Hugo of Moncada

Hugo de Moncada a.k.a. Ugo de Moncada, (Chiva, Valencia, circa 1476 - Gulf of Salerno, May 28, 1528), was a Spanish political and military leader of the late 15th and early 16th century. Originally he seems to have been some sort of Abbot of Santa Eufemia in Calabria, Italy, in the quality of Prior of the military Order of Saint John in Messina, Italy. He served as General of Ocean and Land, Viceroy of Sicily, 1509–1517, Viceroy of Naples, 1527 - 1528.

He was one of the sons of Gastón de Moncada, Sieur of Moncada, 10th Sieur of  Aitona, a.k.a. Aytona, Sieur of  Serós, and  Mequinenza, who had married Angelica de Tolça y Ripoll, lady of the baronies of Palma, Ador and Benarche in the kingdom of Valencia, Spain.

As a young man, he was made Knight of the Order of San Juan.

In 1495, he fought in Italy on behalf of king Charles VIII of France, (   - king 1483 - 1498), disputing Naples to the Spaniards getting then under the service of  Cesare Borgia, (1475 - killed March 1507, at Viana, Navarre, now in Spain). In 1496, he fought the French in Catalonia and Rosillon.

Under Ferdinand II of Aragon he fought against Berber privateers in Italian waters, being promoted to Viceroy of Sicily in 1509 keeping such position till 1517. In 1513, he helped the Count of Oliveto, Pedro Navarro, attack the port of Tripoli providing galleys from Sicily. In 1522, as a general for Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, he besieges the battlements of Tournai. In 1524, with 16 galleys, he attacked and took the ramparts of Toulon, Hières and  Frejus, but is defeated and captured by Andrea Doria at the mouth of the river Var. He is liberated in 1526 by the Treaty of Madrid.

He took command of the armies to take Lombardy and then to Rome where his troops participated in the Sack of Rome (1527) and ultimately, aided Clement VII, when the latter finally became a supporter of the emperor Charles V. In 1528, in the harbor of Naples, he is blockaded by Genoese and French fleets. Dies while his fleet attacks and tries to break out. Most of the ships of his fleet were sunk or captured.

Hugo was a young brother of Juan de Moncada, 3rd count di Marmilla, Sicily, 11th Sieur of Aitona and 1st count of Aitona since 1532, baron of Serós, Mequinenza and Soses, Sieur of Vallobar, Palma, Ador and Beniarche, 3rd baron of  Llagostera, Great Seneschal and "Maestre Racional" of  Catalunya, "Maestro Giustiziere" of the kingdom of Naples 1529, del Regno de Sicilia 1529, "Presidente del Regno" on 20 December 1535, Viceroy and Captain General of the kingdom of Sicily since 12 January 1536, deceased later.

Juan de Moncada y de Tolça married first, Giovanna La Grua, daughter of  Giovanni Vincenzo La Grua, signore di Carini e Misilmeri, later also of Montechiaro, deceased at Carini on  29 May  1517, and his 1st wife Elisabetta Bracco e Calvello, daughter of  Giorgio Bracco, Regio milite a Palermo.

He married, second, Ana de Cardona, daughter of  Fernando de Cardona, 2nd duke of Cardona, 2nd marquis  of  Pallarés, Great Constable and Admiral of Aragon Gran Condestable and  Francisca Manrique de Lara, the daughter of Pedro Manrique de Lara, 1st duke of Nájera, 2nd count of Treviño, (1443, + 1 February 1515) and  Guiomar de Castro, daughter of  Álvaro de Castro, 1 count of Monsanto, in  Portugal and  Isabel da Cunha,  dos senhores de Cascais, greatgranddaughter of king Pedro I of Portugal:

Issue from the 1st marriage : 1. Isabel de Moncada, who married in 1527 Giovanni II Ventimiglia, 6th marchese di Geraci, barone di Pettineo , signore di Castelbuono, Tusa, Gangi, dei feudi di Tiro, Ciura e dei marcati di Carcinella, Sciara e Pinola; Stratigoto di Messina (1532,1533, 1539, 1540), + after 1548, with issue (See GERACE, marchese di/IRACHE, marquis of).

Issue from the 2nd marriage: Francisco de Moncada y Cardona, 1st marquis of Aitona since 1 October 1581, title awarded by king Philip II of Spain who had married in 1560 Lucrecia Gralla.

Some references

 * http://www.grandesp.org.uk/historia/gzas/aitona.htm