Duke of Arco () is a hereditary title in the peerage of Spain, accompanied by the dignity of

Grandee Grandee (; , ) is an official royal and noble ranks, aristocratic title conferred on some Spanish nobility. Holders of this dignity enjoyed similar privileges to those of the peerage of France during the , though in neither country did they ha ...

and granted in 1715 by

Philip V Philip V may refer to: * Philip V of Macedon (221–179 BC) * Philip V of France (1293–1322) * Philip II of Spain, also Philip V, Duke of Burgundy (1526–1598) * Philip V of Spain Philip V (; 19 December 1683 – 9 July 1746) was List of Sp ...

to Alonso Manrique de Lara, 4th Count of Montehermoso, knight of the

Order of the Golden Fleece The Distinguished Order of the Golden Fleece (, ) is a Catholic order of chivalry founded in 1430 in Brugge by Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy, to celebrate his marriage to Isabella of Portugal, Duchess of Burgundy, Isabella of Portugal. T ...

and his

caballerizo mayor The Caballerizo mayor (Great Equerry) was the Officer of the Royal Household and Heritage of the Crown of Spain. This role included oversight of the trips, the mews, and the hunt of the King of Spain. Regime during the 16th to 18th centuries ...

for two periods, 1721–1724 and 1724–1737.Hidalgos de España (2018). p. 56 The title makes reference to the small village of Arco in Cañaveral, province of Cáceres, where the grantee held a lordship.

Succession

As with other Spanish

noble title Traditional rank amongst European imperiality, royalty, peers, and nobility is rooted in Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages. Although they vary over time and among geographic regions (for example, one region's prince might be equal to anoth ...

s, the

duke Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of Royal family, royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and above sovereign princes. As royalty or nobi ...

dom of Arco descended according to

cognatic primogeniture Primogeniture () is the right, by law or custom, of the firstborn legitimate child to inherit all or most of their parent's estate in preference to shared inheritance among all or some children, any illegitimate child or any collateral relat ...

, meaning that females could inherit the title if they had no brothers (or if their brothers had no issue), such as in the 7th Duchess's case. The rules were relaxed in 2006, since when the eldest child (regardless of gender) can automatically succeed to noble family titles. The 7th Duchess married Fernando de Soto y Colón de Carvajal (1930-2001), V Count of Puerto Hermoso, X Marquess of Arienzo, and it is expected that their son, Manuel de Soto y Falcó, will succeed to his mother's dukedom.

Notable figures

Historical accounts mentioned some notable personages who held the title. For instance, there was the very first duke Don Alonso Manrique, who also held the positions

and "montero mayor" (Master of the Royal Hunt). In 1839, the duke who held this position represented the ''hacendados'' (landowners) in a petition to the civil governor of Malaga asking for irrigation reforms.

List of dukes of Arco

References

Bibliography

* Dukedoms of Spain Lists of dukes {{Spain-hist-stub

Succession

Notable figures

List of dukes of Arco

See also

References

Bibliography