marchese di Bivona, Conte di Adernò, Conte di Caltabellota, Conte di Centorvi, Conte di Sclafani, vigésimo segundo Conde de Niebla, sexto Conde de Peña-Ramiro, Conte di Caltanisseta, Conte di Collesano (Golisano), Barón de Castellví de Rosanes), (16 July, 1756 – 9 June, 1796) was a patron of the artist Francisco Goya.

Álvarez de Toledo was born in 1756 in Madrid. He became chamberlain, at thirteen, to King Charles IV of Spain. He, originally Marquess of Villafranca, married his kinswoman Doña María del Pilar Teresa Cayetana de Silva y Álvarez de Toledo, 13th Duchess of Alba, who was the legendary "Duchess of Alba" in Goya's paintings, thus becoming de jure uxoris Duke of Alba. Their marriage made them the wealthiest couple in the kigndom; they competed against the Osuna family. A year after his marriage, he inherited the dukedom of Medina-Sidonia and joined two of the most important Houses of the Spanish nobility.

The failed attempt of his friend Alejandro Malaspina to oust Queen María Luisa's favourite Manuel de Godoy in favour of the Duke of Alba put an early end to the political career of the progressive aristocrat.

In 1796, Álvarez de Toledo y Gonzaga died on June 9 in Seville.

In a famous portrait by Goya, the duke is clad in elegant riding clothes. With an air of melancholy he looks up from the music book he is holding in his hands, including the "Four songs/with piano accompaniment/by Mr. Haydn". The duke commissioned several works from Joseph Haydn and was a gifted musician himself. In his painting, Goya subtly combines the symbols of his model's passion for music and equestrian skills (viola or violin, riding boots and riding hat) with the neoclassical interior of the ducal residence.

Spanish nobility
Preceded by Pedro de Alcántara	Duke of Medina Sidonia 1779-1796	Succeeded by Francisco de Borja Álvarez de Toledo
Preceded by Antonio Álvarez de Toledo	Duke of Fernandina 1773-1796
	Marquis of Villafranca del Bierzo 1773-1796
Italian nobility
Preceded by Antonio Álvarez de Toledo	Prince of Montalbán 1773-1796	Succeeded by Francisco de Borja Álvarez de Toledo